Adding a 1.92TB NVME SSD

[tommyxv]

Hello,

I have a dedicated server with a 500GB NVME SSD. I host one database-driven website on this server and have no plans to add any more websites to it. I am starting to run low on disk space. Getting close to 75% capacity. The database is about 5GB and the site's public_html directory is about 390GB.

What would be the best way to increase the disk space for the site? Replace the current SSD with a larger capacity SSD or should I just add a 2nd SSD to the server? Is it possible to configure the current site to use the 2nd drive?

Which way would be more reliable and would not affect the site's performance?

Thanks!

 

[Sanal Varghese]

Hi tommyxv,

Method 1. Replace the current SSD with a larger capacity SSD
Method 2. Add a 2nd SSD to the server

First of all, both ways will not affect your server performance because in both ways you're using NVME SSD. So disk performance would be the same as now.


If you want to minimize the downtime, you've to choose Method 2. But in that case, you should store the OS files on the first disk and website files on the second disk. Then it'll work as we expected. But that method is a bit difficult for you to manage sometimes.

In my opinion, I prefer Method 1, because there aren't any complications in the mount points and disks. Only one disk. But you should ask your hosting providers/Datacenters to migrate your entire data to the newly replaced disk without losing any data from it. They'll help you to do the migration along with replacing the larger disk.


Thanks
Sanal Varghese

 

[andrew.n]

What is your current partition layout? Do you use LVM? If you do then you can add the second disk and just increase the main partition you use to host the site.

 

[tommyxv]

What is your current partition layout?

Do you mean this?



I'm not sure about LVM. I can ask the host.

 

[andrew.n]

Yep, you don't have LVM. Well the options are either adding a bigger disk then moving the folder there or adding another disk with LVM, moving data there, re-format original /home then adding it to LVM. The advantages of having LVM is that if you have 2x500GB disks then you can have 1TB of /home instead of 1x500GB /home and 1x500GB /home2.

If you wish to do the later though I suggest you to hire a cPanel Certified Professional from System Administration Services as it is a more difficult task to complete.

 

[tommyxv]

I want to future proof the storage setup so I don't run into the same problem again. LVM sounds like the way to go. How many 500GB drives can I add with LVM?

 

[andrew.n]

Unlimited This is my favourite guide:

How To Create Linux LVM In 3 Minutes

Linux 3-minutes guide on how to create LVM in command line?

www.walkernews.net

 

[tommyxv]

Unlimited This is my favourite guide:

How To Create Linux LVM In 3 Minutes

Linux 3-minutes guide on how to create LVM in command line?

www.walkernews.net

I appreciate the info. I am going to add a second 500GB NVME drive and ask them to set up LVM. Is there anything special that I need to know in regards to cPanel?

 

[tommyxv]

Unlimited This is my favourite guide:

How To Create Linux LVM In 3 Minutes

Linux 3-minutes guide on how to create LVM in command line?

www.walkernews.net

My plan is to ask my hosting company to set up 2 new 500GB NVME SSD with LVM on my server then move my files and websites from the current 500GB NVME SSD to it. Once that is done, remove the original 500GB SSD from the server. Do you think this is the best way to make the switch while adding the additional storage that I need? And should give me the least amount of downtime correct?

 

[andrew.n]

Will you keep all 3 SSDs? In that case you will have 1.5TB available space. If you keep the original SSD and add a new one then you will have 1TB space. It really depends on how much space you need. It will involve some downtime yes and I believe nothing else is needed from cPanel side.

 

[tommyxv]

Will you keep all 3 SSDs? In that case you will have 1.5TB available space. If you keep the original SSD and add a new one then you will have 1TB space. It really depends on how much space you need. It will involve some downtime yes and I believe nothing else is needed from cPanel side.

No, I won't need all that space now so I'm just going to keep 2 drives for 1TB total. I should be good with that for a while. Is there any downtime when adding a drive to an existing LVM setup?

 

[andrew.n]

There is no downtime if you add a new, empty disk. (Depending on your chassis a quick reboot is needed to physically the drive to the server).

 

[tommyxv]

I talked to my host about moving to an LVM setup. They said...

What you propose is certainly an option. If you want to use NVMes, then we recommend a board that supports 2 M.2 slots. Your current board only has 1.

In my opinion, if you want to set up LVM, two SSDs would be the most efficient route as I have seen NVMes not be very reliable in a data center setting.

What is your opinion about that? Do you think there would be a noticeable difference between NVME SSDs vs SATA SSDs?

 

[tommyxv]

ALso, can you mix NVME and SATA SSDs with LVM or do the drives all have to be the same type? I did read that they do not all have to be the same capacity.

 

[andrew.n]

Well Tommy, I would be really happy to help and address your questions but this is not really related to cPanel anymore. It's more of a sys admin problem/question and since this is a cPanel forum I suggest you to reach out to a cPanel Certified System Administrator which you can find here: Resources and I'm pretty sure you can get all your questions answered

 

[tommyxv]

Well Tommy, I would be really happy to help and address your questions but this is not really related to cPanel anymore. It's more of a sys admin problem/question and since this is a cPanel forum I suggest you to reach out to a cPanel Certified System Administrator which you can find here: Resources and I'm pretty sure you can get all your questions answered

Thanks. I think I found my guy. I'll be in touch soon.