Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

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Russ Blaise

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Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jun 06, 2017 1:36 pm

What is the best way to setup where all the media and DR files sit? I have a 1TB Samsung 850 SSD drive and want to use that for all my DR work. Can the media files, DR Cache, DR Data, etc sit on the same drive? or is it better to break them up to different drives?

Note: my boot drive sits on a Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB which is on a PCI card.

Thanks,

-Russ
Mac Pro (2012) 2 x 3.46GHz 6-Core, Catalina (Open Core), 96GB RAM, Radeon RX 580 8 GB, Intensity Pro 4k, Resolve Studio.
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MikeMeagher

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jun 06, 2017 9:59 pm

For what it's worth. This works well for me.. I have a Win 10 PC. I use a samsong m.2 drive foas my OS boot and for my Resolve app location. I use a pair of samsung SSD'S in a RAID0 configuration for my resolve cache drive location. I use three spinning Toshiba 7200 rpm HDDs SATA3 for my source video storage. And another 2 drive RAID0 USB3 external G-RAID device to render out to. This PC works well enough for editing and grading Resolve 12.5.5 without the need for creating optimized media. I am working with GH4 compressed UHD4 and gopro video. It works wonderfully with my PRORES Shogun or DNXHR files. 64 GB of RAM and a pair of 1080GTX1080TI SC2 cards as well. In my configuration the OS and the App, the source video, the Resolce cache location, and the render destination are all different drives.
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MarcusWolschon

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jun 07, 2017 6:59 am

the cache files are only ever stored below the first entry of the storage locations list in preferences. that location must always be present. This is a large limitation as you cannot take a single project and it's cache with you on a laptop easily without also taking the cache of all other projects with you (without a long session if copying and reconfiguring each time you undock the laptop and loose connection to external drives).
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Russ Blaise

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jun 07, 2017 2:58 pm

MarcusWolschon wrote:the cache files are only ever stored below the first entry of the storage locations list in preferences. that location must always be present.
I'm not sure what that means :?:

Also thanks, Mike for your reply :)
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MarcusWolschon

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jun 07, 2017 5:58 pm

Russ Blaise wrote:
MarcusWolschon wrote:the cache files are only ever stored below the first entry of the storage locations list in preferences. that location must always be present.
I'm not sure what that means :?:

Also thanks, Mike for your reply :)


http://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/D ... Manual.pdf

Page 115
"All optimized media is written to the same directory as the Cache files are written, which
defaults to the first scratch disk listed in the Preference dialog’s Media Storage panel. The
location of Cache and Optimized files is also selectable via the “Cache files location” setting in
the General Options panel of the Project Settings."

Page 120
"The Cache files location defaults to the first volume you add to the Scratch Disks list of the
Media Storage panel of the Resolve Preferences."
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Russ Blaise

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jun 07, 2017 6:16 pm

Hi Marcus, Now that made sense. Thank you for finding that info in the manual for me. I have it all setup now :)
Mac Pro (2012) 2 x 3.46GHz 6-Core, Catalina (Open Core), 96GB RAM, Radeon RX 580 8 GB, Intensity Pro 4k, Resolve Studio.
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bifericeras

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jan 22, 2019 4:56 pm

MarcusWolschon wrote:the cache files are only ever stored below the first entry of the storage locations list in preferences. that location must always be present. This is a large limitation as you cannot take a single project and it's cache with you on a laptop easily without also taking the cache of all other projects with you (without a long session if copying and reconfiguring each time you undock the laptop and loose connection to external drives).


Well you can. Can't you? In menue "DaVinci Resolve --> Preferences" you define under "Media Storage" diffferent Mounts per Project. Then when you create your project you individually to a project assign in the "Project Settings --> Master Settings --> Working Folder" your "Cache files location" and "Gallery stills location" to a path you defined under "Preferences".

That should work to be able to take that to another host.
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bifericeras

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jan 22, 2019 4:59 pm

But generally I find this thread interesting.

I am on Windows 10 Workstation.
And thus I can create a volume on a SSD and present that volume in a directory. This means even the directory is on a HDD the content of that directory would go onto my SSD.

Someone tried this setup before?
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Gary Hango

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jan 22, 2019 5:56 pm

bifericeras wrote:But generally I find this thread interesting.

I am on Windows 10 Workstation.
And thus I can create a volume on a SSD and present that volume in a directory. This means even the directory is on a HDD the content of that directory would go onto my SSD.

Someone tried this setup before?

I don’t use this for Resolve, but I used to use it for a backup scheme at the job I was previously at. I set up 6 folders on my main server (Monday-Friday & Weekend) that would mount 7 separate portable usb drives to each folder. I had 2 weekend drives that would alternately receive a full backup each weekend with the other 5 weekday drives doing differential backups. Worked nicely with everything scripted. All that had to be done is swap the weekend drives on Monday and the weekday drives each day. “So easy, a caveman could do it.” I was able to restore everything several times after several ransomware attacks (which destroyed everything on our network mapped drives), but that’s another story.
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bifericeras

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jan 22, 2019 9:26 pm

I mainly do this for performance purposes - I had a spare 512GB 950 Pro Nvme laying around. Not for the above idea to transport it to another device.
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waltervolpatto

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostTue Jan 22, 2019 10:28 pm

As mentioned, the cache can be redirected to a different drive and per project.

You might want large and fast drives for your media playback, a RAID is recommended because can satisfy both.

Personally i have a SAS enclosure with spinning disks 8x8tb in redundant configuration, it give me space, speed and security
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Hector Corcin

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jan 23, 2019 1:13 am

waltervolpatto wrote:As mentioned, the cache can be redirected to a different drive and per project.


How do you change cache to another drive per project?
I tried to change cache for some projects but they revert back to the default location, the drive and path configured in first Media Storage Locations in Preferences/Media Storage
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waltervolpatto

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jan 23, 2019 3:37 am

Hector Corcin wrote:
waltervolpatto wrote:As mentioned, the cache can be redirected to a different drive and per project.


How do you change cache to another drive per project?
I tried to change cache for some projects but they revert back to the default location, the drive and path configured in first Media Storage Locations in Preferences/Media Storage



Yiou have to make the setting you use for that project specific, one of the tabs (general iirc) has the path.

Every time you open that project, just recall the setting and you're good.
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Hector Corcin

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jan 23, 2019 9:29 am

waltervolpatto wrote:Every time you open that project, just recall the setting and you're good.


exactly... what I was trying to say... I can change the setting, but next time I open the project it will be changed to the storage location again and I have to change the setting again? This way of changing the cache location per project doesn't seem to be a supported feature if I need to change it every time I open the project..
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bifericeras

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Re: Best way to setup where all the media & DR files sit?

PostWed Jan 23, 2019 9:58 am

waltervolpatto wrote:As mentioned, the cache can be redirected to a different drive and per project.

You might want large and fast drives for your media playback, a RAID is recommended because can satisfy both.

Personally i have a SAS enclosure with spinning disks 8x8tb in redundant configuration, it give me space, speed and security


Yes for media I think RAID is the best way to go. Fast and a good answer to be on the safe side on HDD failure. For cache I only need fast. The safety isn't my highest priority. Therefore my idea to place a SSD to the base cache files location and gallery stills location. In worst case it would be required to rebuild the cache. Only thing is, the backup shouldn't go there. This again is good on the RAID.

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