Network Data Disk Usage and Use Cases
In the vDisk cloud desktop environment, in addition to the system disk (typically the C drive), disks from network servers can also be mounted (commonly as drive letters D, E, etc.). These disks are primarily used to solve the problem of insufficient local disk cache. For example, if the local disk is only 256 GB or 512 GB, adding a few virtual machines can fill it up. In such cases, network data disks can be used for expansion.
Usage Planning (Based on a Local 256 GB SSD Cache Capacity Example)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| C: System Disk — 150 GB | Install popular and frequently used software, exam software, etc. |
| D: Resource Disk (Network Disk) — 50 GB Dynamic Cache | Network virtual disk with 2 TB capacity. Store various libraries, virtual machines, and less frequently used software here. Allocate 50 GB of dynamic cache for local acceleration. When running a virtual machine, only the virtual machine data is loaded. The VM is cached locally; future requests require no server-side fetching. |
| E: User Storage Disk — 10 GB | Can be used together with the personal network drive, or created as a standalone 10 GB temporary data disk for user data storage. |
Total local capacity used: 150 + 50 + 10 = 210 GB. Effective capacity achieved: 150 + 10 + 2000 = 2160 GB.
I. Important Notes
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Low cache hit rate | If the dynamic cache capacity for the data disk is set too small, once exceeded, a cleanup is triggered. After the cache is reclaimed, the hit rate drops significantly. |
| Hit rate drops to zero after updating data disk | After an update, the local dynamic cache is reset. |
| Does the network data disk need to be deployed? | No deployment is needed — it is created directly via the network and operates in edge-caching (read-as-you-go) mode. |
| Can it be repaired if not working correctly? | Console → Desktop Management → Clear Data → Clear Data Disk Cache. Requires the terminal to be online. After the operation, it also fixes data abnormalities on the data disk. |
| Reset trigger rule | When the data disk is in Restore Mode, only the data disk capacity is counted. When it exceeds the limit, a cleanup is triggered. When in Read-Write Mode, both write data and data disk cache are counted, which can trigger a cache reset earlier. |
II. How to Use
Console → Desktop Pool → Virtual Disk List → Create New Data Disk
Console → Desktop Pool → Desktop Templates → Select the Template That Needs a Data Disk → Edit
Network disk must be checked; otherwise it will be a regular local data disk.
Enable cache is recommended; without it, the system runs as a pure network data disk, which places high demands on the server and network.
Cache limit: Set the maximum cache size. Recommended: one-tenth of the virtual disk size — e.g., set to 100 GB for a 1 TB disk.