Server Version#: 1.42.2.10156
Player Version#:
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>
I’ve noticed recently that I can hear my PR4100 having activity with the rapidity of a heartbeat. When I go into the Plex app, looking for some sort of automatic process running, I don’t see anything that coincides with hard disk sounds. When I go into PR4100 utilities and turn it off and back on, the activity stops.
What’s the best way to track down this probably unnecessary hard disk activity?
I was finally able to capture some system information that will be helpful in determining the problem. I did some screen shots and put them in a JPG.
When Plex starts using too much memory, the continuing hard drive accessing (I think) is causing a strain on my hard drives and I don’t want to have to replace my hard drives unnecessarily.
There is no real issue here.
Plex is performing various activities during media ingestion (which can be set to “automatic” or “periodic” and so can occur at any time or at the set library scan interval. The activity can be triggered by any change in the media folders – which means if you also have other software and tools adding/deleting/changing files in there [e.g. a Torrent client]) and the daily server maintenance.
In my opinion, your device is very short on RAM capacity. Even if it’s not excessively using the swap file/partition, it still could be flushing the disk read/write caches all the time – thus requiring the re-reading of the database and all other files all the time.
It appears that the easiest probable fix is to upgrade the RAM so I just ordered 2 8GB sticks.
I should add, I rarely add any media to my system and although there is a TV function, I don’t do any recording. I only have the update process happen late in the morning for only 2 hours. I would have thought once it hit it’s time limit, any running processes would cease. Too many assumptions…
I replaced the 4GB with 16GB, but that didn’t help. I noticed that I hadn’t disabled the “Refresh local metadata every three days task” so it’s now disabled. I had to replace another drive last week. Tired of having all my drives unnecessarily active for no apparent reason. I‘ll continue to monitor…
Is all the permanent (non-volatile) storage on your NAS provided by spinning disks? That is, no solid-state (SSD) storage?
If so, be aware that Plex Media Server writes logging information regularly. If your Plex data folder is on your spinning disks, they will necessarily be kept spinning so that logging can be written.
You can somewhat mitigate this by disabling debug logging in your PMS settings (make sure to restart PMS after changing logging settings). But anytime “INFO,” “WARN,” or “ERROR” entries are written the disks will have to be spun up. This could ultimately result in unnecessary wear on your drives.
You can’t disable logging. Only debug logging. Even that will not completely stop it.
If you actively have clients connected to the server there will be regular logging. I think your expectations are a bit unrealistic for a server application. There will always be some activity.
I think even if you were to run the Plex Media Server install on a separate solid-state device, like I do, there is still some small amounts of activity to the spinning disks that have media.
Thanks for reviewing my current progress on this issue.
Correction about logging, I should have been more explicit. I didn’t turn off logging, I just noticed that “Enable Plex Media Server debug logging” was already not enabled.
I just came back to my system after a day way. I immediately noticed that all four blue drive lights were blinking with the rhythm of the sound of my disks being engaged, coincidentally in sync with the bandwidth graph, ~once/second. So apparently I did not wait long enough for the problem to reappear.
In response to the location of my Plex Media Server folder, it’s on the PR4100.
Some info that was stated before to one degree or another:
I am the sole user of this system.
I might use it once a week.
I rarely add new media to it.
Plex is connected to a Silicon Graphics tuner but I only use the TV to record rarely. I am more likely to use HDHomeRun injunction with a Nvidia Shield.
After some unknown process occurs, the rhythmic HD access starts and does not stop until I turn off the Plex server and turn it back on.
If there is a logging process that I can turn on to get more data as to what is going on, I’m open to it.
After restarting Plex a couple days ago, I noticed early today that the “every second” flashing lights on all four drives and the associated disk engagement sound reappeared. This time instead of recycling Plex, I let it go ALL DAY LONG. It didn’t stop until towards midnight. If this is just a one time thing, I can live with it, but if this happens every few days, something is wrong. If it starts in again in a few days, I’ll amend this thread.
