Split Fusion Drive to SSD and HDD, then clean install High Sierra

[MDarwish]

Hello,

I am on an MacOS Sierra - iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)

Since I read that APFS is not initially supported for fusion drives, I thought of splitting my fusion drive to SSD and HDD, then clean install High sierra on the SSD with a bootable USB, so I get the APFS on it.

Has anybody tried this? Do you recommend doing so? Or just clean install normally (without splitting the fusion drive) and wait for the support update?

 

[macflint]

Yep - just did exactly this. I have the OS and all apps on the 120GB SSD (using around 30GB so far). My home directory is on the 2TB HDD. Both are formatted using APFS.

For me this is working great - as a developer, I am always starting and stopping apps, and my data files are generally small. I have 40GB RAM which also helps.

Fusion did a great job, but I feel more comfortable with separate drives.

 

[MDarwish]

Yep - just did exactly this. I have the OS and all apps on the 120GB SSD (using around 30GB so far). My home directory is on the 2TB HDD. Both are formatted using APFS.

For me this is working great - as a developer, I am always starting and stopping apps, and my data files are generally small. I have 40GB RAM which also helps.

Fusion did a great job, but I feel more comfortable with separate drives.

That's great.

One question though:

How did you put the home folder on the HDD drive and not on the SSD? The reason I felt splitting will not be a good idea is that I have a photo library of about 350GB and it needs to be on the system drive (or whatever it is called) for the iCloud Photo Library to sync properly.

If I can split the fusion, yet have my home folder on the HDD, will it work?

 

[macflint]

I used something like the following to move my home directory to the HDD:

https://computers.tutsplus.com/tuto...-folder-to-another-drive-or-volume--mac-48822

I can't comment on the Photo Library sync, but iCloud Drive syncs OK. I cannot see why it wouldn't work.

 

[Alrescha]

The reason I felt splitting will not be a good idea is that I have a photo library of about 350GB and it needs to be on the system drive (or whatever it is called) for the iCloud Photo Library to sync properly.

The Photo library that iCloud Photo Library syncs is called the System Photo Library, but that library does not have to be on the boot drive/system drive.

A.

 

[Fishrrman]

You could keep the home folder on the [split] SSD.

Just keep the "large libraries" (music, photos, movies) on the HDD and "reference them" from the SSD...

 

[EugW]

The Photos library doesn't have to be on the boot drive. However, I believe it must be on HFS+ or APFS. I tried putting it on my NAS and it wouldn't work.

For a split Fusion system though, it's simple. Your boot drive is the SSD, and you can put the Photos library on the HD.

 

[MDarwish]

Oh okay! I didn't know I can simply put the photos library anywhere (even on an external HDD) and simply let the OS know this is a system photo library!

Regarding the fusion drive splitting, I honestly felt intimidated to go for it. So I chose to simply wipe out the fusion drive, install High Sierra and wait for the update that will support fusion drives. I really like fusion drives and I felt if the update came after some time, creating the fusion drive again will be a hassle.
[doublepost=1506445095][/doublepost]One more thing about iCloud photo syncing. The library which is about 350GB is all uplpaded already to iCloud. Nothing less nothing more.

After I imported the library as a system photo library, it is trying to upload all my photos. Will it be smart enough to know those photos with the exact name and size are already uploaded? Or will it upload them again?

 

[meloag]

Yep - just did exactly this. I have the OS and all apps on the 120GB SSD (using around 30GB so far). My home directory is on the 2TB HDD. Both are formatted using APFS.

For me this is working great - as a developer, I am always starting and stopping apps, and my data files are generally small. I have 40GB RAM which also helps.

Fusion did a great job, but I feel more comfortable with separate drives.

Hi Macflint,
Thanks for the info, quick question, I may split my Fusion Drive and Install High Sierra on the SSD, have you test the speed of the SSD? Like writing and reading speed with something like Black Magic Disk Speed? I am assuming as an Internal blade SSD must be even faster that an external SSD hard Drive, would be nice to find out.

Cheers.

Meloag