Rrd stats on nano-bsd pfsense on ext. usb stick

[petzi]

Hi,

I'm using an Alix2d3 board with pfsense 2.1 and I can see the /var runs slowly out of mem (since /tmp and /var are ram disks as you probably know). Most of the memory seems to come from rrd stats and dhcp leases. Since the rrd stats grow over time I consider to move the data to an external, permamently mounted USB stick.

For this I have to mount the FS rw, than edit /cf/etc/fstab and than reboot, isn't it? I've read somewhere that each minute the rrd data is written. This will limit the life time of the stick - how/where can I change the time intervall; which time is approbiate? The router is 24/7 without UPS. Any hints further?

Thanks

[stephenw10]

The beauty of RRD is that the files do not grow over time. You set a limited size for each data file and never exceeds that. They do seem to grow initially, presumably from a completely empty file, but you shouldn't run out of space.

However you can move /var to another media. See this post for a similar project:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,67823.0.html

Doing this will not get you any further RRD data since, as I said, the files are fixed size but it should free up valuable RAM on the Alix. In nanobsd the RRD graphs are periodically written to the CF card. Since yours will now be on non volatile storage you can adjust that period to some thing very long (maybe disable it?) if you wish. It's in System: Advanced: Miscellaneous:
Edit: Looks like you can disable it completely there.

Interesting project, let us know how it goes. Has anyone else done this?

Steve