How NetDrive cache works

NetDrive uses cache for handling files.

You can specify cache size in Settings screen.

NetDrive_Cache_Settings

Cache block size is 64KB.

For read operations, NetDrive performs prefetching expected file blocks. NetDrive expects and caches next file block when the application requests file blocks sequentially for predefined time.

For write operations, NetDrive uses almost same cache size as target file to perform uploading to remote storage. We need whole file to start uploading because remote file storages do not accept incomplete files. NetDrive upload files when file write operation is finished. When the file is closed NetDrive can guarantee that we have whole file. Cache space for write operations do not limited by cache size limit.

If you use Windows Explorer when copying files to remote storage, NetDrive does not use write cache because there must be whole file.

Lifetime of cached file blocks

When there is available space in cache:

  • For blocks which was read at least once. It will be removed after 3600 seconds.
  • For blocks which was not read, It will be removed after 10800 seconds.

When there is NO available space in cache:

  • For blocks which was read at least once. It will be removed after 60 seconds.
  • For blocks which was not read, It will be removed after 180 seconds.

Cache size limit is a soft limit and that means NetDrive can use more space than specified limit.