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What CSV cache does—and when it can help
Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) cache is a node-local, in-memory read cache. It can serve frequent read-only, unbuffered I/O that bypasses the Windows Cache Manager. Because cached data is local to the server, suitable reads may avoid a trip across the network. Hyper-V virtual disks and Scale-Out File Server read workloads are examples of possible beneficiaries. Microsoft describes the feature and supported platforms here.
Writes are not cached. As Microsoft puts it, “Writes cannot be cached in memory.” Read-heavy workloads with recurring access patterns, including some VDI workloads, are better candidates than write-heavy workloads. Extremely write-intensive patterns may incur overhead without a corresponding benefit. Randomized synthetic tests such as DISKSPD or VM Fleet may also show worse results because they do not necessarily reproduce the predictable or repeated reads the cache is intended to serve. Judge the feature against the real workload, not a benchmark result alone. Microsoft’s CSV management guide discusses workload fit and monitoring.
Check the version and current setting first
The commands and defaults depend on the operating system. The current Microsoft cache guide covers Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025, as well as Azure Local 2311.2 and later. For Windows Server 2012 R2 and later, BlockCacheSize is a cluster-level property expressed in MiB per server. On an elevated PowerShell session, inspect it with:
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(Get-Cluster).BlockCacheSizeFor example, a result of 1024 represents 1 GiB per server. Windows Server Admin Center also provides an In-memory cache setting under Cluster Settings > Storage, where you can enable or disable caching and set the maximum memory per server. See Microsoft’s current cache guide.
Do not assume a Windows Server 2016 default from documentation alone: Microsoft’s current cache guide lists 0 (disabled), while its separate CSV management guide says Windows Server 2016 and later have 1 GiB allocated by default. Verify the actual value on the exact version and build you administer rather than treating either statement as definitive. The current guide lists 1 GiB defaults for Azure Local and Windows Server 2019. The separate management guide is here.
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Choose an allocation based on workload and memory headroom
Cache consumes physical RAM that could otherwise be available to virtual machines. Microsoft documents maximum allocation ceilings—not recommended targets—of up to 80% of total physical memory for Windows Server 2012 R2 and later and 20% for Windows Server 2012. In a hyper-converged cluster, allocating more RAM to CSV cache reduces memory available to run VMs. Microsoft’s Storage Spaces Direct deployment guidance notes this trade-off.
There is no universally correct size or documented hit-rate threshold. Microsoft’s management guide calls 512 MB a recommended value in many clusters; its newer guide gives 1 GiB defaults for some platforms and a 2 GiB-per-server example. Treat these as documented guidance and examples, not proof that a particular size will improve your cluster.
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- Consider cache when the workload has frequent, repeatable reads and sufficient unused memory.
- Be cautious when writes dominate, reads are not repeated, or virtual machines already need the available RAM.
- Start from the existing setting and memory budget; validate the result with workload performance and cache counters rather than adopting a ceiling or example as a target.
Set the cache on Windows Server 2012 R2 and later
- Open PowerShell as an administrator on a cluster node and check the current allocation:
(Get-Cluster).BlockCacheSize - Choose a value in MiB per server based on workload evidence and memory headroom. For example, Microsoft’s 2 GiB-per-server example is:
(Get-Cluster).BlockCacheSize = 2048 - If the change needs to take effect immediately, use the supported procedure of pausing and resuming the CSV volumes or moving them between servers. Microsoft states that memory-allocation changes on Windows Server 2012 R2 and later do not require a node restart. Consult the cache guide and the CSV management guide for version-specific operational details.
On current systems, the same setting can be managed in Windows Admin Center at Cluster Settings > Storage > In-memory cache.
Use the legacy procedure on Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 does not use the later BlockCacheSize configuration path. Microsoft documents the cluster property SharedVolumeBlockCacheSizeInMB and requires cache to be enabled on individual disks with CsvEnableBlockCache. Keep this per-disk procedure separate from the cluster-level setting used on Windows Server 2012 R2 and later; check Microsoft’s version-specific instructions before applying it. On Windows Server 2012, the documented cache allocation ceiling is 20% of physical memory. For older systems, the management guide recommends restarting each node after changing the allocation; per-disk enable/disable changes require taking the physical disk resource offline and bringing it online. See the CSV management guide for the legacy commands and procedure.
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Measure whether the setting helps
Use Performance Monitor and select the Cluster CSV Volume Cache counters. Examine hits, misses, and memory usage alongside application performance and system memory pressure. A cache hit alone does not establish that the application is faster, and Microsoft does not specify a universal hit-rate target or best allocation. If application performance does not improve or memory pressure rises, reconsider the allocation using the workload and available RAM as the decision criteria.
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