Virtualizing a File Server: best practice

[caddo]

Hi everyone,

i have to virtualize a file server into a VM on a ESX 3.5 host, here's the scenario:

The file server uses a LUN on the SAN for file sharing;

The ESX server has access to the same SAN;

The file server LUN is big, something like 6-700 Gb

I'm trying to think what's the best way to do this, in particular i wanted to use the FC Fabric to pass all the data instead of using the network, i was thinking of converting only the OS into the ESX host and leave out the e: partition (which is the LUN on the disk array in the SAN), and then.... i don't know what's the best from here.

I've never use RDM but i think i cannot attach a physical LUN to a VM unless the LUN is empty, in my case it's of course full of data so i don't know if i can do that without putting at stake my files.

I was also thinking if there's a way to map a vmdk residing in the virtual infrastructure as a disk on the file server so that i could create an empty .vmdk, map it to the file server, copy all the data from e: to, let's say, x: (x: would be the .vmdk file mapped on the file server); in this way all traffic would pass on the fiber channel.

I think you understood my needs. Most of the time i've been using the LAN infrastructure for my p2v and i've always been pretty happy about it but i'd really like a way to speed up the process in this scenario because of the amount of data and having a fiber channel fabric sounds as a very attractive option.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[AntonVZhbankov · Accepted solution]

RDM is very simple thing. ESX won't touch any bit on LUN unless VM said so, all the access to LUN lays on VM, ESX works as disk controller only.

So if you attach NTFS formatted LUN to Windows VM - VM will see it as SCSI disk with NTFS filled with files. That's all.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[vmroyale]

Hello.

i was thinking of converting only the OS into the ESX host and leave out the e: partition (which is the LUN on the disk array in the SAN), and then

add that LUN back to the VM as a RDM. This approach is probably going to be the easiest. The LUN doesn't have to be empty to be added as a RDM.

Good Luck!

[malaysiavm]

RDM allow you to attach a physical LUN which may or may not contains any data or file system. In another way round, you can re-attach the RDM LUN to a physical server if you need to do so.

Craig

vExpert 2009

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