VMFS\NTFS Configuration Options

[joel2006]

I going to build a W2K8 server with a 1.5TB drive to be used as a datastore.

Expecting a a reasonable amount of read\writes on the data so looking for best practive on disk config, but failing to find anything.

Are there any recommendations for the way the storage should be configured?

Will 3x 500GB VMFS and spanned NTFS volume give better performance over 1x 1.5TB VMFS and a single 1.5 VMDK?

We have HP BL490 blades connected to an IBM DS8300.

[alefestaedist]

It depends a lot on the type of I/O you expect and on how you are going to configure the disks (VMFS vs RDM). There is a couple of documents that could help you like these:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9276

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1006810&sl... 0 160742182

another great source could be yellobricks (http://www.yellow-bricks.com/)

Alex

[joel2006]

Will be VMFS, not RDM.

We expect high I\O user data server.

[piaroa]

I think it makes sense to drop the vmdk in one 1.5TB volume instead of spanning, should get you better performance.

[-TAZZ-]

Do not span the volume over 3 vmdk's because this will make the Windows OS the 'man in the middle' who will use substancial CPU resources to handle your high IO load causing the CPU to spike and possibly limit the IO.

Just use one 1,5 TB vmdk (or RDM, or direct iSCSI connection) and make sure you use enough spindles to ensure your IO performance on the storage layer.

[depping]

From performance perspective it will depend on the amount of spindles backing those volumes, but why make it all very difficult? Just fo for an RDM, that makes it a bit easier to manage with sizes like these.

Duncan (VCDX)

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