ESXI 6.5/Vmfs 5 or 6?

[CpitLaw]

I have a new server setup with ESXI 6.5 as host going to put 3 vms on the host

1 is AD , DNS, DHCP

2. Sql Express database for program

3 print and file server

configs are dell PE R320 Quad core 48GB Ram with 4 1TB SSD raid 5

Need recommendation on creating the datastore create 1 big one or 2?

Do I use vmfs 5 or 6?

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated

[rcporto]

Create just a single volume with your 4 disks in RAID 5 that should provide you ~3TB of usable capacity and format that volume using VMFS 6.

[continuum]

First of  all let me apologize for the contradicting answers.
> Need recommendation on creating the datastore create 1 big one or 2?
Never create a standalone ESXi with just one datastore. If that one datastore needs maintenance all your VMs will be down.
So if possible create at least 2 datastores both large enough to host your mission critical VMs.

> Raid 5
I highly recommend to my customers to never use a Raid5 for VMFS. The failure rate of Raid5 is much higher than for any other raid-level.
> VMFS 5 or 6
Use VMFS 5 - if you ever have to recover from a VMFS-corruption your chances are way better if you use VMFS 5.
-
I hear you complaining about the extra costs of 2 datastores not using Raid5.
Consider the costs of one, two, three days of no VMs running at all and balance that with the comparably low costs of buying a few more disks and using Raid1

[Overkill420]

@continuum

This may be a little late for the OP, but do you mind to share your sources to backup your statement that

"The failure rate of Raid5 is much higher than for any other raid-level."

Normally I would agree with you, but given that these drives are SSD my experience leads me to think otherwise.

Also, why Raid-1 and not Raid-10?