Hello all,
Just need some suggestions and/or comments on creating a 4TB data volume for a VM machine.
Given that :
1. Volume will only contain user data i.e spreadsheets; word documents etc...
2. 4TB is a hard requirement.
3. OS will be Win2k8 R2
4. OS Partition will be separate @ 80GBs
5. netbackup will be used to backup the parition treating it as like a standard physical server.
Please advise.
thanks,
Kahlil
What sort of storage are you using? With ESXi you can create a VMFS datastore that is larger than 2 TB, but virtual disk files are still limited to 2 TB each. You can also create a physical Raw Device Mapping (RDM) that is larger than 2 TB. With an RDM the VM would get direct access to the SAN LUN. You can create an RDM with local storage, but I don't think it is officially supported.
we currently use EMC 5300; and have already partitioned a 4TB LUN:
Yes we have considered using RDMs for this LUN.
Seems that (physical) RDM is the only solution.
Unless you can export the LUN with iSCSI and you plan to use guest iSCSI.
Another option (although it is not as neat as doing an RDM)
Is to create 2 tb virtual disks.
And use windows to create a JBOD or software striped RAID array.
I have used this as a work around to the 2tb limit in the past, but only on linux systems using LVM.
I see no reasion that it would not work under windows however.
Regards
Cyclooctane
basically your only options are as follow:
a: RDM of 4TB (not too sure if that is fully supported. I think it is not)
b: Dedicated 4TB iSCSI target mounted in the Guest OS using the Guest OS's software iSCSI initiator
c: multiple VMDKs, mounted into the OS and formated with the builtin software raid or as LVM if linux.
pick one. all have their own querks and foibles.