Hi all,
This is my first post to the VMware communities, so go easy on me.
My aim is to build a Storage Server to make available 8TB from 6x2TB Hard Drive in RAID50. I would prefer this storage to be provided by a Virtual Machine, hosted by a powerful ESX server so I can cut down the amount of physical servers, and run other VM's from it.
It doesn't sound unreasonable, after all I have a Asus KFSN5-D/IST motherboard with a single six core CPU (it will take 2), an Adaptec 3805 RAID controller capable of hooking up 8 Sata/SAS drives, 4U Antec rackmount case with all the room I need for the hard drives, vSphere Essentials and a Technet subscription.
My plan ideally would be to create a new VM running Microsoft Storage Server 2008 on the ESX 4 host, which would provide access to the RAID array.
So to my worries, erm I mean questions:
1) Am I correct in thinking I can't provide this single 8TB lump to a VM due to vmfs 2tb limitations?
2) Is there a way I can avoid using the limits of vfms and provide direct access to the RAID array for the MSS 2008 VM?
3) Am I mad to run this storage a VM? How do major companies provide mass storage, the must be using vmware, but I can't see them juggling around with 2tb limits.
I will designate a dedicated Storage Server if I have to but someone must have some good advice here...
Thanks in advance.
Ian
ESX/ESXi cannot see disks grater than 2 TB - 512B.
So use your RAID controller to create more Volumes, then create more vmdk and use Windows Dynamic Disk to merge togher.
Or better, use DFS to merge togher more shares in a single namespace.
Andre
ESX/ESXi cannot see disks grater than 2 TB - 512B.
So use your RAID controller to create more Volumes, then create more vmdk and use Windows Dynamic Disk to merge togher.
Or better, use DFS to merge togher more shares in a single namespace.
Andre
Good question but yes you will be limited to a 2TB limit when presenting storage to VM's unless you enable NPIV for SAN but haven't gone there myself.
Give it a read:
http://communities.vmware.com/thread/181028?start=15&tstart=0
NPIV - (which just uses extents on the storage side of things but doable...)
http://communities.vmware.com/message/1545238
Cheers,
Chad King
VCP-410 | Server+
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Thanks for all your hep.
I will be putting all together and running some tests over the next few weeks. I will try some of those suggestions and see what works out best.