Expanding LUN Size or Create a new Datastore / LUN ?

[EGiblock]

We have a cluster shared storage drive of 600gb for our VM's. Our next machine to migrate to our VMware environment is 228gb, but we only have 115gb free on the existing LUN.

Should we expand the current 600gb LUN to something larger ?

- How will VMware handle this ?

or

Should we just create another 600gb LUN and add it as another datastore in VM ?

Thanks

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SAN: Clariion CX4-120 (Fiber)

HOST(s): VMware ESX 4.0

[mittim12]

vSphere does give you the ability to increase the datastore on the fly without the use of extents so that is definitley an option. If your storage performance shows you can place another VM on this lun without impeding the performance of the other VM's than I would increase the LUN size. If storage numbers show that the disk is heavily utilized then I would set aside new disk for this conversion.

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[athlon_crazy]

One thing you should concern before your use volume grow for your datastore is version of your VMFS (datastore property). I've had problem last time with VMFS 3.31 (created by ESX 3.5) which I could not dynamicaly grow the datastore size from vCenter and somehow, resized it directly from ESX host did the trick. I've never had this problem so far for VMFS 3.33.

vcbMC-1.0.6 Beta

vcbMC-1.0.7 Lite

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[EGiblock]

using Vsphere Client, how can I see the current performance of the datastore ?

this ESX4 w/ vsphere and clustering is all very new to me.

also, the VMFS version is 3.33

4 Paths to the SAN

Block Size = 2mb

[depping]

I would create a second datastore to avoid the chances of running into any I/O contention in the future.

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator | VCDX

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[mittim12]

You can use the VI Client or esxtop to monitor some storage counters. I would also look at your SAN an see what information you can get from there. As Duncan has said it is probably easier just to create the second datastore to minimize the risk of hitting I/O contention.

ESXTOP

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100820...

VC Counters

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-5600

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[EGiblock]

can i expand the current LUN from 600gb to 1tb, and then just create a second (new) datastore with the new 400gb ? or do i have to create a new LUN and a new datastore that way ?

thanks

[athlon_crazy]

one datastore per LUN. So you need to create a new one.

vcbMC-1.0.6 Beta

vcbMC-1.0.7 Lite

http://www.no-x.org