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dinnu
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How to create ESXi cluster or team two ESXi servers for HA avoiding VMHA?

Hi everyone,

The scene is, I have two Dell 2950 machines and want to install ESXi U4 or ESXi 4 on both the machines. The requirement is I have to install Windows 2K8 server as guest and install MS SQL server in it on HOST1(for example). This is going to be a production server. Now I want the APP or database on this to be highly available. Can I mirror whatever which is there in HOST1 onto another machine, say HOST2 and keep it for fail over in REALTIME. OR can I team or bond or cluster these two hosts using the local storage (datastores) and without using third party storage (I cannot afford VMHA, as it involves SAN and SAN or NAS in turn needs fail over).

In simple terms, How to create ESXi cluster or team two ESXi servers for HA avoiding VMHA?

TIA for all your inputs.

-Dinakar

VnonCP

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bulletprooffool
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Try Openfiler or FreeNas?

Both will allow you to use local storage on your ESX as an NFS share.

Problem is that if your ESX Host crashes . . .you have a dead datastore.

One day I will virtualise myself . . .

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bulletprooffool
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Try Openfiler or FreeNas?

Both will allow you to use local storage on your ESX as an NFS share.

Problem is that if your ESX Host crashes . . .you have a dead datastore.

One day I will virtualise myself . . .
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TobiasKracht
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HA is not possible without a shared storage - idea of HA configuration is that if node1 dies, node2 gets data that was used by node1. You can made cluster even on ESXi, using MSCS.

StarWind Software R&D

StarWind Software R&D http://www.starwindsoftware.com
TimPhillips
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Only not OpenFiler or FreeNAS! They are awfull! Try StarWin, Datacore, LeftHand - it`s 3 best targets. I`m agree that without shared storage using of high available is losing all sense. For making a cluster you need to make cluster or based on ESX, or, what is better in your case, on ESXi using MSCS. Also you might find useful blog of friend of mine about clustering SQL - mymscluster.blogspot.com