ESXi

Hi to all and sorry for my english,

I manage about 12VM in a cluster with:

2 x Host Esx 4.1.0.260247 on HP DL380G5 (single cpu and 16GB of RAM for any host)

1 x QNAP TS-459U

Both Esx use QNAP NFS share as shared storage.

All work fine but

• Some time vm user (terminal services) report some "tears" of some seconds. Terminal session "freeze" for some second and then restart. Different time in a day. Users in session in different VM report some issue.
  
  
• Snapshot usage for some VM is impracticable. If i delete a shapshot all VM in same node become unusable utill delete operation is completed.
  
  

I not have any alarm or performance issue (or i look in a wrong place! :smileyconfused:)

Can someone give me some suggestions?

How i can understand "who" is in overload? If this is an overload!

We would upgrade NAS section with new and more performance NAS and we think to QNAP TS-809U to use with iSCSI instead of NFS.

Is this a good point of start?

I can view "differences" whit this new NAS?

Other NAS (in same cost range of TS-809U) can give me best results?

I hope to be clear.

Thanks in advanced for any help.

Regards.

Massimo.

I suspect that you are overloading your storage array's performance capacity.

How is the QNAP configured?  Drives? RPM?  RAID?

If its a 4 disk array in RAID 5, its very likely that you're simply asking too much of it.

Check your Physical Disk Response times (in the performance charts or esxtop).

Hi mcowger and thanks for your response.

Qnap have:

3 x WDC WD2003FYYS-02W0B01.0 (SATA 3 Gb/s, 3.5 Inch, 7200rpm, 64 MB,2 TB)

configured in RAID 5 EXT 4

From: Host -> Performance ->Overview i retrieve attached shot.

I hope I have looked at the place where you asked me.

If your response is correct, you think that upgrading to new QNAP model would have positive impact on performance? Or i need to act in other way?

Thanks.

You are asking 3 (really 2 because of the Raid 5) drives to do the work of at least 12 :smileyhappy:.

A new QNAP wont help - more drives and faster drives are what you need.  For your workloads, I'd suggest that a array supporting more like 12 drives would be a better choice.  Something along the lines of the HP P2000 or EMC VNXe.

(disclaimer, I work for EMC).

Hi mcowger,

i newer see my issue from this point of view... :smileyconfused:

Storage that you have suggested (thanks for clarification about your rule in EMC) are very expensive compared with TS-809U (for obvious reasons)...

Therefore, if i understand fine, if i upgrade to a new storgare with 8,16 or 24 bay i need to "spread" space in more and more disk.

For instance i can install 14 disks of 500GB configured in RAID 5 (or RAID 6) to improve substantially response and performance. Is this correct? Can you help me on a good choice for hdd type?

Thanks another time.

Regards.

Massimo.

Thats exactly what I'm suggesting - more drives will lessen the amount of work any given drive is being asked to perform.

Indeed those platforms are more expensive than the QNAP you are looking at, but I will suggest that you get what you pay for.  They also perform better :smileyhappy:.

Its hard to know exactly what kinds of drives you need, because you are already performance starved.  Thats also something that the larger companies offer - when you buy a P2000 or VNXe or similar, you are getting the expertise of your sales team to help select the right drive type & count.

Hi mcowger,

now i have another piece for my "nas update" puzzle... :smileyhappy: and it is a good piece... :smileyhappy:

Very thanks for your help.

Regards.

Massimo.