Need ESXi 4 install/configuration advice for large storage volume

[vm_dude]

I'm trying to determine the best approach, I currently use VM Server 2.0 and I'm tired of it's problems, limitations and web interface.

I have a Dell dual quadcore with 16g ram and a 750g raid 1 and a 4TB raid 5 volume.

I currently have 2003 server with vm server 2 running on top and use the 750g for vm's and the 4tb for file sharing on 5 computers.

I want to leverage the full power by using ESXi but I don't want to lose the 4TB as a windows share.

There is no way for a vm guest to access that 2nd volume on the host correct? so I just don't know how it would work plus I have to back everything up.

The easiest options is to install 2008 with Hyper-V on the 750g volume and it will still see the 4TB as is... then I have to migrate all my vm's to hyper-v... I know that sure is the easiest but I really wanted to try and stay with VMware because I also have 2 older boxes I was going to run as hosts and NFS/iSCSI back to this big host although I guess I could hyper-v server those but again I would like to stick with vmware esxi.

I know I'm rambling but any help would be appreciate.. I'm wasting resources but I also don't want to waste my 2nd volume.

Thanks in advance. Please move this to storage if it's in the wrong section.

[peeterhe]

If you can back up everything on 4TB volume, then I see no problems. You can make 4TB VMFS under ESXi, create one or more virtual disks there, connect them to some virtual Windows server, put files back from backup and share and share and share ...

[J1mbo]

But can't use the volume as is - need to present LUNs with a maximum size of (2TB - 512B) to ESX, create datastore on the first and add other(s) as extents. So will mean backup/restore unfortunately.

Please award points to any useful answer.

[wilson94t]

Why don't you just share out the "windows share" as NFS so the ESXi can reach it? in this case, your system with the procs and CPU would not be the same as the box with the disk.

If that is not an optoin, and you want to use esxi, then you'd have to carve up the 4TB, or format VMFS and load up some large VM's which hold the space. Then you could share those out as NFS and connect to that space internal to those vm's. Not the best.