VM Storage Allocation

[joeflint]

Hi, i'm using vsphere 4.1 and have a requirement to create a VM requiring approx 5TB storage, as a single vmdk file. Firstly, is this possible?

I've noted that the max LUN size is 1TB, therefore, how does one allocate 5TB. I don't know enough about volumes and extents, but have noted that a volume can exist with 64TB storage. Therefore, to summarise:

• How can a VM be assigned a single vmdk file of approx 5TB storage?
  
• What block size is required to format VMFS?
  
• What is the likely impact if a snapshot was taken?
  

Thanks

[arturka]

hi

joeflint wrote:

Hi, i'm using vsphere 4.1 and have a requirement to create a VM requiring approx 5TB storage, as a single vmdk file. Firstly, is this possible?

nope. max is 2TB

I've noted that the max LUN size is 1TB, therefore, how does one allocate 5TB. I don't know enough about volumes and extents, but have noted that a volume can exist with 64TB storage. Therefore, to summarise:

max LUN size is 2TB - 512MB

• How can a VM be assigned a single vmdk file of approx 5TB storage?
• What block size is required to format VMFS?
• What is the likely impact if a snapshot was taken?

• you will have to create 2 x 2TB LUN + 1TB LUN - create VMFS with 8MB block size, create VMDK on each, add it to VM and made software raid on guest OS level
• 8MB
• VMware snapshot or storage snapshot ?

Cheers
Artur

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