VMware and/or HP P4000 SAN thin provisioning?

[GilchristT]

Folks

We've deployed vSphere 4.1 on a HP/Lefthand P4000 SAN.

We decided to use full provisioning on the SAN and thin provisioning for the VMs but now it looks like we've a technical requirement to change the SAN to thin provisioning.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best practice i.e. would we be OK leaving the VMs as thin provisioned or would we be best to convert them to fully provisioned. I've every faith that thin on thin provisioning would work but is it a good idea?

Thanks

TG

[Maximenu]

Hello

Please take a look to this documents of HP about your SAN

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/hp/ESG-Lab-Validation-HP-P4000-VMware-View-Jun-10.pdf

This document talking about of P6000

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA3-5143ENW.pdf

have luck

[MartinAmaro · Accepted solution]

In my opinion you should consider thin provisioning on the SAN or  guests but not both. I mean it would be great if you can manage both but historicaly most business do not properly caculate expected grouth which can cause big problems and outages. There many compnaies outhere using thin on thin but occasional storage is overcommitted.

Look at this before you make your final decition.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsp_4_thinprov_perf.pdf

http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/04/thin-on-thin-where-should-you-do-thin-provisioni...

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1616456