Storage for large amounts of data

[joebrug]

We're currently in the process of getting virtualization implemented in our environment here. We're about to purchase a SAN (Pillar Axiom 300) along with ESX (probably 3 hosts to start out). We run a mix of Netware/Windows/Linux in house. I've taken the VI class, so Im familiar with the technology, but I still have some questions when it comes to storage of the VM's.

I have one server in particular that runs Netware, and has two Dell Powervault's attached to it. This server uses up about 3TB of space. I'm having a hard time determining how to VM a server like this. I would assume that having very large VMDK files is a bad idea, but I dont really know. I'd love to virtualize this server (I dont see why I couldnt) as the OS itself doesnt do much, its mainly just storage... but what do I do with the data? Do I just carve out some LUNs on the SAN and create Netware partitions on it then point the VM at it (Im pretty sure this works, right?)? or do I put all of this data on VMFS/VMDK files?

Any ideas appreciated..

This is the largest server I have, but even the file/print servers which are around 500GB or so.. I'm still a little cloudy on best practices for those. The servers themselves are not extremly busy, just have a lot of data on them.

Thanks all! Very excited to get this going

[MR-T]

I would suggest you look at using Raw Device Mappings (RDM's).

If your Netware data is available on a SAN LUN, you could present this to a new virtual machine through an RDM.

You might find some instructions on a P2V process for the netware O/S, but I'd suggest you buld a clean vm.

[joebrug]

Thanks for the tip Mr-T, kinda what I was leaning to before.

are there any rules as far as VMFS/VMDK files go in regards to ideal sizing? how big is too big?

[mcowger]

No hard & fast rules, but I know a lot of people here wont go over 500GB for a VMDK.

--Matt

[joebrug]

Really? hm. well, what if you use multiple VMDK files for same server? is that a way to get around it?

[TCronin]

I would create a new Netware VM and then just use the luns from the Powervaults as RDMs. That way no need to move large amounts of data over to new volumes.

[joebrug]

Thats true.. but the powervaults are crap and I want that data on the SAN, so I can sleep better at night So yeah, probably install Netware onto a VM in Pre-migration mode, then just 'migrate' the server over.. I'll have to play with the RDM thing, never seen it before and how it actually works. Sounds easy though.