to use multiple vmdk's or not to use multiple vmdk's...

[gbattiston]

Hi all, We are trying to come up with a standard where disk management is concerned. The issue is whether it is better to use a separate vmdk for each drive letter that is to be assigned on a given VM or is it preferred that we use one vmdk and carve it up accordingly. thoughts? I know that for Database servers there is some logic in keeping the data on one vmdk and the trans log and bkup files on a separate vmdk but can the same logic be applied to a regular application server? for example, if i have one vmdk file used for the system partition (c drive) and then i need four additional drives (d,e,f,g,) should those four drives all be on one vmdk or do they each get their own vmdk?

[Lightbulb · Accepted solution]

Separate the partitions on individual vmdks. This will at least make it simpler to expand individual drives and it costs you nothing.

Never been a fan of partitioning HDs in physical Windows systems and Vmware makes it easy not to have to. You wont need to worry about the little issues that can come up, beside performance which you have already noted.

[rsip]

Lightbulb is right.

E.g. all my Linux VM have one image for system, one for data and one for swap. If I need replace or expand some of them, it's easy and without complications. If you will have all partititions in one file, you can easy expand only last partition or you must use various tools for partitions moving.

When you mentioned databases: I started using of separated disk images when I installed Oracle and it said I have small swap which was at the beginning of the disk image