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dborgill
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Datastore with 4mb block size = Max 1024 gig file

We have a major production issue with our main Windows 2003 file server. Our main file share is 1024 gig (1 terrabyte). I tried to grow it this weekend and realized that we have reached the max file size for a datastore with a 4 meg blocksize.

What are my options for getting to a EIGHT meg block size datastore? If we do a cold migration, I can't even imagine how long it would take to move 1 terrabyte. Please help!

Thanks in advance.

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RParker
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Well you add a disk to the VM. Then bring up Windows, and let it do a hardware detect of new drives. Then format the disk, but DON'T give it a drive letter. Mount is a file folder on the existing disk. You could had a drive letter, but now you have 2 shares, the original and the new drive letter.

But What I would do is use VM converter, treat the VM as a Physical machine, and convert it and point it to a SAN with a 8meg block size and create the new size. It doesn't matter how long it takes, there is no down time. Then once it's complete, you shut down the original VM, and bring up the new one as the new file size.

Voila NEW VM with extra space, and 2 or 3 minutes of Downtime while you shut one off and bring the new up. Smiley Happy

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weinstein5
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I take that there are issues with adding another virtual disk to your vm? If you want increase the size of the disk you will need to move it to a VMFS datastore with an 8 MB block size - if both reside on the same SAN you should be able to take advantage of some of the SAN speed - so that might help on the copy speed -

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dborgill
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This is the problem.. it takes several hours just to move a 500 gig VMDK on our SAN. The server is in such high usage that even a 30 min downtime is painful to operations.

I need STORAGE VMOTION in ESX 3.0.2 and VC 2.0.2 Smiley Wink

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aleph0
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It's a file server with different shares?

why not creating a new virtual disk somewhere on the SAN and move some of the shares out of businness hours on the new disk (so that you've not to move all the disk and resize it...

\aleph0

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dborgill
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That's the problem, all of our shares are located on ONE drive and ONE main share (I didn't design it Smiley Happy )

There are a bunch of hardcoded apps and links to this server and share.

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aleph0
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maybe you can create a new disk and span inside windows... it's not a best practice but should work

hth

\aleph0

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If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

\aleph0 ____________________________ http://virtualaleph.blogspot.com/ ############### If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!
dborgill
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Aleph,

Vmsupport talked about this. Are there exact instruction on how to do this? I just want to make sure on a test VM first...

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RParker
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Well you add a disk to the VM. Then bring up Windows, and let it do a hardware detect of new drives. Then format the disk, but DON'T give it a drive letter. Mount is a file folder on the existing disk. You could had a drive letter, but now you have 2 shares, the original and the new drive letter.

But What I would do is use VM converter, treat the VM as a Physical machine, and convert it and point it to a SAN with a 8meg block size and create the new size. It doesn't matter how long it takes, there is no down time. Then once it's complete, you shut down the original VM, and bring up the new one as the new file size.

Voila NEW VM with extra space, and 2 or 3 minutes of Downtime while you shut one off and bring the new up. Smiley Happy

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aleph0
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correct, that's it.

give us feedback and awars points Smiley Happy

cheers

\aleph0

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(in italian)

###############

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

\aleph0 ____________________________ http://virtualaleph.blogspot.com/ ############### If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!
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dborgill
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Thanks everyone. Points awarded.

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