RDM VMFS LUN Size

[LFC]

I currently have 10 physical servers (SAN attached) which I am planning to virtualise.

My plan is to convert the WIndows OS's to be VM's, then use RDM 's to connect back to the existing LUNs on the SAN.

As I understand it, I use a small VMFS datastore to hold the metadata for the RAW SAN LUN. Is there a 1 to 1 relashionship between the mapping data store and the RAW LUNs? e.g. I will need 10 small VMFS LUNs, each holding a single mapping file for a single SAN LUN, or can I put them all together on a single VMFS?

What is the benefits and drawbacks of each? and how big does the VMFS used to hold the mapping files need to be?

[Yattong]

Try having a look at these

www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_301_201_server_config.pdf &

www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_301_201_san_cfg.pdf

Good Luck

[LFC]

OK, so the documentation says > Add a disk to the VM > Select Mapped LUN > Select the RAW LUN > Select the datastore - done!

Should I have a dedicated datastore for RDM's, or are they ok to be on the same datastore as the VM's. If using the same datastore as the VM, does the VMDK file show up in the VM folder?

Thanks

[Anders_Gregerse]

As long you don't use RDM's in shared mode (for Microsoft clustering), you can have the VMDK pointer files on the same VMFS.