What is the best practice RAID configuration for the ESX 3.5 OS

[antipov]

Hello all.

Recently we encountered a problem. After failure of one of hard disks in RAID 1, all file systems have passed in a read-only mode. This array is used only for ESX 3.5 OS. Someone knows how to avoid similar problems in future? Wich RAID configuration (1, 1+0, 5) is optimal for ESX 3.5 server?

[Lightbulb]

For the OS install itself most folks use RAID 1 or nothing. ESX is such a quick reinstall that a lot of people do not worry about redundancy and if they do so they really only want to lose more than 1 disk to it.

The issue you had with your RAID 1 a not typical, so I would stick with RAID 1 or go with no RAID for the OS install (might be nice if you scripted your install in the 'no RAID" case.

Just a thought

[AndreTheGiant]

There was (some days ago) a similar discussion for the same issue.

May appen (strange but may appen).

But only for ext3 partition, not for VMFS volumes.

Andre

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[AndreTheGiant · Accepted solution]

The other discussion is: http://communities.vmware.com/message/1264678

But I think you know it very well

[antipov]

Yes Thank you very much for answers.

[AndreTheGiant]

You're welcome.

For you RAID1 problem, verify that your controller battery is charged or disable write back cache policy.

Andre