The max size of Datastore

[HaiGe]

Hi all,

I want to setup a server with raid 0. It is a Dell 2950 with 6x400 GB HDs. At the begining the Add Storage Wizard showed there was 2.18 TB Capacity. But after I created the datastore, I only could get 1.83 TB. I tried several times, same thing happened. Looked there is a limit.

Any help is welcome.

Thank you.

[AntonVZhbankov]

Maximum LUN size is 2TB, but you can build 64 TB datastore from 32LUNs of 2TB.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[depping]

The max size of a single VMFS / LUN = 2TB - 512Bytes. This way you will be compatible with vSphere.

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator | VCP | VCDX

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[HaiGe]

The datastore only showed 183.27 GB avaliable. It is a brand new one.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you.

[AntonVZhbankov]

Make 2 LUNs with 1.09 TB size each, or (2TB - 512B) + 180GB. If you need one large datastore, you can create it on one LUN and add second as extent.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[HaiGe]

Sorry, there is some info need to be corrected:

The server is a Dell 2950 with 6x400 GB HDs with Raid 0.

From the Add Storage Wizard showed there was 2.18 TB Capacity. But it showed only

183.27 GB avalilable. I tried several times, same thing happened.

Any help is welcome.

Thanks

[RParker]

The server is a Dell 2950 with 6x400 GB HDs with Raid 0.

First of all RAID 0? Um..no. You know what that is right? If ANY of your drives fail for ANY reason that entire RAID will fail, you will lose ALL the data. You are aware of that right?

That's why RAID has parity normally, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, those are the RAID levels you should choose. RAID 0 is great for speed, lousy for ANY kind of redundancy.

So if you use RAID 5 that will be right around 2TB, so you will have no problem.

Reconfigure the RAID and make it one of those RAID Levels. Then install ESX and DON'T create the VMFS during install.

[HaiGe]

Thank you for the reply.

If I use Raid 5, it only has1.8 TB. I need more space. This is a backup's backup. Raid 0 is OK for it.

[Fisayo]

Hi,

I have similar problem, I just Installed vSphere 4.0 and try to add New Disk of 2.09TB from Add Storage, on capacity it says 2.09TB but on available it says 47.9GB can you please help...RAID 5, Vdisk Size, 2250.41GB, chunk Size 64KB, vSphere 4.0 new install

Thanks

[rManic]

Dear Haige plz follow the bellow step .it definitly will work. I alrady tried it

delete your RAID

create two RAID 0 each with 3 physical disk(or 1st with two disk and second with 4 disk). then try install ESX on first RAID volume and use Second RAID to create additional VMFS datastore after installed the ESX.

this will work

reason:--

because ESX or ESXi uses the SCSI-2 standard,it not able to address single datastore with more then 2TB-512 Byte.

If you created RAID with more then that, ESX does not report the correct size as in your case.

regards

Manic

[kumarsenthild]

Hi Rmanic,

He require more space (above 1.8Tb) in single VMFS datastore.i think ur solution not use for he's problem.

but that is one way to use all HDD space. The another option is 5400 RAID 0 + 1400 RAID 0 (This also MAX datastore size is 1.83 TB+373GB)

Regards

D.Senthil Kumar

[rManic]

Dear Senthil

to create RAID 0 ,minimum of two disk is required (exspecially to create RAID 0 in Dell hardware)

Plz reffer the following link for more clarification.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/learnmore/fragments/main/core/raid?c=us&l=en&cs...

regards

Manic

[kumarsenthild]

Hi Mani,

i think we can create RAID 0 in all server, but we are not using Dell server. i known HP server we can create single HDD in RAID 0

Regards

Senthil Kumar D

[Fisayo]

Thank you all, does this mean RAID 5 is not supported, I will have to delete the Volume and recreate it in 2 section of 1TB each, though vSphere is already installed on my blade, I'm just configuring this on SAN for VM's only (This is on HP MSA storageWork)

Thanks all

[rManic]

Dear Fisayo

You can use RAID 5 as well . But each LUN/local RAID volume should be <=2TB-512Bytes.

But in HaiGe's case he wanted to use max disk space that is why I recommend RAID 0.

regards

Manic

[Fisayo]

Hi All,

Everything is now sorted, all working fine, I created 3 different LUNS for 3 volumes and all ok

Thanks so much to everyone

Cheers