Run vSAN AFA while mix disks without passthrough

[baber]

My server is HPE G10  . I have 2 sas disk (are using to install esxi raid1) and 4 SSD disk (one disk for cache tier and 3 disks for capacity tier) I have 6 hosts such as that  if I do Raid0 for these 4 SSD disks.  Can I run vSAN AFA in this mode ? I just want use 4 SSD disks in vSAN and don't want use Hybrid

[TheBobkin]

@baber, If the controller used is on the vSAN HCL for the version of ESXi/vSAN in use specifically with 'RAID0' disk access mode being supported then yes you can use it like this.

[baber]

I saw my Raid controller in vmware HCL for vSAN so . :

1 - Now Esxi is installed on my SAS local disks I can keep it and add 4 SSD disk (1 disk as cache tier and 3 as capacity tier ) and run AFA vSAN . Is that correct ?

2- I have one concern here if one of my SSD disks that is participate in vSAN become fail what should I do because when we install esxi on vSAN can passthrough the raid controller and just that is enough to replace disk? If I just replace disk it will be fix or after replace disk have to create Raid0 for this new disk in esxi command?

3-  If previous answer is yes when we replace and create raid for that disk it will be put and fix in that disk group ?

[TheBobkin]

"I saw my Raid controller in vmware HCL for vSAN so"

So now you need to re-read what I said above and validate that is supports RAID disk access mode - if it doesn't then using the vSAN disks presented as RAID0 is not supported - you probably have a p816i-a (or P416) controller which is only supported for passthrough and thus you should just get a separate controller for the boot disks (doesn't need to be beefy, doesn't need to be on vSAN HCL only ESXi HCL).

1. Read above and initial comment.
2. Yes, a failed disk can be replaced whether in RAID0 or passthrough by just replacing the individual device - RAID0 VDs (Virtual Devices) are NOT a RAID0 across multiple devices just individual devices and no there is no esxcli command for that, this is all configured on the controller (e.g. in BIOS/iLO).
3. Yes.

[baber]

I am sing HPE Smart Array P408i-p SR Gen10 . 

But when you are saying Raid0 I thought your means is create Raid0 for each ssd disk  what is difference between them ?

[TheBobkin]

"But when you are saying Raid0 I thought your means is create Raid0 for each ssd disk what is difference between them ?"
Yes, a RAID0 VD for each device - where is the confusion in this?

"I am sing HPE Smart Array P408i-p SR Gen10 ."
That device is only supported on vSAN in passthrough mode, not RAID mode, if you configure the disks as RAID0 then this will be an unsupported configuration and thus you alone are responsible for supporting it and/or whatever may go wrong with it:
https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/detail.php?deviceCategory=vsanio&productid=41776

My advice would be to change the boot configuration (e.g. dual M.2 or whatever HPEs equivalent of Dell BOSS configuration is) or use separate controllers for boot and vSAN devices.

[baber]

Yes, a RAID0 VD for each device - where is the confusion in this? 

1- Because we can do Raid0 , Raid1 or .... in all storage array . Is that your means if I login to the HPE storage array cannot create separate raid0 for each SSD disk ? 

2- Also I have HPE 32G MicroSD Raid1 but according to this KB  "  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/85685  "  SD card will not support from next major version of ESXi and one of the solution that mentioned in that KB is :

If a persistent local device is not available as a boot device, SD cards can be used for boot bank partitions However a separate persistent local device to store the OSDATA partition (32GB minimum, 128GB recommended) must be provided

want to know is that possible install ESXi on SDcard and forward core dump and the other data that reside on ESX-OSDATA lay-out to a scratch partition on shared storage ?

because that is very expensive to add a separate rais controller for all hosts in the cluster about 10 hosts or ......

[baber]

Would you please say which version of HPE smart array will support that type of Raid you mentioned ?

[baber]

Actually I think follow solution has lower cost and more reliable rather than buy M.2 Disk for each host.

buy another raid controller that can handle 2 sas disks for using esxi installation

and use another raid controller fo vSAN that can use passthrough 

Is that correct ?

[TheBobkin]

Yes - that is exactly what I proposed.

[baber]

Thanks. One last question :

Would you please say which type of HPE smart array will support that type of Raid you mentioned because I could not find anything about it I just found passthrough feature ? (Raid0 disk access) 

[IRIX201110141]

Something like HPE NS204i-d or -p  Gen10 Plus NVMe PCIe3 x4 M.2 OS Boot Device.  Dell called it BOSS and i now Lenowo have something similar.

Edit:
https://buy.hpe.com/us/en/options/boot-devices/os-boot-devices/boot-cards-devices-drives/hpe-os-boot...

Regards,
Joerg

[TheBobkin]

@baber , there are a number of HPE controllers that support Mixed/RAID-access mode - you are probably checking the vSAN HCL listings, it doesn't need to be on the vSAN HCL if being used for just boot devices - check the regular ESXi HCL.

[baber]

Thanks but I could not anything for HPE . On the other hand that confused me is the Raid-Access mode . because could not find anything about this function . As I know to run vSAN just passthrough feature for smart array was important