Multiple "Disks" on one drive (for MS SQL)

[aniros]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to virtualization world, and I hope to find some answers or at less some orientations to insepct.

I'm dealing with MS SQL databases.

On of best practices in dealing with SQL DBs is the separation between Data and log files, and the the system databases ... on different physical drives.

The thing is easy to make on physical server, witch is not the same thing on virtual environment (Or at less, that is what I think)

If we take a case we have 4 SSD drives, by making an RAID 5, I get one "drive" in vSphere, so how can I get separate drives?

I hope if I have possibility to create some kind of (multiples) virtual partitions on each physical drive and then make a RAID on.

Is that can be possible?

Thank you for precious help.

[sjesse]

Read 3.8 Virtual Machine Storage Configuration in the below document, as well as the rest of it in general

https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/solutions/sql-server-on-vmware-bes...

[aniros]

Hi Sjess,

Thank you for your reply.

But, scincerly, I don't understand: there are a plenty of solutions that promise many things but in fact I can't see what I need.

If you have some patient and time to understand my cas:

I have A Proliant dl360e Gen8 with 4 SSD of 800 inside.

A create an array with 160Go to install v Sphere on, and OS next, and finaly SQL Server.

As I explained, I need to dispatch things between physical drives, so "physically", I will create a partition in each drive to dedicate for a specific use (Example: Mdf in, one, ldf, in the second, OS and SQL binaries in the third, TempDB in the fourth).

But I can't find a way to do this in virtual environment.

Do you have some guides to follow?

Thank you in advance for time and patience.

[continuum]

In a VM you would create several VMDKs - one for the OS (2 partitions - one for boot one for C: , another one for the MDF (one partition 😧 ,  and another one for the TempDB ( one partition E: ....)

[aniros]

Hi Continuum,

May be I forgot to add an other detail.

I'm working with a RAID 5 on the four SSDs.

So I get one datastore aftere installing vSphere.

The right question I should ask is how to get multiple datastores on a physical drive?

Thank you in Advance.

[continuum]

> how to get multiple datastores on a physical drive?

You dont do that.

With the raid array of 4 SSDs  you created a VMFS-dtatastore.

On that datastore you now store 4 virtual disks as described before.

[aniros]

Hi Continuum,

If i understand, If I make a datastore on the raid, and then virtual disks, there is no "direct link" between the virtual disk and the physical disk.

What I mean, the schema I have in my head is some direct link to keep between a virtual disk and the physical disk.

Otherwise one virtual disk can be built on "merged" physical drives (Raid)....

I don't know how to describe my need, so I think i will close this post...

Thank you any way.

[sjesse · Accepted solution]

Just think of the virtual harddisks as files, that's all they are anyway. According to the vm they look like separate hard disks,but on the actual datastore they are just files, there are no direct ties to the datastore.

[aniros]

Hi Sjesse

Snce there is no direct link between the physical and virtual volumes, I will try to make things as Continuum explained to me, and I will see if I can conclude task.

Many thanks.

[aniros]

Hi,

After days and many created/deleted VM's, I finnaly succedded to create my VM with multiple dsiks as recommanded by SQL server.

thank you a lot Sjesse and Continuum, your feedbacks were really helpful.