Recommended Storage Layout for one host ESXi 4 enviroment

[Gerasan]

Hello Experts,

we plan installation of ESXi 4 and vCenter Server on a Fujitsu Primergy RX200.

Our server has 8x146GB SAS Discs and a LSI Megaraid 1078 controller.

We need to run 5-8 VMs 50GB each (Windows Server 2008) on this Host.

All this will be managed by vCenter Server (VM).

We plan creation of RAID0 Array with 6 Disc. (I know about RAID0 Less reliability, this is not a question here) .

Our 5-8 VMs will be stored there.

Then we have a rest of 2 SAS discs in the server. If I am right LSI Megaraid 1078 allows creation of second raid array. This is an option.

As we have not much experience with ESXi we habe several questions.

1. Where should we install ESXi operational system, on the big array, the small array or single disk?

2. Where should we install our vCenter Server VM, same question.

Many thanks in advance for helpful hints

Manfred

[AndreTheGiant]

1. Where should we install ESXi operational system, on the big array, the small array or single disk?

Use the small array, or a USB stick.

2. Where should we install our vCenter Server VM, same question.

Use the most reliabile datastore

Andre

[PaulSvirin]

According 1) : due to requirements:

• Disk storage –
  2GB. Disk requirements may be higher if your database runs on the same
  machine.

• Microsoft SQL
  Server 2005 Express disk requirements. The bundled database requires up
  to 2GB free disk space to decompress the installation archive.

I think the best way is to install on small RAID-1

---

iSCSI SAN software

http://www.starwindsoftware.com

[Gerasan]

Thanks, finally I installed all in same RAID5

[vladanseget]

Hi,

I wonder how do you monitor the materiel - RX200 - since the Fujitsu Operation Manager is not supported on ESXi 4?

I tried to install the agents inside of vMA (vSphere Management Assistant), but without success...

Thanks

Vladan

Vladan SEGET - vExpert, VCP 4, MCSA 2003, IT professional and enthusiast.

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