How to add more disk space for file storage, etc.?

[Ed_Flecko]

I'm building a new SuperMicro server which will run ESXi as the host and the target for a few VMs for a small business. I'm running everything on the single server to try and keep costs low. The server has 16 bays, only 8 of which will be filled initially. I'm planning on using an LSI "Mega-Raid" 16 port controller card.

The first two drives that ESXi will be installed on will be RAID1 and the remaining drives will be RAID5 which will be where I install my VMs.

My queston is: when I decide I need more storage, I can easily populate some, or all, of the remaining 8 bays with drives...but how do access all of that new drive space from my VMs??? I'm sure it's easy...but I just can't envision how to do so!

🙂

I can forsee needing more file storage space for my VMs down the road, but is there any easy way to access all of those new drives?

Comments? Suggestions?

Thank you!

Ed

[eeg3]

Depending on your RAID card, if you can expand the RAID-5 then you can grow the datastore to fill the new space. If the RAID card requires you to add a new RAID set with the new drives, you can add an extent. Both of these can be done inside the datastore properties and then selecting 'Increase'.

[a_p_]

Some thought about this:

• Make sure the system as well as the RAID controller are supported! (http://www.vmware.com/go/hcl)
• No need to "waste" disk space for the OS. If you want to separate the OS (ESXi) and the datastore, I'd suggest you create a single RAID5 with all disks and split it into multiple logical volumes.  Although ~5GB for ESXi is sufficient, I recommend you create a 20GB logical volume, which allows you to have a small datastore on which you can create e.g. an ISO repository to store installation ISO images.
• If you are going to add more disks in the future, you could just create a new RAID set and add the new disk space as an additional datastore.

André

[Ed_Flecko]

Thank you both!

Andre: I like your idea of creating the small datastore for ISOs.

Finally, does it make sense to use SSDs to install ESXi on? Would there likely be a noticible performance benefit or is it worth the trouble?

Ed

[a_p_]

... does it make sense to use SSDs to install ESXi on?

No, there's absolutely no benefit for installing ESXi on fast storage. Once booted, ESXi runs in memory, so you can even install it on a USB/SD device.

André

[CHUNTAO56]

Hello a.p

Could you please let us know few disadvantages doing so.

"You must Be the change you wish to   see in the world."

[sparrowangelste]

if you are asking AP is there is a disadvantage to installing on ssd. then there is none, other than you have to allocate some fast storage to esxi.

there is no performance hit

actually if you use the ssd drive, you can have the logs stored locally.

with usb, unless its big enough, you would need to forward the logs to a log server.

like the syslog collecter which is not a bad thing to have anyway!