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matty123
Contributor
Contributor

Really stuck - looking for advice

I've a dl380 and attached an msa2000 with one SAS controller. I was expecting to install ESX4 and then be given the option to use the MSA as a storage location for virtual machines.

I went through the process and setup a host (this was on local disks only on the dl380) and then using vSphere Client I attached to the host and created a VM. If I open a console I get Operating system not found.

If I connect to the host in the browser it gives me options to download v centre server - should I do this? I don;t really know my plan of attack and what I should be installing and where.

Ultimately it looks like the MSA cannot be a separate host to the DL380 itself?

I have licence keys for vcentre server 4 essentials and vsphere 4 essentials?

Any advice and how what I should be installing, the more I look the more confused i'm getting!

Thanks,

Matt

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6 Replies
nkrishnan
Expert
Expert

Sorry I did not understand your question completly, I assume that you installed ESX on local Harddrive and created a VM on external storage MSA, there you created a VM.

But if you have only one host to manage, then you need not to install vCenter server for managing it. vSphere client servers your purpose.

Regarding VM is not booting in to OS, What is the Operating system did you install it on VM. Are you able to browse your VMFS partition through vSphere client or through ESX console.

Check the VMkernel log and message and make sure that you are not getting IO errors or controller driver errors

Thanks

Nithin

--Nithin
matty123
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the reply Nithin.

ESX was installed on the local harddrive and so is the VM as the only storage found are the local disks on the 380.

My licencing is for two hosts. I take it I can't use two controllers on the msa as separate hosts? Basically; currently, one host is the 380 with msa attached. In which case I would like the storage for the vms to be on the msa.

Thanks for the knowledge about not needing vcenter server as only currently have one host.

Are there pre built vms I can just install from somewhere?

I didn't enter any licences so just on eval. Is it easy to now add them or should I just reinstall and try again.

I suppose my biggest headache is trying to get the msa involved / detected. What would you advise on the setup or am I looking to do things that aren't required??!!!

My initial thoughts were two hosts (servers) connecting to msa to house the vm's. As I only have one controller on the msa and this is now connected to a (3 disk) 380, I suppose I would want esx on the local disks and vm on the msa? I could then install esx on another server and have vm's on its local disks.

What would be the preferred disk solution?

Cheers,

Matt

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LarryBlanco2
Expert
Expert

Ideally, network storage is best.

You can take the 380 with the MSA and create a network storage server using either Windows Storge Server, Windows Server, HP Lefthand Network,  Starwind, or some opensource ones: Openfiler, FreeNAS etc.  Some are iSCSI only other provide iSCSI and NFS.   Some give you CIFS and NFS which is the best of both  worlds.

You can't share the MSA as it is a directly attached device to the server.  It's not a stand alone storage device.

Since you got licenses for 3 ESX servers, you can now install ESX on the other 380 and connect to the storage hosted on the other 380.   If you get more hosts then you can share the storage.  You will be able to use all the features that your license provides.

This is one way of doing it.

As far as VM.  You will need to get your OS as ISO images.   you can then create your VM, power it on, then connect the ISO image, using the vSphere client, as the CD.  open the VM consoel from the client and send a CTRL-ALT-INS.  The VM will reboot and it'll start to run the ISO and load the OS onto the VM.

Larry B.

matty123
Contributor
Contributor

My initial issue was being unable to connect to the MSA, so only local storage on the DL380 was showing. This has now been resolved so I can see the MSA.

So, I have a DL380 G6 connected to the MSA. The 380 has 3 146gb disks and the MSA 5 146gb disks. I have an older 380 I may look to add as a host at a later date.

I'm looking for the best configuration for VMware and was thinking of RAID 5 on the 5 disks on the MSA with two volumes of 290gb for the VM's.

On the 380, thinking of RAID 5 with two volumes of 40gb and 250gb for the VM software and for the VM's rspt. Does this seem good use?

With regards to storage centre mentioned by larry, I presume this would be to install it on a VM on the MSA?

Any other things I should be considering would be welcomed.

Cheers,

Matt

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AndreTheGiant
Immortal
Immortal

I hope that your are talking about guest volumes.

Do not build datastore too small.

And if possible use shared storage.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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Rumple
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

One of the first things you need to do before going any further down this road toward production is to read the entire administration guide as this will help alot with understanding how to use the system along with how to setup storage properly.

Also google around looking for networking concepts and storage concepts.

Lots of great blogs out there to help people understand best practices.

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