P2V a microsoft cluster (File) with shared storage PV220s (SCSi)

[rucky]

Hi Guys

I am quite new to the VMWARE world. So please pardon my ignorance. Though this is my thrid post in last 2 days.

Scenario: Basically we have a MS cluster running on two windows server (our file server) which is attached to the DELL PV220s (scsi) raid array with 11 disk running raid 5 config.. Now this is almost full @ 1TB and also will be out of warranty very soon.

We want to virtualise these two servers (basically the cluster) and then move all the data to the DELL-EQUAlLOgic SAN we have at our site as well.

Now i have read that MS Clusters are supported in Update1 of VMware 3.5.

So how should i go about setting this up. From what i have read so far option seems like the following three - Please elaborate of them as my knowledge in VMware/SAN is very limited at the moment but hoping to pick it up very soon.

1. P2V the cluster as it is

2. Break the cluster and then P2v each one.

3. Create a new 3rd node in VMware. (how should we go about moving data from PV220s to the SAN) - should we create a new volume-LUN of the SAN?

I have read that disk signatures cause problems etc.

Please discuss your experiences and thoughts on P2V'ing a MS cluster.

I will be very be very grateful to you guys if you can answer as it will speed up our project.

Regards

Rucky

[kooltechies]

Hi Rucky,

Please have a look at this KB article from VMware.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1002661

Thanks,

Samir

P.S : Consider awarding points if you think the answer is helpful.

[Lightbulb]

There are a couple of ways to do this.

I think it might be a good idea to move your data from DAS to the SAN before proceeding with virtualizeing your cluster nodes.

This is dependent on whether your existing physical systems have the capacity (Extra NICs would be nice) to access the ISCSI storage. You should break this up into two distinct actions as both the DAS --> SAN move and the Cluster reconfiguration are bound to have issues.

Once the physical servers can see the ISCSI LUN you can robocopy the data over (Weekend job maybe)

Then reconfigure your physical file server with new shares and wait for calls, if any. Once that action has occurred you may want to consider doing a phased conversion of the physical cluster to virtual. You should be able to add VMs as cluster nodes using the ISCSI shared storage as RDMs. Then when you have two nodes on Virtual and you have insured that clients can access file shares from these nodes you can evict the physical nodes.

Just a thought.

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Moved to Virtual Machine and Guest OS forum.

Read http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/vi3_35_25_u1_mscs.pdf very very carefully before you P2V a cluster, there are things you will need to do to create the virtual hardware properly. If it was me, I would not use P2V but start with fresh installs on properly configured virtual hardware.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[rucky]

Hi lightbulb

Thanks for the helpful answer. We could probably arrange for the extra network card for isci connection to the SAN from the phsyical server (cluster), but what i would like to know is , if it will be ok to copy data from the NTFS (DAs) to VMFS (SAN) which is primarly connected to the the virtual infrastructure.

Or as we have free space on SAN, we can create NTFS volume so that move can occur.

But then how are the VM's going to see the data which has been moved.

Can they see the on SAN/NTFS.

Could you please shed some more light on this scenario.

[happyhammer]

id go for adding new nodes(virtual) to the cluster and then evict the physical nodes, rather than trying to P2V the physical nodes