New Server Build, hard disks or USB drive?

[khughes]

We're getting ready to replace a few old ESX servers and I was wondering if now was the time to get away from the disk drives and move to the flash drives which you can load ESXi onto?  How reliable are those little flash drives? Anyone have any issues with them? Or is it still a good idea to get a couple hard disks, mirror them and load the 300MB install onto it?

Thanks

[vCloud9]

The past few deployments I have been using the flash drives, and ESXi just uses it during the boot time, once the ESXi is booted, everything is moved into the memory. You dont have to worry about the performance as everything is moved into memory. Since there is no moving part in the flash drives, I would think its more reliable than disks.

[vmroyale]

Welcome back stranger.

Go for it, but make sure you check out http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1033696

[khughes]

No kidding, I leave for a little bit and you get your Guru badge... someone has way to much time on his hands apparently!  Figured you would responde this faster than an email too.  Thanks for the KB.

As for the loading ESXi off the flash disk, do you have to configure it each time it boots or does it install and remember the configuration?

[vCloud9 · Accepted solution]

It keeps the configuration intact, dont have to worry about configuration everytime the ESXi boots.

[khughes]

Well it looks like the director played his trump card and wants hdd's again.  Thanks for the info though.

[TomHowarth]

I have used them but personally I do not like them,  I cant help thinking about all the pendrives that have barfed on me over the years.

that said they are only utilised during the boot process as the entire ESXi is moved into RAM,

as an aside, have you consided using auto deploy for your new infrastructure, that way no moving parts at all

[khughes]

Only have enterprise licensing, so no host profiles or auto-deploy.  But it would be a nice thought if we had the capability.

[sparrowangelste]

Hey tom, for the pen drives, have you considered using something like the compact flash/ Sd card that a pro photographer uses?

Not for personal use of course but for esx booting.

the build quality is better, even equallogic uses compact flash for their san units. (at least they used to..)

[TomHowarth]

The pendrives were personal,   for Hosts I uses quality Flash,  but I just don't really trust the USB connections, especially with the build quality of certain vendors