Help with VDI (View) Performance; especially Disk Subsystem
We have a small (right now) VDI (View 5) environment. I have a single host: an IBM 3690 M5 with 144 GB RAM. We are using an IBM DS4700 SANs for our disk subsystem. At the moment I have about 50 desktops spun up, with about 15 people on at any one time. Very shortly I'll have close to 40 people on at a time. Our goal by the end of the year is around 100 desktops with 400-500 in the next couple of years.
I realize that we will need more hosts. However, my problem is with performance. I have tweaked the masters according to the Best Practice guide from VMware. I don't really think the host is holding me back either. I am fully convinced that the DS4700 is NOT where we want to go as we move forward.
I am looking for information about what others have done to get their VDI tweaked as well as possible, especially with the storage; since VDI seems to be very storage intensive.
I'd like to get replies only from individuals who have actually implemented these solutions and not just someone pointing me to some web site. I am NOT interested in some VDI in a box proprietary solution. I am interested in using IBM servers, but the storage can be whatever works the best.
I realize that we will need more hosts. However, my problem is with performance. I have tweaked the masters according to the Best Practice guide from VMware. I don't really think the host is holding me back either. I am fully convinced that the DS4700 is NOT where we want to go as we move forward.
I am looking for information about what others have done to get their VDI tweaked as well as possible, especially with the storage; since VDI seems to be very storage intensive.
I'd like to get replies only from individuals who have actually implemented these solutions and not just someone pointing me to some web site. I am NOT interested in some VDI in a box proprietary solution. I am interested in using IBM servers, but the storage can be whatever works the best.
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Hancocka, do you have multiple hosts and do you have a Fusion IO card in each? Also, which card do you have... they seem to have multiple product lines.
Spartan, we have IBM disks 10 K fiber in the DS4700. Yes we did a POC and that went well, but it was probably too small. No, we have not metered our performance. Thanx for the XIO link.
Coolsport, thanx for the info. We've not done a lot of monitoring. I do check CPU and RAM and those don't seem to be issues. Most everything I've read says that disk IO is the number one bottleneck for VDI, assuming that you didn't buy low end on the server itself; which we did not. I recently attended a VMUG meeting and that was the overall consensus there as well. We are going to partner with a company who specializes in this, but I always like to get real from-the-trenches suggestions before just handing over my soul to a third party.
Spartan, we have IBM disks 10 K fiber in the DS4700. Yes we did a POC and that went well, but it was probably too small. No, we have not metered our performance. Thanx for the XIO link.
Coolsport, thanx for the info. We've not done a lot of monitoring. I do check CPU and RAM and those don't seem to be issues. Most everything I've read says that disk IO is the number one bottleneck for VDI, assuming that you didn't buy low end on the server itself; which we did not. I recently attended a VMUG meeting and that was the overall consensus there as well. We are going to partner with a company who specializes in this, but I always like to get real from-the-trenches suggestions before just handing over my soul to a third party.
Another thing you can set up, if you haven't, is CBRC in the View Admin console. (pg. 131 of the Guide: http://pubs.vmware.com/view-51/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/view-51-administration.pdf).
~coolsport00
~coolsport00
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hancocka, do you couple the fusion IO card with regular storage; what kind of storage do you use?
Folders are redirected on CIFS shares on NetApp Filers.
but no additional storage is used to support VDI workstations. Fusion-IO cards for us traditionaly replaces local storage or SAN storage, because it's too slow.
but no additional storage is used to support VDI workstations. Fusion-IO cards for us traditionaly replaces local storage or SAN storage, because it's too slow.
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what do you do if you'd lose a host? Do the FIO cards hold the file info after power is gone? can you vMotion OK, or is that even in your plan?
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Coolsport00, apparently the CRBC thing is not available in View 5.0; it appears to just be a 5.1 thing.
hancocka, looks like we are going to initially get a single Fusionio card for our host. If that works out, we will probably do the same thing in our next host.
We also looked at Nimble Storage technology for centralized storage and it looks promising as well. If the FIO card doesn't do it, we may look at them for centralized storage or we may use them when it's time to replace server storage.
hancocka, looks like we are going to initially get a single Fusionio card for our host. If that works out, we will probably do the same thing in our next host.
We also looked at Nimble Storage technology for centralized storage and it looks promising as well. If the FIO card doesn't do it, we may look at them for centralized storage or we may use them when it's time to replace server storage.
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Thanx...
Have you done and POC before attempting to deploy production?
Have to metered your VDI clients to see what their peak IOPS usage is?
Just to throw a suggestion out for storage is XIO.
Most issues with VDI are not enough IOPS to support the desktops.
http://xiostorage.com/products/hyper-ise-7-series/#specs_tab
Take a look at them.