Steve Hood
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Hard Disk Config for Virtualized OS's and Storage
Question to the Experts.
We are small business under 50 and can only afford single server so no replication or SAN. Plan to visualize 4 instances of Windows Server 2012R2 (1. Domain Controller, 2. Exchange, 3. RDP Server, and 4. Misc. App Server)
The server is configured for 8 x 2.5" SAS Drive bays.
Should i use 2 bays RAID 1 for the OS's and 6 Bays for Storage? Or, a single RAID 5 for the works??
Thanks,
Steve
We are small business under 50 and can only afford single server so no replication or SAN. Plan to visualize 4 instances of Windows Server 2012R2 (1. Domain Controller, 2. Exchange, 3. RDP Server, and 4. Misc. App Server)
The server is configured for 8 x 2.5" SAS Drive bays.
Should i use 2 bays RAID 1 for the OS's and 6 Bays for Storage? Or, a single RAID 5 for the works??
Thanks,
Steve
ASKER
I was told by vendor I can create multiple array types using the build-in hardware raid controller.
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Never consider RAID 5 for anything. It is no longer considered appropriate, because you only have one disk resilience.
Use RAID 10 or RAID 6
Use RAID 10 or RAID 6
ASKER
Thanks everyone. So would this make sense?
Separate RAID 1 for each of the three Virtual OS Installs = 2 drives x 3 OS installs = 6 disk drives 10K SAS
For storage, a RAID 6 - 8 x 1.2TB drives (gives me over 4TB Storage which is fine)
Thoughts??
Separate RAID 1 for each of the three Virtual OS Installs = 2 drives x 3 OS installs = 6 disk drives 10K SAS
For storage, a RAID 6 - 8 x 1.2TB drives (gives me over 4TB Storage which is fine)
Thoughts??
use all disks in RAID6 or RAID10 for the VMFS datastore for your VM storage.
Install ESXi OS on SD card or USB flash drive.
Here is the VMware KB on installing 4.1 on USB/SD:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1020655
Here is the VMware KB on installing 5.x on USB/SD:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2004784
Install ESXi OS on SD card or USB flash drive.
Here is the VMware KB on installing 4.1 on USB/SD:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1020655
Here is the VMware KB on installing 5.x on USB/SD:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2004784
Can you create two types of raid or just one ?