svillardi
asked on
How do I use a NAS in VMware for utilities?
VMware 6.5 environment with flash fiber channel storage. We are decommissioning a disk based SAN, and instead, got a Windows 2012 R2 based NAS of about 100 TB.
I'm trying to figure out the best use of this device. Should I create an NFS datastore? Can I get my hosts access to the storage without using a datastore?
My major concern is that this Storage Server will have to be rebooted once a month during Microsoft patching, during which all of my hosts accessing it will have an APD situation during the reboot.
What is the best way to use it for:
ISOs
VM Templates
VM archive drives (a Windows share, like an E: drive for the VM)
VMware Tools repository
Logs
Etc...
I won't be running live VMs on the NAS. I also won't be writing to the NAS during any reboots, as I will schedule it for a maintenance window.
Right now, all 40+ hosts are accessing it via an NFS share. I'm not sure that's the best way to do it though. What are best practices? I kinda remember there was a folder for this stuff, but I don't know how to point that folder to another location.
Thanks for the help!
S.....
I'm trying to figure out the best use of this device. Should I create an NFS datastore? Can I get my hosts access to the storage without using a datastore?
My major concern is that this Storage Server will have to be rebooted once a month during Microsoft patching, during which all of my hosts accessing it will have an APD situation during the reboot.
What is the best way to use it for:
ISOs
VM Templates
VM archive drives (a Windows share, like an E: drive for the VM)
VMware Tools repository
Logs
Etc...
I won't be running live VMs on the NAS. I also won't be writing to the NAS during any reboots, as I will schedule it for a maintenance window.
Right now, all 40+ hosts are accessing it via an NFS share. I'm not sure that's the best way to do it though. What are best practices? I kinda remember there was a folder for this stuff, but I don't know how to point that folder to another location.
Thanks for the help!
S.....
ASKER
Andrew,
Thanks for the quick reply! I work in healthcare and my hosts can't slow down during a reboot of my NAS. How has APD changed in 6.5?
Also, what do you think of a Windows share for my VMs? If I reboot the NAS, will my VM reconnect to the \\NAS\share without having to reboot the VM as well?
Thanks again.
Thanks for the quick reply! I work in healthcare and my hosts can't slow down during a reboot of my NAS. How has APD changed in 6.5?
Also, what do you think of a Windows share for my VMs? If I reboot the NAS, will my VM reconnect to the \\NAS\share without having to reboot the VM as well?
Thanks again.
Your hosts slow down!!!???
not seen this issue. to be honest with you nothing should be taken down, unless there is planned down time for it, if it effects a Production environment, but if that is the case with your NAS, I would NOT use it at all with ESXi!
To be honest with you a Windows NAS is not certified for use with ESXi anyway!
What do you want to use a Windows Share for?
the hosts ?
ESXi cannot use a Windows Share.
not seen this issue. to be honest with you nothing should be taken down, unless there is planned down time for it, if it effects a Production environment, but if that is the case with your NAS, I would NOT use it at all with ESXi!
To be honest with you a Windows NAS is not certified for use with ESXi anyway!
What do you want to use a Windows Share for?
the hosts ?
ESXi cannot use a Windows Share.
ASKER
All Paths Down scenarios cause a host to slow down as they try to connect to previously accessible storage. This is the main concern of having storage unavailable during my NAS reboot.
My NAS is a Windows server. I can do Windows shares and NFS shares from it.
VMware would have access to the NFS shares for ISOs, utilities, VMtools, etc
My Windows VMs would have access to the Windows (CIFS\SMB) shares for mapped drives.
You said that ESX will have no problem reconnecting to the NFS shares.
Will my Windows VM have to reboot to reconnect to the Windows shares for their mapped drives, or will they simply have access once the NAS comes back up?
Thanks.
My NAS is a Windows server. I can do Windows shares and NFS shares from it.
VMware would have access to the NFS shares for ISOs, utilities, VMtools, etc
My Windows VMs would have access to the Windows (CIFS\SMB) shares for mapped drives.
You said that ESX will have no problem reconnecting to the NFS shares.
Will my Windows VM have to reboot to reconnect to the Windows shares for their mapped drives, or will they simply have access once the NAS comes back up?
Thanks.
Do you have issues with All paths down and iSCSI ?
or NFS, or both ?
Windows shares are accessible when users log in, again shares will be available when the NAS is rebooted, the same with NFS.
You will not have to reboot Windows OS, if you reboot your NAS (WIndows Shares).
Although we have seen issues where Windows can poll for a share, untill it comes back online!
or NFS, or both ?
Windows shares are accessible when users log in, again shares will be available when the NAS is rebooted, the same with NFS.
You will not have to reboot Windows OS, if you reboot your NAS (WIndows Shares).
Although we have seen issues where Windows can poll for a share, untill it comes back online!
ASKER
Not running iSCSI. Running FC now. The NAS is new to us, so this is the first time we'll be using NFS.
So what has been causing APD, when storage is unavailable?
is this FC Storage/LUNs unavailable ?
FC LUNs ?
is this FC Storage/LUNs unavailable ?
FC LUNs ?
ASKER
Andrew,
We had APD down in the past with FC LUNs, so I'm aware that this CAN happen -- not that it is happening at this time.
I want to make sure, before I use the new NAS, that I'm won't cause an APD host reaction during the patching reboot. Since I'm new to 6.5, and new to NFS shares in vSphere, I'm trying to make sure I'm not going to cause a problem.
We had APD down in the past with FC LUNs, so I'm aware that this CAN happen -- not that it is happening at this time.
I want to make sure, before I use the new NAS, that I'm won't cause an APD host reaction during the patching reboot. Since I'm new to 6.5, and new to NFS shares in vSphere, I'm trying to make sure I'm not going to cause a problem.
Okay, we have seen APD with FC and iSCSI when LUNs have not been removed properly with ESXi, this has always been present since version 2.0, and has still not been addressed by VMware.
The issue is ESXi polls the LUN, the LUN is not present, and it goes into a LOOP, if you check CPU Utilization, you will see your CPU goes sky high, as the LOOP continues... resulting in a slow down..... as the Host server effectively LOCKS UP!
again this happens to LUNs being polled.
We've not seen this behavior using NFS.
However using non certified equipment connected to ESXi servers in Production is a RISK you need to check!
We would NOT connect a Windows NFS Server to Production ESXi Servers.
and you mention these servers are in Healthcare, we would certainly not risk the connection of an unsupported Windows NFS Server to ESXI Healthcare hosts....which could result in patient treatment and care being affected.
The issue is ESXi polls the LUN, the LUN is not present, and it goes into a LOOP, if you check CPU Utilization, you will see your CPU goes sky high, as the LOOP continues... resulting in a slow down..... as the Host server effectively LOCKS UP!
again this happens to LUNs being polled.
We've not seen this behavior using NFS.
However using non certified equipment connected to ESXi servers in Production is a RISK you need to check!
We would NOT connect a Windows NFS Server to Production ESXi Servers.
and you mention these servers are in Healthcare, we would certainly not risk the connection of an unsupported Windows NFS Server to ESXI Healthcare hosts....which could result in patient treatment and care being affected.
ASKER
That's what I was afraid of.
Even for junk files required by the host? Like ISOs, VMtools, etc?
Even for junk files required by the host? Like ISOs, VMtools, etc?
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ASKER
Windows Storage Server 2012 R2, used as a NAS is not on the HCL. I checked.
Back to the drawing board.
Thank you, Andrew for expanding on the topic. Good stuff.
Back to the drawing board.
Thank you, Andrew for expanding on the topic. Good stuff.
reboot as and when, NFS will re-connect when the NFS Export is available again!
it will not cause an issue like iSCSI does when the LUN disappears...
no iSCSI! do not use if!