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Can I deploy VMware vSAN with one or two hosts initially, and later on add mode hosts?
I have two ESXi v6.7u3 hosts running independently. Want to add one or two more new hosts to my environment, but this time, I'd like to convert the environment into a cluster and take advantage of DRS and HA.
I'm familiar with other virtual SAN solutions where you traditionally have to deploy 3 hosts at a minimum to have a network RAID 5 type of protection. I have never deployed VMware's vSAN but heard people can deploy single vSAN nodes.
I'd love to hear if I can start with one or two vSAN nodes, move in some VM guests from the running hosts, once empty, it could be reconfigured (or reinstalled) and added as a vSAN node, and repeat the same procedure to add the second existing host. At the end, I would have a cluster of three or four hosts running vSAN.
Some explanation as to, if it is possible to start with one or two vSAN nodes, how the storage is configured and the level of protection, if network RAID 5 cannot be achieved at that point (can the storage protection level be changed once there are enough nodes?).
Also, there would be at the end one/two new hosts and two older hosts. They would be pretty close in processing power, memory and all would have SSD storage. In your opinion, is there a down side here for combining slightly dissimilar hosts?
Thanks,
-M
I'm familiar with other virtual SAN solutions where you traditionally have to deploy 3 hosts at a minimum to have a network RAID 5 type of protection. I have never deployed VMware's vSAN but heard people can deploy single vSAN nodes.
I'd love to hear if I can start with one or two vSAN nodes, move in some VM guests from the running hosts, once empty, it could be reconfigured (or reinstalled) and added as a vSAN node, and repeat the same procedure to add the second existing host. At the end, I would have a cluster of three or four hosts running vSAN.
Some explanation as to, if it is possible to start with one or two vSAN nodes, how the storage is configured and the level of protection, if network RAID 5 cannot be achieved at that point (can the storage protection level be changed once there are enough nodes?).
Also, there would be at the end one/two new hosts and two older hosts. They would be pretty close in processing power, memory and all would have SSD storage. In your opinion, is there a down side here for combining slightly dissimilar hosts?
Thanks,
-M
Storage* vsanRAIDNetworkingVMware
Last Comment
kevinhsieh
Minimum deployment is 2 hosts and a witness. Yes, you can add nodes later.
ASKER
Andrew, I checked the link and it seems ROBO Licensing is no longer available under the current version. In a way, this is good news for my scenario. Under ROBO Licensing, I would be limited and could not turn my 2-node into a 4-node. The article says "No upgrade path to traditional vSAN licenses".
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Ok. I now understand I can start with two nodes and add more along the way.
Can someone explain in terms of node data protection/redundancy? I get it, a 2-node cluster gives me nothing (unless I can do network RAID1, which is not ideal for me initially), and when I add a 3rd node I may start seeing the protection possibility.
What are my options for configuring vSAN initially to succeed at realizing full (quote)like RAID5(quote) protection when I end up adding the other new hosts. I fully understand all hosts need to be certified for vSAN.
Are there any other "gotchas" I need to be aware of with vSAN I should keep an eye out for?
-M
Can someone explain in terms of node data protection/redundancy? I get it, a 2-node cluster gives me nothing (unless I can do network RAID1, which is not ideal for me initially), and when I add a 3rd node I may start seeing the protection possibility.
What are my options for configuring vSAN initially to succeed at realizing full (quote)like RAID5(quote) protection when I end up adding the other new hosts. I fully understand all hosts need to be certified for vSAN.
Are there any other "gotchas" I need to be aware of with vSAN I should keep an eye out for?
-M
The minimum is 3, but recommended is 4, and that's ESXi license per CPU per Host, and vSAN license per host, and Center Server license and support.
quote]Are there any other "gotchas" I need to be aware of with vSAN I should keep an eye out for?[/quote]
Many all hardware needs to be certified, which is often why it's easier if you purchase vSAN Ready Nodes, which are Tagged as vSAN Ready Nodes, they are not ESXi servers!
quote]Are there any other "gotchas" I need to be aware of with vSAN I should keep an eye out for?[/quote]
Many all hardware needs to be certified, which is often why it's easier if you purchase vSAN Ready Nodes, which are Tagged as vSAN Ready Nodes, they are not ESXi servers!
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However Two Node ROBO does exist.
see here
https://blogs.vmware.com/virtualblocks/2015/09/11/vmware-virtual-san-robo-edition/
But be aware of caution here, because 2 Nodes is what they are, you would have to upgrade or re-license in the future to go to 3 or 4.
and VMware vSAN really requires vSAN Ready Nodes, and not just hosts with storage! e.g. it all needs to be certified to run vSAN.