4TB DATA Volume requirement

[KahliEvraz]

Hello all,

   Just need some suggestions and/or comments on creating a 4TB data volume for a VM machine.

   Given that :

   1. Volume will only contain user data i.e spreadsheets; word documents etc...

   2. 4TB is a hard requirement.

   3. OS will be Win2k8 R2

   4. OS Partition will be separate @ 80GBs

   5. netbackup will be used to backup the parition treating it as like a standard physical server.

  

   Please advise.

thanks,
Kahlil

[Dave_Mishchenko]

What sort of storage are you using?  With ESXi you can create a VMFS datastore that is larger than 2 TB, but virtual disk files are still limited to 2 TB each.  You can also create a physical Raw Device Mapping (RDM) that is larger than 2 TB.  With an RDM the VM would get direct access to the SAN LUN.  You can  create an RDM with local storage, but I don't think it is officially supported.

[KahliEvraz]

we currently use EMC 5300; and have already partitioned a 4TB LUN:

Yes we have considered using RDMs for this LUN.

[TomHowarth]

basically your only options are as follow:

a: RDM of 4TB (not too sure if that is fully supported.  I think it is not)

b: Dedicated 4TB iSCSI target mounted in the Guest OS using the Guest OS's software iSCSI initiator

c: multiple VMDKs,  mounted into the OS and formated with the builtin software raid or as LVM if linux.

pick one.  all have their own querks and foibles.

[AndreTheGiant]

Seems that (physical) RDM is the only solution.

Unless you can export the LUN with iSCSI and you plan to use guest iSCSI.

[cyclooctane]

Another option (although it is not as neat as doing an RDM)

Is to create 2 tb virtual disks.
And use windows to create a JBOD or software striped RAID array.

I have used this as a work around to the 2tb limit in the past, but only on linux systems using LVM.

I see no reasion that it would not work under windows however.

Regards

Cyclooctane