VDR - NFS Destination Maximum Size

[phykell]

Hi,

I've just deployed a VDR 2.0 instance on a vSphere 4.1 infrastructure and for the backup destination I intend on using an NFS datastore.

I've added the NFS datastore and went to create a virtual disk but it seems I'm limited to 256 GB despite the NFS datastore residing on a separate NAS appliance which has been formatted as NTFS with a 4 MB block size.

The VDR appliance is deployed on a datastore which has been formatted with a 1 MB block size and if my backup destination disk was to be deployed on the same datastore, I'd understand the 256 GB limitation, however, the NFS datastore shouldn't have any such restriction should it?

It's not simply because the VDR appliance is installed on a datastore with a 1 MB block size is it? If that's the case it's a strange limitation that the block size of the VM's datastore should impose the same restriction on virtual disks created on other datastores with potentially larger block sizes.

Any help appreciated!

[phykell]

Update:

I migrated my VDR appliance to another datastore, one with an 8MB block size, and sure enough I can now create my virtual disk on my NFS datastore without the 256 GB limitation.

I guess the next logical test would be to create the large virtual disk and then move my VDR back to the datastore with the 1 MB block size. I assume this would be prevented as the migration procedure does a validation check.

As it happens, it seems I'll have to upgrade my vCenter and all of my hosts (to at least 4.1 Update 1) in order to support VDR 2.0 as it's not "compatible" with vSphere 4.1.

However, I'm still confused as to why the addition of a disk on an 8 MB block size datastore should be limited in accordance with the block size of the VM's datastore :smileyconfused: