2 quick questions ?

[Spiker]

Hi couple of quick questions

1 - When a VM is converted to a template and the compact option is selected it is stored in sparse file format - If you were to fill up an area of storage with templates leaving no room, what would happen if you were to try and convert a template back to a VM on the same storage- I am guessing it would error ? - This isnt what I would like to do as the prefered method would be to use one stoarage for templates - and one for vm's - but I am curious as to how VC would react

2 - Vmotion insists that MSCS is not supported - can anyone give me the reason why ?

Thanks

[esiebert7625]

See these posts for info on Vmotion/MSCS...

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=625404򘫼

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=504614񻌦

[Spiker]

Thanks for the links

From what I have read so far it appears that the supported config is to use a local VMFS for the system disk on the clustered VM - so hence why vmotion would not work

Despite this some people have clustering working without this recommendation - ie not storing any of the VM's vmdk's on local - so in those cases would VMotion be possible ?

Its been suggested from a colleague there may be a file locking or heartbeat issue that may still prevent clustered vms stored on shared storage still causing problems

Has anyone come across this ?

[esiebert7625 · Accepted solution]

Vmotion only works with shared storage. Every ESX server needs to see the same shared storage so it can potentially run the VM. In the example in the link they were using RDM's (raw device mappings) which are still considered shared storage. You can use local disk but only for 2 VM's on the same ESX server, Vmotion would not work in that case. The only way is to use RDM's for your C drives and then use an additional RDM for the cluster drive.

[Spiker]

Thanks

I am fully aware that Vmotion requires shared storage

I guess my question which still remains is : - when using shared storage for all the vmdk files in a cluster ( NO LOCAL as suggested as the recommended config for c:\ drives on the clustered VM's) - are these VM's ok with vmotion

Is there something in clustering technology which may interfere with the vmotion process - file locks / heartbearts etc

Is anyone out there running clustered VM's ALL using shared storage for all the vmdks AND successfully vmotion ing ?

Thanks guys

[ORRuss]

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

I had to take down both nodes to migrate one of them to a different server. Couldn't move the existing RDMs or create new ones with the other node locking the LUN.

You might see this post, too, talking about MNS clusters:

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=583346&#583346

orRuss