VMDK vs RAW

[DavidCOM]

I have data that I do not want stored in my VM's main VMDK. What's the best practice, create a separate VMDK for the data, or store in directly on the SAN?

[Sarek]

Depends on your configuration. If it's no cluster config (on client) i would choose for a seperate VMDK. With tools like VCB you can backup whole VMDK, you can use these as full backup in case of emergency.

Sarek

[DavidCOM]

Would VCB allow me to do file level backups on VMDKs as well?

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Really the question is vmdk vs rdm vs raw. An RDM in virtual mode will act just like a VMDK in many cases, including the use of delta files, etc. While there is not much performance difference between an RDM and VMDK, it provides some very nice features for larger disk partitions. And RDM in virtual mode and a VMDK can have their contents backed up via VCB if the OS understands the filesystem used inside the VM.

Best regards,

Edward

[DavidCOM]

Thanks for the info, it was most helpful.

Regards,

David