Getting started questions

[hrrmc]

We are planning on virtualizing for server consolidation and disaster recovery. We will be consolidating about 10 servers onto 3 platforms. We do not have any SAN or NAS, so that might limit what features can be used. I am familiar with how Virtual Server works, but not as familiar with Infrastructure/ESX. I have started reading all of the manuals, but get confused over the numerous configuration options. I'm looking for some answers to help guide the architecture/deployment.

1) If using DAS (since we don't have SAN/NAS), are all of the VM files required to be on the local drive? Or can you install ESX on the local drive and have it boot virtual machines from a Windows share?

2) Can you even use VMFS with a Windows share? I'm guessing not.

3) Would Vmotion be possible in this scenario? Or do you need VMFS on a SAN/NAS?

4) Would HA be possible in this scenario? Or do you need VMFS on a SAN/NAS?

5) If you have Infrastructure but not vCenterServer, do you administer the VMs by using VI Client and logging into each ESX instance? Does vCenterServer provide much value if you only have 3 platforms (other than being able to see all of the VMs on one screen)?

6) I am assuming that Update Manager and Consolidated Backup will work fine in this architecture. Can you use Consolidated Backup to copy the VM from the DAS to a Windows share, and then possible copy that image to a second platform for disaster recovery?

7) The install guide indicates that ESX needs a VMFS partion for the VMs. I assume this is one major difference between ESX and VirtualServer (which can save Virtual Machines to a NTFS formatted partition).

😎 It seems like we could use Virtual Server instead of Infrastructure/ESX (since our datacenter is so small). But we would have at least the following cons: additional requirements for a host O/S on each platform, no HA/DRS/VMotion, no Consolidated Backup, no Update Manager. Am I missing anything?

Thanks

[mikepodoherty]

First, if you are using ESX or ESXi, then the OS for the server is VMware not Windows.

It is possible to set up DAS for 2 servers and configure HA/DRS on the physical boxes. You need DAS such as the PowerVault that allows you to configure a shared bus. If the storage is not shared, then there is no physical way for HA/DRS to work. Another option is to look at ISSCI using Openfiler or similiar application to create a shared storage area.

If you don't have VirtualCenter, you can administer the individual hosts by logging in with the VIM client - however, you wouldn't have the ability to VMotion the servers.

Haven't configured VCB - but Update Manager requires VirtualCenter - fairly easy to configure once it is installed if you have Internet access. Configuring it for a network without Internet access is another matter entirely.

I've used Virtual Server for my laptop and learning but not sure I would use it for a production system - you'd lose your host everytime Windows or Linux patches require a reboot. We have ESX and VMotion the guests to alternate servers when patching the ESX hosts so we don't see downtime for the guests (doing the Microsoft patching is another story but tht downtime is not related to the patching of the ESX hosts.)

HTH

Mike

[hrrmc]

wow, two good ideas that didn't even occur to me.

a) yes, we have a (spare) powervault which could be shared across 2 physical servers. i would guess we would be limited to 2 physical servers (and not 3). I assume the performance would be better than iSCSI since it would be directly attached.

b) hadn't heard of Openfiler until now. I'm guessing we could set that up on a spare server connected to the powervault and use iSCSI to provide datastores to 3 (or more) ESX servers. I was actually trying to look into an iSCSI solution that involved the PowerVault, but we were told that it would need a new backplane or something (I missed that meeting so wasn't sure what they were talking about).

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the forums -

1) yes you can but as pointed out you would be limited to 2 hosts - I also recommend looking at openfiler that will you to use iSCSI and share across multiple hosts

2) you can not use VMFS with a windows share - it is a file system that is places on to an unformatted SCSI or SAN LUN

3,4) No you would not be able to vmotion or HA - you need SAN or NAS/NFS

5) without virtual center you will manage each host independently with the VI Client - with 3 esx servers you a re probbly at the edge of need ing vitual center - if you want to do vmotion, DRS or HA you will definitely need virtual center

6) They should but they but remeber update manager requires virtual center

7) That is correct

😎 I would also add you will get better perfomance with ESX over VMware server

[polysulfide]

You can do more than two hosts direct-attached if you're able to create bus continuity, proper termination, and ID things properly. That may not be feasible with the hardware availble and is probably not the best design, but I can't help but throw out there that a Beowulf SCSI configuration isn't limited to two hosts.

cheers!

[goldeneye_007]

[QUOTE]I've used Virtual Server

for my laptop and learning but not sure I would use it for a production

system - you'd lose your host everytime Windows or Linux patches

require a reboot.[/QUOTE]

You can use Virtual Server in production. The reboot issue is valid, however if the host server is Linux this only occurs when there are kernel updates which are much less frequent than Windows patches. Linux patches do not as a rule require reboots. If the host server is not exposed to the network, by firewall rules or other clever means then patching it is sort of irrelevant. In any case, if you are hosting windows on windows, when the root server needs to be rebooted, doesn't it follow that the guests might as well? In that case you just reboot them all at the same time during your patch cycle. There's any number of ways to handle the patching issue so don't let that disuay you from using Server.