Solved RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?
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I typically install the hypervisor on a single SATA drive connected to the motherboard.
It is not a disk I’m worried about losing. Everything can be rebuilt easily if that drive is lost.
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@JaredBusch said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
I typically install the hypervisor on a single SATA drive connected to the motherboard.
It is not a disk I’m worried about losing. Everything can be rebuilt easily if that drive is lost.
And easy to backup and restore. Simple data, tiny data.
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@scottalanmiller said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@Obsolesce said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@Grey said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
Maybe do a hypervisor off a USB stick or SDcard, and @StarWind_Software for the storage to be able to combine the 2 kinds of drives as a single solution?
I tried that approach in the past, but unless you get enterprise grade USB sticks, they have a high and quick fail rate (in my own personal experience). Luckily where I did use them, they were mirrored, so it wasn't a big problem, but it easily could have been.
The OBR10 approach has been rock solid in every single case.
That's been my experience. The USB sticks just haven't been worth the extra hassle. Reinstalling a hypervisor is so trivial (and so rare) that it doesn't seem to matter.
Yeah, but it's an additional PITA because the ones I used were plugged in inside the server... as they should be IMO, because there's just something about having USB sticks sticking out of servers in a rack that bothers me.
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@Obsolesce said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@scottalanmiller said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@Obsolesce said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@Grey said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
Maybe do a hypervisor off a USB stick or SDcard, and @StarWind_Software for the storage to be able to combine the 2 kinds of drives as a single solution?
I tried that approach in the past, but unless you get enterprise grade USB sticks, they have a high and quick fail rate (in my own personal experience). Luckily where I did use them, they were mirrored, so it wasn't a big problem, but it easily could have been.
The OBR10 approach has been rock solid in every single case.
That's been my experience. The USB sticks just haven't been worth the extra hassle. Reinstalling a hypervisor is so trivial (and so rare) that it doesn't seem to matter.
Yeah, but it's an additional PITA because the ones I used were plugged in inside the server... as they should be IMO, because there's just something about having USB sticks sticking out of servers in a rack that bothers me.
That too.
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@openit said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
Hi there,
For new server setup, I wanted to know which one is recommended?
Option 1:
RAID Array 1 = RAID 1 with 500 GB SSD [ for Windows Server Host]
RAID Array 2 = RAID 10 with SAS/SATA drives (not confirmed about size and type of drives yet) [ for VMs and Data]Option 2:
RAID Array 1 = RAID 10 with SAS/SATA [ for Windows Host, VMs and Data]
Thanks!
@scottalanmiller @Obsolesce @Pete-S @Dashrender @stacksofplates @dbeatoNo, the acronym is One Big Array - it exists because splitting up an array is wasting processing resources.
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@DustinB3403 said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@openit said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
Hi there,
For new server setup, I wanted to know which one is recommended?
Option 1:
RAID Array 1 = RAID 1 with 500 GB SSD [ for Windows Server Host]
RAID Array 2 = RAID 10 with SAS/SATA drives (not confirmed about size and type of drives yet) [ for VMs and Data]Option 2:
RAID Array 1 = RAID 10 with SAS/SATA [ for Windows Host, VMs and Data]
Thanks!
@scottalanmiller @Obsolesce @Pete-S @Dashrender @stacksofplates @dbeatoNo, the acronym is One Big Array - it exists because splitting up an array is wasting processing resources.
Where tf did you see OBA?
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Here are some sample host builds using Hyper-V.
https://www.altaro.com/hyper-v/hyper-v-small-business-sample-host-builds/ -
@black3dynamite said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
Here are some sample host builds using Hyper-V.
https://www.altaro.com/hyper-v/hyper-v-small-business-sample-host-builds/Quite a good article.
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This is what we do.
Option 3.
Hypervisor on satadom or small SSD drive.
Performance storage array with SSDs. Raid 1 or 10.
Capacity storage array with 3.5" HDDs. Raid 1 or 10.- Each VMs gets the kind of storage it needs.
- RAID1 is default for the arrays.
- RAID10 is only used when the capacity is needed (always as few drives as possible).
Right now I'm prepping a RAID 1 array 2x16TB that will go into one of our hosts.
md4 : active raid1 sdm[1] sdl[0] 15625748288 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU] [>....................] resync = 0.6% (99811008/15625748288) finish=1322.2min speed=195699K/secWe'll see how long it takes. Supposedly around 23 hours.
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@Pete-S said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
This is what we do.
Option 3.
Hypervisor on satadom or small SSD drive.
Performance storage array with SSDs. Raid 1 or 10.
Capacity storage array with 3.5" HDDs. Raid 1 or 10.- Each VMs gets the kind of storage it needs.
- RAID1 is default for the arrays.
- RAID10 is only used when the capacity is needed (always as few drives as possible).
Right now I'm prepping a RAID 1 array 2x16TB that will go into one of our hosts.
md4 : active raid1 sdm[1] sdl[0] 15625748288 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU] [>....................] resync = 0.6% (99811008/15625748288) finish=1322.2min speed=195699K/secWe'll see how long it takes. Supposedly around 23 hours.
Same here.
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@scottalanmiller said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
@Pete-S said in RAID - Two Arrays for Server? Array 1 for Windows Host and Array 2 for VMs and Data?:
This is what we do.
Option 3.
Hypervisor on satadom or small SSD drive.
Performance storage array with SSDs. Raid 1 or 10.
Capacity storage array with 3.5" HDDs. Raid 1 or 10.- Each VMs gets the kind of storage it needs.
- RAID1 is default for the arrays.
- RAID10 is only used when the capacity is needed (always as few drives as possible).
Right now I'm prepping a RAID 1 array 2x16TB that will go into one of our hosts.
md4 : active raid1 sdm[1] sdl[0] 15625748288 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU] [>....................] resync = 0.6% (99811008/15625748288) finish=1322.2min speed=195699K/secWe'll see how long it takes. Supposedly around 23 hours.
Same here.
So you've moved to SSD with RAID 1 or RAID 10, no more RAID 5?
