Xenserver 6.5 Thin Provisioning Issue
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@coliver said:
If I recall correctly, and I may not, thin provisioning is a bit different in XenServer. Basically it thin provisions the storage array instead of the VM files. You create the size VM Disk that you want and it will only use the actual storage on the backend.
Yes, I believe that that is correct. You've already thin provisioned everything. Otherwise you would not select thin provisioning at install time but instead when you deploy the individual VM. It doesn't make any sense to have to select it twice, what would the first time imply, if that were the case?
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@Lakshmana It is completely different then how VMWare and Hyper-V do it on their GUI, although the process is basically the same. Kind of takes the guess work out of the process since you no longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or not.
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XenServer it's all or none. Vmware or Hyper-V it's on a per VM Virtual Disk level. Rarely is there a case not to use thin provisioning.
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And the benefits of mixing the two on the same storage device, which do exist, are much lower than having the whole thing be thin.
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@coliver said:
o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no
One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?
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@Lakshmana said:
@coliver said:
o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no
One why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?
It's not provided anymore. Once you select it at install time, you don't need to select it again.
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@Lakshmana It only uses space that is really used. It does not use the whole space you assign it. It's another way of over committing resources which that's the major uses of Virtualization.
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@Lakshmana said:
@coliver said:
o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no
One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?
You don't have to worry about it now. No need to doubt the software, it is by default thin provisioned now that you've enabled it during installation.
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@coliver said:
@Lakshmana said:
@coliver said:
o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no
One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?
You don't have to worry about it now. No need to doubt the software, it is by default thin provisioned now that you've enabled it during installation.
Exactly, you have already chosen thin provisioning. You do not see the option again because you have already chosen it. So all is well.
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@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installation -
@Lakshmana said:
@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installationYou said that you did it. Are you doubting your memory?
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@Lakshmana said:
@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installationOne of the ways you can do it (although it may be restricted on XenServer) is to create a virtual hard disk bigger then the space available. If it allows you to then you have thin provisioning enabled... if it fails then you don't. Of course this could cause a string of other, more serious issues.
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What does this command show?
xe vbd-list
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@coliver said:
ows you to then you have thin provisioning enabled... if it fails then you don't. Of course this could cause a string of other, more serious issues.
[root@xenserver3 ~]# xe vbd-list
uuid ( RO) : 03e3e447-be1c-826b-1f36-0fcd4548fd3b
vm-uuid ( RO): 9e6f55b3-dad4-27f6-1be6-7039f6c70bef
vm-name-label ( RO): Other install media (1)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO): xvdduuid ( RO) : 56e0ecfd-d8ba-140a-1ca5-e665edc6a2e9
vm-uuid ( RO): 4de3a235-9339-e37d-8000-6754ccc1c02d
vm-name-label ( RO): Windows 7 (32-bit) (2)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO):uuid ( RO) : 51198e3f-edbe-18d2-ec80-1b7ca33744b3
vm-uuid ( RO): a8c3d7fe-2179-4eab-e609-8c80cfe60096
vm-name-label ( RO): Windows 7 (32-bit) (1)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO): xvdd -
Shoot, I thought that that would say explicitly that they were thin provisioned.
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This is not something the XS has well documented. They mostly expect you to just remember.
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What about this xe sr-list
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@scottalanmiller said:
e XS has well documented. They mostly expect you to just remember.
In my client the person does not know about thin provisioning.Then how he will find now.I also working towards it now?
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@Lakshmana said:
@scottalanmiller said:
e XS has well documented. They mostly expect you to just remember.
In my client the person does not know about thin provisioning.Then how he will find now.I also working towards it now?
This is an IT thing and not something that a client should know anything about. If the client doesn't know how to check, why does he care? Something is wrong that you are in this situation. It's like "how does the customer know that the engine as 24 valves". If the customer doesn't know how to check, then they don't need to care. If they know how to check, they don't need to ask you. You can answer that it was installed with thin provisioning and that is how Citrix tells you. Citrix does not provide a way to know, so he is asking for something you cannot provide. This is his problem.
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If he insists, tell him to check with Citrix how to do this. He is not paying for support and Citrix does not document how to verify this.
