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    Solved Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?

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    xenserver xenserver 6.5 vhd
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    • stacksofplatesS
      stacksofplates @DustinB3403
      last edited by stacksofplates

      @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

      I've seen far more smaller partitions (2TB and under) shared out than I've seen massive (+2TB) shares configured and setup. .

      The burden to provide examples isn't on me, but on you @scottalanmiller.

      Also, 2TB is not massive by any means. That's a ~$50 consumer drive. I'm thinking of how you argued with robinhood on SpiceWorks how multiple PB of data should be virtualized. How do you plan on doing that here?

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      • ntoxicatorN
        ntoxicator
        last edited by

        So back full circle.

        Any idea's how to circumvent this?

        As we can have HUGE locaclized storage repository for XenServer, but the Guest (Windows server VM) will only allow 2TB due to Windows VHD limitations...

        so for those of us running large file servers (myself). this 2TB is an issue; its too small!

        So would have to pool the disks together?

        or rely on some large external storage device with NFS/SMB shares? This just adds to the infrastructure costs and possible failure points.

        @Scale computing nodes...... same limitations I presume?

        stacksofplatesS scaleS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • stacksofplatesS
          stacksofplates @scottalanmiller
          last edited by

          @scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

          just storing music, home movies and such often requires far more than this (I have about 12TB for home.)

          Ya, I have almost 2TB just in music.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • DustinB3403D
            DustinB3403
            last edited by

            I'm not saying that 2TB or 2PB shouldn't be virtual, I'm saying that the amount presented out shouldn't need to be larger than 2TB (per share) for a virtual machine for the very reasons of usability and restore options.

            This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

            I'm specifically saying present multiple 2TB shares out, unless you need more, in which case use an iSCSI target.

            scottalanmillerS ntoxicatorN stacksofplatesS 6 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • stacksofplatesS
              stacksofplates @ntoxicator
              last edited by

              @ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

              So back full circle.

              Any idea's how to circumvent this?

              As we can have HUGE locaclized storage repository for XenServer, but the Guest (Windows server VM) will only allow 2TB due to Windows VHD limitations...

              so for those of us running large file servers (myself). this 2TB is an issue; its too small!

              So would have to pool the disks together?

              or rely on some large external storage device with NFS/SMB shares? This just adds to the infrastructure costs and possible failure points.

              @Scale computing nodes...... same limitations I presume?

              You could switch to Xen and use a real image file. Scale won't have this limitation. It's KVM, which I'm also running, and with qcow2 the limit is something like 7 exabytes.

              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                last edited by

                @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                I'm not saying that 2TB or 2PB shouldn't be virtual, I'm saying that the amount presented out shouldn't need to be larger than 2TB (per share) for a virtual machine for the very reasons of usability and restore options.

                I don't understand this at all. Why would you have benefits to small chunks of a single filesystem? I've heard this before but never heard of a reason for it.

                Presented out obviously has to be larger than 2TB, that's not an option. That the parts that make up the large share should be made up of tiny pieces is standardly considered a mistake of 2005 era SAN design. Why do you feel that this industry accepted mistake of a decade ago should be made standard again today?

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                • ntoxicatorN
                  ntoxicator @DustinB3403
                  last edited by

                  @DustinB3403

                  in which case use an iSCSI target.

                  So you're saying to use Microsofts iSCSI initiator to connect a disk? I've been hit over the head before to suggesting that.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • scottalanmillerS
                    scottalanmiller @stacksofplates
                    last edited by

                    @johnhooks said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                    You could switch to Xen and use a real image file. Scale won't have this limitation. It's KVM, which I'm also running, and with qcow2 the limit is something like 7 exabytes.

                    Oh I know, I can make a pretty epic file server on the Scale HC3 🙂 It's way ahead for that. This is not for a system that I manage that I was looking for the answer. Yes, "real" Xen without XS limitations does this without a problem. And Scale HC3 does it without thinking. Why XS is introducing this problem is beyond me.

                    stacksofplatesS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                    • stacksofplatesS
                      stacksofplates @DustinB3403
                      last edited by

                      @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                      I'm not saying that 2TB or 2PB shouldn't be virtual, I'm saying that the amount presented out shouldn't need to be larger than 2TB (per share) for a virtual machine for the very reasons of usability and restore options.

                      This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                      He never said that. He said there are cases where you don't. And made good points, like with using Gluster/Ceph.

                      I'm specifically saying present multiple 2TB shares out, unless you need more, in which case use an iSCSI target.

                      And now you're limited to network throughput for your data.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • scottalanmillerS
                        scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                        last edited by

                        @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                        This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                        What's the alternative method to file shares? And who is RobinHood? And why would we talk to someone that thinks that nothing should be virtualized?

                        DustinB3403D stacksofplatesS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • stacksofplatesS
                          stacksofplates @scottalanmiller
                          last edited by

                          @scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                          @johnhooks said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                          You could switch to Xen and use a real image file. Scale won't have this limitation. It's KVM, which I'm also running, and with qcow2 the limit is something like 7 exabytes.

                          Oh I know, I can make a pretty epic file server on the Scale HC3 🙂 It's way ahead for that. This is not for a system that I manage that I was looking for the answer. Yes, "real" Xen without XS limitations does this without a problem. And Scale HC3 does it without thinking. Why XS is introducing this problem is beyond me.

                          Ha ya I was just answering for @ntoxicator. I don't understand this ridiculous limit. VHDX has been out for like 4 years.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • ntoxicatorN
                            ntoxicator @DustinB3403
                            last edited by

                            @DustinB3403

                            RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                            Right now, my file server is "Virtualized" and "Virtualized Disk" coming from xenserver Storage Repository.

                            So with that being said, rather than having a virtualized file system; is to better having a networked SAN serving out SMB/NFS for data over network?

                            I'm just full circle and I apologize. #logic.

                            as if you do not have a need to Virtualize your file systems / shared. Then the Storage Repository needs would be significantly less; as would only need to Create Virtual Disks big enough for the server NEEDS. Then rely on network storage solutions for doing the SMB/NFS shares which attach to desktops / server?

                            scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • scottalanmillerS
                              scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                              last edited by

                              @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                              I'm specifically saying present multiple 2TB shares out, unless you need more, in which case use an iSCSI target.

                              That's just crappy. Why would we accept that much failure? That's not a good answer at all. Using LVM to fix the 2TB limit is bad enough, this is far worse.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • DustinB3403D
                                DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                                last edited by

                                @scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                                What's the alternative method to file shares? And who is RobinHood? And why would we talk to someone that thinks that nothing should be virtualized?

                                He's someone who I consider a troll over there. Who insisted that you don't virtualize massive storage needs.

                                scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • stacksofplatesS
                                  stacksofplates @scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by

                                  @scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                  @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                  This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                                  What's the alternative method to file shares? And who is RobinHood? And why would we talk to someone that thinks that nothing should be virtualized?

                                  He was on SW. He didn't say you shouldn't ever virtualize. He was dealing with multiple PB of data on Gluster. He was just making a point that you don't virtualize those types of systems, or large compute clusters like we have.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • scottalanmillerS
                                    scottalanmiller @ntoxicator
                                    last edited by

                                    @ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                    So with that being said, rather than having a virtualized file system; is to better having a networked SAN serving out SMB/NFS for data over network?

                                    You mean NAS, SAN can't do that. But the logic of limiting to 2TB here would affect a NAS as well as a NAS is just a file server. So if there is a belief that no one needs more than 2TB, then no NAS should be over 2TB either.

                                    Which shows how much something is wrong. Obviously 2TB of storage should not be a limit any more than computers shouldn't need more than 640KB of RAM.

                                    ntoxicatorN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • scottalanmillerS
                                      scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                                      last edited by

                                      @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                      @scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                      @DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                      This is data administration, not system design. You have 2TB shares, if you need larger use another method. RobinHood specifically believes that you should never virtualize your file systems or work-loads.

                                      What's the alternative method to file shares? And who is RobinHood? And why would we talk to someone that thinks that nothing should be virtualized?

                                      He's someone who I consider a troll over there. Who insisted that you don't virtualize massive storage needs.

                                      That's different than saying you don't virtualize workloads and filesystems. I don't agree with his statement, but just clarifying that that statement wouldn't apply here. This is still very small filesystems. We aren't nearly to massive yet.

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                                      • ntoxicatorN
                                        ntoxicator @scottalanmiller
                                        last edited by

                                        @scottalanmiller

                                        correction -- yes, a NAS network storage device. The SANITY!!

                                        So, your saying with True HVM / XEN setup, you can present a virtual disk to Windows Guest operating system, which is greater than 2TB?

                                        Limitation is strickly with XS 6.5 and prior, limiting to 2TB Virtual Disk sizes?

                                        travisdh1T scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • travisdh1T
                                          travisdh1 @ntoxicator
                                          last edited by

                                          @ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                          @scottalanmiller

                                          correction -- yes, a NAS network storage device. The SANITY!!

                                          So, your saying with True HVM / XEN setup, you can present a virtual disk to Windows Guest operating system, which is greater than 2TB?

                                          Limitation is strickly with XS 6.5 and prior, limiting to 2TB Virtual Disk sizes?

                                          Yes.

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                                          • scottalanmillerS
                                            scottalanmiller @ntoxicator
                                            last edited by

                                            @ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:

                                            So, your saying with True HVM / XEN setup, you can present a virtual disk to Windows Guest operating system, which is greater than 2TB?

                                            Oh yes, this limitation is purely because of the XenServer interface and is no way whatsoever a limitation of Xen. It's because XenServer uses the legacy Windows VHD file format that caps at 2TB for some archaic reason (that they use it, I know why it caps.) If they used the Xen native formats, this would be resolved.

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