Solved Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?
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@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.
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@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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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?
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@ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
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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@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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XenServer also uses EXT4 which is silly. XFS would be a better choice.
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Well, there goes my localized storage idea for moving towards future company needs. XS cutting us off at the needs. I read the XS documentation, but didnt believe the 2TB limit. as I know the Storage Repository pool can be as big as you need it.
This limitation would create an issue for us (company I'm with) due to our storage / company needs. our disks are virtualized, attached to Windows guest OS -- then the windows server has the SMB shares. Otherwise, we would have to strictly utilize a NAS; network storage server and it do the SMB shares for us. More moving parts.
maybe I should just look at the HC Scale setup and be done.
Was really liking these new HP DL380 Gen9 quotes...... nice servers...
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@ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
Well, there goes my localized storage idea for moving towards future company needs. XS cutting us off at the needs. I read the XS documentation, but didnt believe the 2TB limit. as I know the Storage Repository pool can be as big as you need it.
There are work arounds, using LVM inside of the OS. Or... are you using Windows? Windows can still fix it too, just isn't as graceful as LVM for it.
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@ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
maybe I should just look at the HC Scale setup and be done.
Well, that's what we use for our main workloads
I can make a single 40TB+ filesystem VM right now if I wanted. -
True.. I just like it working; where during upgrades, things done break or go 'bump' in the night. yah know?
otherwise, could attach more than one(1) 2TB Virtual Disk to the Windows VM... and then move files/ folders around and keep the file share name.
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@scottalanmiller said:
There are work arounds, using LVM inside of the OS. Or... are you using Windows? Windows can still fix it too, just isn't as graceful as LVM for it.
Wait you knew the answer, but are looking for a way to do it at the hypervisor (for conversation purposes?)
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@DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
@scottalanmiller said:
There are work arounds, using LVM inside of the OS. Or... are you using Windows? Windows can still fix it too, just isn't as graceful as LVM for it.
Wait you knew the answer, but are looking for a way to do it at the hypervisor (for conversation purposes?)
Wasn't that brought up a long time ago in this thread?
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@travisdh1 It might have been, I don't recall seeing it though.
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@scottalanmiller said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
XenServer also uses EXT4 which is silly. XFS would be a better choice.
I think it's still EXT3.
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@johnhooks 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?:
XenServer also uses EXT4 which is silly. XFS would be a better choice.
I think it's still EXT3.
It is.
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@ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
True.. I just like it working; where during upgrades, things done break or go 'bump' in the night. yah know?
otherwise, could attach more than one(1) 2TB Virtual Disk to the Windows VM... and then move files/ folders around and keep the file share name.
Yes, you can attach a lot of them and then you can use software RAID or you can use spanning to merge into a single device. Spanning normally.
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@DustinB3403 said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
@scottalanmiller said:
There are work arounds, using LVM inside of the OS. Or... are you using Windows? Windows can still fix it too, just isn't as graceful as LVM for it.
Wait you knew the answer, but are looking for a way to do it at the hypervisor (for conversation purposes?)
Yes, the question is about XenServer, not about Linux.
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@scottalanmiller said
Yes, you can attach a lot of them and then you can use software RAID or you can use spanning to merge into a single device. Spanning normally.
how reliable would that be utilizing the XS localized storage repository. I guess as reliable as Microsofts Software raid implementation? As long as the Virtual Disks dont get dropped from the Guest VM?
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I know localized storage is majority times faster and less points of failure than having server + SAN for storage. However, with a SAN serving out NFS Shares as the Storage Repository for XenServer. You can easily navigate and access the actual disk file(s)
Where as, Localized storage. You're limited to straight CLI on CentOS. I'm assuming would have to use SCP command to take the disk file and copy to say an external NFS Share (migration reasons)
Otherwise, XS gives pretty good insight to what disk images are on the storage Repository, so can move them around if needed.
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@ntoxicator said in Get Large Disk Images on XenServer 6.5 on Local Filesystem?:
@scottalanmiller said
Yes, you can attach a lot of them and then you can use software RAID or you can use spanning to merge into a single device. Spanning normally.
how reliable would that be utilizing the XS localized storage repository. I guess as reliable as Microsofts Software raid implementation? As long as the Virtual Disks dont get dropped from the Guest VM?
Windows Software RAID is awful. Local SR is great. You'd use Windows spanning, not RAID, for this particular task.
