Two vsan datastores

DevilWAH

In a single cluster how do you set up two vsan datastores.

I want to have

3 hosts in a cluster
1 vsan with 1 SSD and 3 HDD
1 vsan with 3 SSD

so i have two data stores, a very fast but small store and a slower one with large storage, bu i cant see how you create a second store?

Cheers

Essendon

You can't, yet.

scott28tt

Can't you use the storage policies to achieve the kind of end behaviour you're seeking through software?

DevilWAH

This image seems to clearly show mutiply vsans in the same cluster

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yJ4bLgWl9yE/Uv-rqSM69qI/AAAAAAAAJsc/pJ2SOt8OcEY/s1600/rename-default-vsan-datastore-name-2.png
http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2014/02/why-you-should-rename-default-vsan.html

which made me think it is possible.

As for storage policy I cant see how this would help with vsan creation, I want to use the policies so I can say "these servers use the fast SSD vsan, these servers use the slower"

Essendon

Yeah that photo doesn't tell you how many host clusters are there in William's setup. AFAIK, there can only be one VSAN datastore per cluster.

What Scott's saying is you create storage policies based on the kind of backing disk and assign fast/slow policies depending on the kind of performance a VM needs. Basically, not use VSAN at all, just use your VASA providers.

DevilWAH

Hi,

Oh yes, i was looking at santa barbara as the cluster but of course it is the data center... with like you say mutiply clusters under it.

Oh and I have a tip for any one updating esxi5.5 to 6 with vsan. While Vmware says you can upgrade each host in a cluster with out breaking the vsan, and then carry out a vsan upgrade. IF you decided to upgrade one host, then before you do the rest add in a new disk group DON'T! IT appears that by doing so the new disk group is created as version 2, this is incompatible and takes the whole vsan down. VMware have a knowledge artical saying strictly do not add a ESXI6 host to an existing ESXi5.5 vsan enabled cluster. I can vouch for this, some thing to do with how the hosts communicate in version 2. if you want to try it you will find all the hosts in your vsan cluster end up in different "network partition group" and every one of the VM's using it go off line. Not good when that's your entire VDI estate!!

either add disk groups, upgrade all host, upgrade vsan
or
upgrade hosts, upgrade vsan, add groups

do not

upgrade host, add disk groups, change underwear!



cheers for all the comments guys, top notch as always One day I might give up networks and move to virtulisation.

Essendon

Thanks for the tip mate!

On a side note, if I may suggest, take a look at PernixData's FVP solution, you'd wish you had seen it before you chucked VSAN in.

DevilWAH

Essendon wrote: »

Thanks for the tip mate!

On a side note, if I may suggest, take a look at PernixData's FVP solution, you'd wish you had seen it before you chucked VSAN in.

Would you suggest this for a server installation? I looked at some thing like this before, but one concern was that data could be lost, but looking at this it seems they have some good solutions.

Essendon

For sure! You can configure upto 2 replicas of your data (to create fault domains) to ensure you don't lose any. I had FVP running in a lab at work from the end of January to the end of February, here's a summary of the benefits.



These weren't the busiest VM's either, just average busy, but the savings were astonishing.

DevilWAH

Whats the cost like compared to vsan licencing?

Essendon

From various sources out on the Internet, the cost is about $7,500 per host (I think socket and core count don't matter, but I may be wrong). Unlimited VMs can be accelerated within the bounds of the resources of your host of course. Best part is it allows you to just SvMotion VMs in and out of Pernix'd datastores without downtime.