Home Lab for MCSE – Private Cloud

Jamesm3

Hi

This is a lab I’ve been putting together over the last 6 months so I can study the Private Cloud. I've purchased all the bits and bob's over the months as it's too expensive to do in one go.

Hyper-V hosts

• 2x DELL T110ii servers (Pruchased via DELL using good discounts)
• Over-time, I upgraded the servers to 32Gb each
• Xeon Quad-Core CPU
• Each Server has 4 NIC ports (Management, iSCSI, Cluster Heart Beat and VM switch)
• Each server has 2x 500Gb in RAID0 configuration (Stores OS and IOS’s only and the odd VM not on the SAN)
• Windows 2012 Standard

My San configuration is

• HP MicroServer (2 years old now)
• 4Gb Ram
• Standard Controller with 1x 256Gb and 3 1Tb 7,200rpm drives in a RAID0
• 4 NICs (1 for Management and 3 for iSCSI traffic)

Networking

• 2x Cheap 8 port switches (1gb)
• 1 switch of for main network, and the other switch is for iSCSI only

So I’ve also most build it up and will soon be ready to install the required virtual machines for Private Cloud.

One question that I can’t seem to answer, what should I load on the HP Microserver to create an iSCSI san? Ideally I don't want a product which will expire in 90days.

Thanks

James

Asif Dasl

I don't know if you got a TechNet subscription before it disappeared but you could install Windows Storage Server. Or use FreeNAS or Openfiller. Here is a comparison of them.

Jamesm3

Hi

I have both the technet and action pack subscriptions.

I've loaded 2012 Storage server on it, but I am having problems adding it in to SCVMM under fabrics.

I may give FREENAS a try

James

Asif Dasl

BTW does the Action Pack allow you to download the previous versions of Windows like the TechNet subscription? I think that may be the only way to get to run a lab after TechNet disappears for good in Dec 2014..

Jamesm3

Hi

It's been a while since I logged in. When I did log in, I only saw Windows 7, not vista or XP

James

Asif Dasl

Thanks, that's what I figured, it looks like you can only use the latest software for the action pack... Good luck with private cloud