Hyper-V Nimble configuration

[chris_johnson1]

Hi

We have recently invested in a Nimble CS1000 box, we are currently planning how best to present volumes to the host from the Nimble.  Our backup solution is Veeam so we will be backing up VMs from the host level and will not be utilizing the Nimble replication features or backing up directly from the Nimble.

With this in mind we think we are best presenting the storage from Nimble to the host as a Hyper-V host volume, if we do that will we see any benefit for SQL VMs if we follow best practices and format the drives withing the VM as 64k?  Or should we leave them as default formatting?

We have received mixed messages from our vendor who supplied the Nimble and Nimble themselves.

Any help/advice appreciated.

[mfeightner34]

Hi Chris,

Since I assume you will be creating Nimble volumes as Hyper-V CSV volumes, I would be inclined to simply use default formatting for the vhdx drives within your SQL VMs.  Otherwise, I would think that 64k formatting ~could~ potentially cause issues with the underlying Nimble volume formatting associated with the performance policy. 

Hope this helps!

[pflammer23 · Accepted solution]

The best practise guide or this KB should clarify: KB-000036 SQL Integration 

Format the NTFS with 64KB.

Issues are only caused if the block size of the Nimble volume (defined with the performance policy) is larger then the blocksize the application is using. Volume blocksize for a SQL volume is typically 8KB. If it's a CSV I wouldn't bother and just set it to a "Hyper-V" Policy. (4KB blocksize, caching and compression enabled)

However, if SQL or another database is virtualized, there's still some meaningful tuning you can do. I always recommend the following to my customers:

1. Create a new performance policy for Hyper-V/VMware with caching disabled

2. Create a separate CSV/Datastore with that policy

3. Move all virtual disks (containing the logs) to that CSV/Datastore

Why?!? Logs are random writes and will be cached. They are rarely read and you can "free" some cache by disabling cache for one CSV/Datastore and moving logs there.

You have to put the volume containing the database and the volume containing the logs in the same volume collection though!

KR,

Pierre

[bmacdonald16]

Chris,

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