MSA volume

[jgorospe]

Hi,

I have a 1 volume created in MSA. Can I create multiple data stores when presenting this to the ESXi host?

Thank you.

[Cali]

Hi,

no, one Volume on Storage = one ESX Datastore.

Cali

[Sahana_S]

Hello @jgorospe ,

Creating several volumes (LUNs) on your MSA storage system and presenting each as a distinct datastore to your ESXi host is advised by HPE's best practices. This method improves scalability, manageability, and performance.

For more information, refer to this best practice guide.

Thanks,
Sahana S

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[edna23roe]

Yes, you can create multiple datastores on an ESXi host from a single volume presented from an MSA (Modular Smart Array). Here's a breakdown of how it works and important considerations:

Understanding the Process

MSA Volume Presentation:

You create a logical volume (LUN) on your MSA storage array.
This LUN is then presented to your ESXi host as a storage device.
ESXi Partitioning and VMFS:

ESXi sees the presented LUN as a physical disk.
You can then use ESXi's vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client to partition this disk.
On these partitions you can create VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) datastores.
Multiple Datastores:

By creating multiple partitions on the presented LUN, you can format each partition with VMFS, resulting in multiple distinct datastores.
Why Create Multiple Datastores?

Organization: Separating different types of virtual machines (e.g., production, development, test) or applications onto distinct datastores can improve organization and management.
Performance Isolation: Isolating workloads can prevent one application from impacting the performance of others.
Storage Policies: You might want to apply different storage policies (e.g., thin provisioning, thick provisioning) to different datastores.
Capacity Management: Dividing the storage into smaller datastores can make it easier to manage capacity and prevent a single large datastore from filling up.
Snapshots and Backups: Smaller datastores can be easier to snapshot and back up.
Security: If you have different security requirements for different VM's, it is easier to manage when they are on different datastores.
Important Considerations

Partitioning Scheme: Carefully plan your partitioning scheme to ensure that each datastore has sufficient space for its intended use.
VMFS Version: Ensure that you are using a compatible VMFS version (VMFS5 or VMFS6) for your ESXi environment.
LUN Alignment: Proper LUN alignment is crucial for optimal performance. Ensure that the LUN is aligned with the MSA's block size.
Multipathing: Configure multipathing (e.g., using VMware's Native Multipathing Plugin or a vendor-specific plugin) to provide redundancy and load balancing.
Storage vMotion: If you plan to use Storage vMotion, ensure that all ESXi hosts in the cluster have access to the datastores.
MSA Best Practices: Follow the best practices recommended by the MSA vendor for optimal performance and reliability.
Thin vs Thick Provisioning: When creating the datastores, you will have to choose if you want them to be thick or thin provisioned. Consider your storage needs when making this choice.