Small, fast storage with support for vSphere

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Stril

Member
Sep 26, 2017
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Hi!

I need a new, shared storage for some (4) vsphere-servers. Size should be around 8 TB.

The storage should be:
- VERY fast (some database VMs)
- high-available
- If possible: snapshots and asynchronous replication
- commercial support with SLA

Can you give me a hint on which systems are worthy to give them a try?

My first tests:
- Starwind:
Great, fast, high available, good price, GREAT service, but:
--> snapshots and replication only with LSFS, which needs 3 times the space of the LUN

- Open-E:
ZFS-based, "medium speed", problems in Metro-Cluster implementation, poor service. GREAT snapshot and replications functions, cheap

Thank you for your input!
Stril
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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Germany
-VERY fast (some database VMs)
-high-available
What does "fast" mean for you? High bandwidth (byte/s)? Or iops? :D

Are we talking about high avalaible as high available systems for banks/financial services? Or ups protected storage boxes in the homelab?
Something between those lines?
 

Stril

Member
Sep 26, 2017
191
12
18
41
Hi!

It's about high IOPS. bandwidth is always enough :)

I am looking for "real HA":
- 2 Nodes
- synchronous replication
- automatic failover

+ 3rd node for DR
 

Stril

Member
Sep 26, 2017
191
12
18
41
Hi!

That seems to be a good concecpt, but I need commercial support with SLAs.
 

markarr

Active Member
Oct 31, 2013
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Sorry missed that, if that constraint is there then your options as far as i know are Starwind or vSAN. ScaleIO EMC pulled back and they only sell with vxrack. Otherwise your looking at a SAN/DAS separate unit.
 

Stril

Member
Sep 26, 2017
191
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41
Starwind offers GREAT performance, but i hate to have the choice:
- Raw-device: fast but without important features...
- LSFS: feature-rich, but huge overhead