2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host

kuyaz

Will be used for web apps, database, and hostings (whm).

Ok so 2 raid 1 it is then.

Is it better to use mdadm / onboard raid IT mode?
Not sure what IT mode means. Any one can help?

I use supermicron server board

scottalanmiller

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

so I install the host XEN in ssd with RAID 1? and then add the sata as another raid 1?
How to do it properly?

Thanks.

No, you'd install Xen to the slow array, not the fast one.

scottalanmiller

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

Is it better to use mdadm / onboard raid IT mode?

MD is Linux' enterprise software RAID and it is very good.

On board RAID is not at all the same thing and is what you almost always avoid. On board RAID is normally garbage and is most of the time FakeRAID.

scottalanmiller

MDADM is a command line tool for working with MD, it is not itself RAID of any sort.

scottalanmiller

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

This will depend completely on the hypervisor that you expect to use. But LVM is not a filesystem, LVM is the LVM and goes on before the filesystem. You would not want EXT4 for any virtualization.

So there isn't enough info here to answer the question. But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

Obsolesce

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

scottalanmiller

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

Obsolesce

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

It does it on Server too. I just installed F26 minimal a couple days ago... it's using EXT4. I'm redoing it now ^_^

coliver

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

It does it on Server too. I just installed F26 minimal a couple days ago... it's using EXT4. I'm redoing it now ^_^

I think it was using XFS for me. Now I need to check my lab box.

scottalanmiller

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

It does it on Server too. I just installed F26 minimal a couple days ago... it's using EXT4. I'm redoing it now ^_^

Well then that is just stupid. WTF Fedora.

Obsolesce

This should do the trick:

kuyaz

@scottalanmiller what do u recommend for VM host? Xen ? KVM?
Which one is more stable and more user friendly for windows based user like me?

So I do raid 1 for ssd and raid 1 for sata? And where should i install the vm host to? Hopefully u can help me the proper step to setup it properly. Sorry noob here.

Thanks scott

Obsolesce

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

So I do raid 1 for ssd and raid 1 for sata?

Yes.

Obsolesce

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

And where should i install the vm host to?

Install it to your 1TB HDD RAID1, not the SSD RAID.

At least with Hyper-V that's the way I'd go, I can only assume it would be the same for KVM and likely Xen. I wouldn't want to waste space on the SSDs for the hypervisor that doesn't do anything.

Obsolesce

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

Which one is more stable and more user friendly for windows based user like me?

Hyper-V Server 2016 will be the most user friendly out of the box, especially if you are already familiar with it.

Otherwise, I'd suggest KVM. There's a lot of ways to manage it. You can do it remotely via another Linux desktop using Virtual Machine Manager:

http://virt-manager.org

JaredBusch

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

Will be used for web apps, database, and hostings (whm).

Ok so 2 raid 1 it is then.

Is it better to use mdadm / onboard raid IT mode?
Not sure what IT mode means. Any one can help?

I use supermicron server board

You want a hardware RAID almost 100% of the time in the SMB.

Unless you really know what you are doing with MD, and it does not sound like you do.

You want a real hardware RAID controller. From the Supermicro site here is a list.
https://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/storage_cards.cfm

I do not know which of those are good or bad though.

JaredBusch

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

And where should i install the vm host to?

Install it to your 1TB HDD RAID1, not the SSD RAID.

At least with Hyper-V that's the way I'd go, I can only assume it would be the same for KVM and likely Xen. I wouldn't want to waste space on the SSDs for the hypervisor that doesn't do anything.

I would even go so far as to find any old SATA drive laying around and drop it in directly to the onboard SATA connector and install Fedora/CentOS/RHEL to that.

Then when you setup KVM or Hyper-V (or what ever hypervisor you choose) install to that drive and setup the two RAID arrays as storage locations.

scottalanmiller

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

And where should i install the vm host to?

Install it to your 1TB HDD RAID1, not the SSD RAID.

At least with Hyper-V that's the way I'd go, I can only assume it would be the same for KVM and likely Xen. I wouldn't want to waste space on the SSDs for the hypervisor that doesn't do anything.

Would be the same for Xen too, definitely.

black3dynamite

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

It does it on Server too. I just installed F26 minimal a couple days ago... it's using EXT4. I'm redoing it now ^_^

/boot uses ext4
/ uses xfs

scottalanmiller

@black3dynamite said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@tim_g said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@scottalanmiller said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

@kuyaz said in 2 RAID 1 or 1 RAID 10 for VM Server Host:

What filesystem I should use on the host? ext4 or LVM? or other?

But you always want an LVM, and you never want EXT4.

When you install Fedora 26 for example, it will use EXT4 by default. So if you're not paying attention, you'll end up with that

Last I knew, that was only on workstations, where it doesn't matter so much. I'm using it on my laptop because... whatever.

It does it on Server too. I just installed F26 minimal a couple days ago... it's using EXT4. I'm redoing it now ^_^

/boot uses ext4
/ uses xfs

Not on workstation installs. No XFS at all.