Xenserver 6.5 Thin Provisioning Issue

Lakshmana

Today I have installed the Xenserver 6.5 at HP Proliant DL160G5 server.I have enabled the thin provisioning while installing OS.But I have installed Xencenter in my VM machine there is no thin provision option is shown.Why?How to enable thin provision?

coliver

If I recall correctly, and I may not, thin provisioning is a bit different in XenServer. Basically it thin provisions the storage array instead of the VM files. You create the size VM Disk that you want and it will only use the actual storage on the backend.

Lakshmana

@coliver It seems to be like that only when i have used that

scottalanmiller

@coliver said:

If I recall correctly, and I may not, thin provisioning is a bit different in XenServer. Basically it thin provisions the storage array instead of the VM files. You create the size VM Disk that you want and it will only use the actual storage on the backend.

Yes, I believe that that is correct. You've already thin provisioned everything. Otherwise you would not select thin provisioning at install time but instead when you deploy the individual VM. It doesn't make any sense to have to select it twice, what would the first time imply, if that were the case?

coliver

@Lakshmana It is completely different then how VMWare and Hyper-V do it on their GUI, although the process is basically the same. Kind of takes the guess work out of the process since you no longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or not.

XenServer it's all or none. Vmware or Hyper-V it's on a per VM Virtual Disk level. Rarely is there a case not to use thin provisioning.

scottalanmiller

And the benefits of mixing the two on the same storage device, which do exist, are much lower than having the whole thing be thin.

Lakshmana

@coliver said:

o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no

One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?

scottalanmiller

@Lakshmana said:

@coliver said:

o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no

One why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?

It's not provided anymore. Once you select it at install time, you don't need to select it again.

@Lakshmana It only uses space that is really used. It does not use the whole space you assign it. It's another way of over committing resources which that's the major uses of Virtualization.

coliver

@Lakshmana said:

@coliver said:

o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no

One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?

You don't have to worry about it now. No need to doubt the software, it is by default thin provisioned now that you've enabled it during installation.

scottalanmiller

@coliver said:

@Lakshmana said:

@coliver said:

o longer have to choose if something is thin-provisioned or no

One doubt why thin provisioning option is provided here.This is my doubt?

You don't have to worry about it now. No need to doubt the software, it is by default thin provisioned now that you've enabled it during installation.

Exactly, you have already chosen thin provisioning. You do not see the option again because you have already chosen it. So all is well.

Lakshmana

@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installation

scottalanmiller

@Lakshmana said:

@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installation

You said that you did it. Are you doubting your memory?

coliver

@Lakshmana said:

@scottalanmiller
How to confirm the thin provision option is enabled after the installation

One of the ways you can do it (although it may be restricted on XenServer) is to create a virtual hard disk bigger then the space available. If it allows you to then you have thin provisioning enabled... if it fails then you don't. Of course this could cause a string of other, more serious issues.

scottalanmiller

What does this command show?

xe vbd-list

Lakshmana

@coliver said:

ows you to then you have thin provisioning enabled... if it fails then you don't. Of course this could cause a string of other, more serious issues.

[root@xenserver3 ~]# xe vbd-list
uuid ( RO) : 03e3e447-be1c-826b-1f36-0fcd4548fd3b
vm-uuid ( RO): 9e6f55b3-dad4-27f6-1be6-7039f6c70bef
vm-name-label ( RO): Other install media (1)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO): xvdd

uuid ( RO) : 56e0ecfd-d8ba-140a-1ca5-e665edc6a2e9
vm-uuid ( RO): 4de3a235-9339-e37d-8000-6754ccc1c02d
vm-name-label ( RO): Windows 7 (32-bit) (2)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO):

uuid ( RO) : 51198e3f-edbe-18d2-ec80-1b7ca33744b3
vm-uuid ( RO): a8c3d7fe-2179-4eab-e609-8c80cfe60096
vm-name-label ( RO): Windows 7 (32-bit) (1)
vdi-uuid ( RO): 6d457475-de17-41f4-a8cf-41243f972e75
empty ( RO): false
device ( RO): xvdd

scottalanmiller

Shoot, I thought that that would say explicitly that they were thin provisioned.

scottalanmiller

This is not something the XS has well documented. They mostly expect you to just remember.

scottalanmiller

What about this xe sr-list