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Best Practices for Storage on SMBS2011
Total newb question, but I'm assuming the role of a network administrator rather quickly and would like to get some opinions on best practices using a VNXe 3100 for a Window Small Business Server Standard 2011 system. The SMB Server 2011 is installed on top of ESXi5, which is installed using thin provisioning on the HP Proliant Server. I have installed and updated a VNXe 3100 with over 5 TB of data that I want to add to the Virtual Machine for Small Business Server 2011.
What is the best way to add the EMC device to the network? Would I add it as via ESXi in VMware as a datastore or connect it directly to Small Busines Server 2011 within the SMBS Virtual Machine?
Does what I'm requesting make sense?
Johnny_Bravo
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November 7th, 2011 02:00
Hi I think what your trying to establish is whether to use the iSCSI initiator within SBS 2011 or to use vSphere and add the storage as a VMDK?
My preference in your scenario would be to add it through vSphere and use the VMware datastore in the VNXe to provision the storage.
Using the iSCSI initator within the guest OS (SBS) has its uses but I would personally not use it in this instance as it has more emphasis on the guest OS and not the vSphere hypervisor. Plus we get far better integration and management by using the VNXe with VMware vSphere.
Just make sure you have your storage network setup correclty and if possible to the VNXe high availability guide.
Hope this helps.
https://supportbeta.emc.com/docu35554_White-Paper:-EMC-VNXe-High-Availability.pdf