I'm seeking some advice on building a storage solution for a small business with plans to run around 10 virtual machines, mainly focused on Active Directory, Entra, Office 365, and some legacy systems. We also have one SQL server that might have a database archive exceeding 3TB this year, and a requirement for 10TB of live storage. The goal is to ensure high availability for our on-site setup, and we already have our networking configured for failover. We have the option of 10Gb switching, and could even go for 25Gb, though I'm not sure if that's necessary.
Dell has suggested their Power Vault with two compute nodes and dual SAS controllers along with SAS SSDs, which are directly attached to two (32x2)-core dual-socket compute nodes. While this solution works, it feels like we're paying for extra capacity that we won't use in the near future.
I'm hoping to learn from the experiences of others who have shifted from a simple setup with spinning disks to a more modern 2+1 solution or something similar that incorporates some SSD storage for databases and VMs. Ideally, I'd love to see NVMe hosted within the compute nodes, clustered together, without the need for a tiered storage appliance. Considering our modest needs of 10-20TB, it seems like we should be able to find a more agile solution than the Xeon compute nodes with Power Vault's SAS SSDs. Also, since we're locked into using VMware, I'm looking for guidance tailored to that environment.
Lastly, if there's a better community for these discussions, please let me know!
3 Answers
If you're committed to VMware, I recommend checking out the Broadcom Compatible Guide to find options that work for your performance needs. SAS SSDs can give you more flexibility, but if you're leaning towards NVMe for better speed, consider a single-socket Epyc system, which can support the necessary PCIe lanes. Just make sure to clarify the performance requirements for your VMs to narrow down your choices.
Have you looked into Starwind vSAN for vSphere? It could be a good fit for your setup. It's designed to work well with VMware, and it might provide the kind of efficiency you’re seeking without overcomplicated infrastructure. What do you think?
XOSTOR is another option to consider. It offers a two-node setup with a third node as a tie breaker, which could enhance your availability. Just a heads up, though—XOSTOR is essentially DRBD repackaged, so weigh your options accordingly.
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