I'm making some changes to our server setup, transitioning from SAS HDDs to SAS SSDs, and I want to ensure that I'm configuring the storage right this time. We have an HPE Proliant DL360 Gen10 server that previously had one processor and 8x 1.8TB SAS HDDs set up as one RAID 10 volume with the Windows Server desktop partitioned in. Now we're switching to 8x 1.6TB SAS SSDs and I'm considering whether to set up a small RAID 1 volume with two drives for the OS, and allocate the rest to a RAID 10 volume. I'm looking for advice or best practices for this configuration. Any suggestions?
3 Answers
Going for a RAID 1 for the OS seems like overkill in this scenario. You might not need the full 1.6TB for just the OS, and the extra IOPs could be more useful for the VM/data volume instead. If your server transitions to Gen11, consider using the NS204 for boot tasks; it’s more efficient than trying to squeeze everything into your SSDs. For your current setup, sticking to a single RAID 10 might be your best bet!
Before you dive into changes, it’s crucial to identify your actual requirements. Setting partitions doesn’t necessarily enhance performance unless it’s based on a clear goal. For your setup, using RAID 10 for both volumes might be fine since they’re on the same physical disks. However, think about why you want to split them—what benefits do you expect? If the OS is idle most of the time, you might not need RAID 1 at all. Check out some SRE resources to help define objectives for your storage needs!
I appreciate the insight! I was mostly using the type 2 term for a quick title. We mainly want to boost performance on queries from the VM server, but your point about having clear objectives makes total sense.
Just so you know, Hyper-V is indeed a Type 1 hypervisor, so don’t sweat the terminology too much. Splitting your OS into RAID 1 could hinder performance since you update it just as often as the VM. Instead, consider a single RAID volume for Windows and let the guest access the full disk space. Also, with proper backups in place, this setup might work smoothly without needing to overthink it!
That’s a relief to hear! It seems like our previous RAID 10 setup for the two volumes isn’t that bad after all. Just wanted to make sure we’re set for future flexibility.
Thanks for the heads-up about Gen11! That dedicated boot idea sounds perfect for future upgrades. Do you know if an NVMe PCIe module would work similarly for the Gen10?