Procedures and considerations for adding local storage for VMware ESXi hosts-1

Procedures and considerations for adding local storage for VMware ESXi hosts 1

In planning the data center, in addition to considering the current situation, we have to consider the possible problems of the future 2-3 years. But sometimes, although have done a variety of considerations, but in the process of information implementation, will still encounter problems, then the administrator needs to deal with the actual situation.

For example, when planning a virtualized datacenter, as a virtualization host in a cluster, the local hard disk is not typically configured, but shared storage is used to achieve high system availability. Configure a local hard disk for the server immediately, and generally just configure a smaller disk, such as the 60~120GB SSD installation system. Believe that this is the choice and planning of most virtualized data centers.

For a server that does not consider configuring local storage for initial planning, what should you do if you need to install large-capacity storage on the server at a later stage and need to do so without disruption to your existing business? This article discusses how to solve problems in adding local storage.

1 have a data center server add local storage ideas and methods

1.1 Existing Data center topologies

Recently there is a vsphere data center with three IBM 3650 installed VMware ESXi 5.5 servers, 1 IBM V3500 storage, and SAS connectivity between server and storage, as shown in topology 1.

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Figure 1 Storage, server connection

These three servers originally did not configure the hard disk locally, and are used to store allocated space for the system and data.

Now the user needs to add 6 hard drives per server as local storage. Because these three esxi compose an HA and already have virtual machines running, it is required that the business cannot be interrupted while adding the local hard disk. In addition, since the start of planning, do not consider adding a local hard disk for the server, so there is no choice to configure the support RAID5 RAID card, so when adding a local hard disk, you need to add a RAID card together.

1.2 Solution ideas and principles

In a VMware vsphere Datacenter, when all virtual machines are running on shared storage and a "cluster" is configured for the vsphere datacenter, when there are more than 2 hosts in the cluster, if you want to maintain the hosts in them, including shutdown, add accessories, etc., you can place the serviced host in the Maintenance mode, where virtual machines running on the host are automatically "migrated" to other hosts and can then be restarted or turned off by an ESXi host in maintenance mode, which can add hardware to the server (such as adding a raid card, adding a hard disk, reconfiguring a RAID card) after shutting down. In this case, you can use this feature to turn off the virtualization host (with VMware ESXI 5.5 installed), to add a RAID card, a local hard disk to the host, or even to reinstall the VMware ESXi 5.5 system for the host and rejoin the existing cluster, if the business is uninterrupted. will not cause disruption to the business.

The main steps are as follows:

(1) using the vsphere client (or vsphere WEB client), log on to Vcenter Server, and then shut down one of the hosts, such as the 1th host, in maintenance mode, and so on, after all the VMS on that host are migrated to another host.

(2) When the host shuts down, disconnect the host power. Unpack the chassis and insert the RAID card.

(3) Install the hard drive, reboot, enter the RAID card configuration interface, configure RAID for the added hard disk. After configuring the raid, restart the host.

(4) Re-enter the VMware ESXi system and add the newly added disks to the ESXi local storage. The current host is then exited "Maintenance Mode".

(5) after referring to (1) ~ (4) steps, the other host into maintenance mode, shutdown, add RAID card, hard disk, and configure RAID, restart the system and exit Maintenance mode, these are not described.

(6) Finally check the server, storage, and software system, after the failure, add storage is complete.

The following is a more detailed introduction of the whole process and precautions.

1.3 Entering the host into maintenance mode

Use the host that vsphere client will maintain into maintenance mode, then turn off the host and disconnect the power, add a RAID card, turn on the power, add the hard drive. The main steps are as follows.

(1) using vsphere Client, log in to Vcenter Server, right-click on the host to be maintained, and select "Enter Maintenance Mode" in the popup shortcut menu, as shown in 1-1-1.

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Figure 1-1-1 Entering maintenance mode

(2) When the host is placed in maintenance mode, the virtual machine that is running on the current host is migrated to the other host, as shown in 1-1-2. During the migration process, the currently running business is not interrupted. In recent tasks, you can see that the virtual machine is migrating to another host.

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Figure 1-1-2 The virtual machine is migrating

(3) When all virtual machines are migrated to another host (even if no virtual machines are running, they will be unregistered from the current host and re-registered on the other running hosts.) Of course, the exception to the virtual machine saved on the host's local storage), the current host enters "maintenance mode", right-click the host name, and in the Popup shortcut menu choose "Shutdown" or "reboot" as shown in 1-1-3. Select "Shut down" here, as we will be installing a new RAID card after powering down the host.

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Figure 1-1-3 the host into maintenance mode

This article from "Wang Chunhai blog" blog, declined reprint!

Procedures and considerations for adding local storage for VMware ESXi hosts-1