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xen-users
RE: [Xen-users] How many guests
 
Hi Michael, 
  
Do you have any links to any of those devices you mentioned? 
  
Also, would using a software iSCSI initiator defeat the purpose of 
using RAID10 for performance? 
  
Thanks  
 
  
From: Michael Schmidt 
[mailto:michael.schmidt@xxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Mon 07/06/2010 
08:53 To: Jonathan Tripathy Cc: 
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [Xen-users] How many 
guests
  
Hi Jonathan,
  for iSCSI a iSCSI storage is suggestable, or 
opene if you plan to run it on a x86 server. But you need dedicated lan 
line, a storage box with its own raid controller and cpu, memory and so 
on. And a iSCSI hostbus adapter (around 600€) on the xen host side. If 
you dont have a iSCSI HBA, you have to use the software iSCSI initiator (i 
dont like this piece of software, and you have iSCSI CPU Usage on your 
host).
  If you want to run just a few more disks for one server (without 
HA options), you dont need all this overhead. Buy additional to your xen 
host a SAS Raid controller with an external port (+150€). And a 12-disk JBOD 
(800€) and the disks (SATA / SAS).
  This provides you a lower TCO and a 
higher energy efficiency (3-4U and 450W for 60 VMs).
  Best 
Regards
  Michael Schmidt
 
  Am 07.06.10 09:16, schrieb Jonathan 
Tripathy: > Hi Michael, > > You state that iSCSI is reliable 
but expensive. But isn't iSCSI nearly > free? > > I agree with 
you that Fibre Channel systems are very expensive > > Would iSCSI 
over IP be ok? > > Thanks > > > On 07/06/10 08:12, 
Michael Schmidt wrote: >> This is not completely correct. >> 
With a raid 1, you have the read performance of 2 disks and just the >> 
write performance of a single disk. >> >> To the other thinks 
following this thread: >> If you use a network storage, you have a 
bandwidth limit with the >> connection. But in the most cases, the raw 
bandwidth is not the >> bottleneck (instead of the IOs per 
second). >> >> Network Storages using NFS or NBD are not 
stable enough in my eyes. >> iSCSI and FC SANs but really stable and 
expansive as well. But there >> is another much less expensive 
way: >> >> You get the most servers with an external SAS port. 
There you can >> connect over a SAS link a JBOD with 12 - 16 disk bays 
(DAS). >> This disks can be managed by the servers raid 
controller. >> >> Best Regards >> >> Michael 
Schmidt >> >> >> Am 06.06.10 23:21, schrieb Bart 
Coninckx: >>> RAID1 does not perform better than a single disk. It 
will still >>> depend on what >>> those 5 to 10 VMs 
would do. It still might be stretching it. For 10 >>> 
webservers >>> visited by 5 users per hour: I would say no problem. 
For 5 heavily used >>> database servers it will be another 
story. >>> >>> I guess the only real way to find out is 
to put your guests on there >>> and try. >>> If you 
clone them, you will know quite 
fast. >>> >>> >>> On Sunday 06 June 2010 
21:38:54 Jonathan Tripathy wrote: >>>> Thanks 
Micael, >>>> >>>> I understand what you are 
saying. >>>> >>>> With a small setup such as a 
RAID1 array, how many VMs could I rent >>>> 
out? >>>> >>>> It doesn't matter if it's a small 
number, it's just to utilise the >>>> server a 
bit. >>>> >>>> Think it would cope with 
5-10? >>>> >>>> 
Thanks >>>> >>>> 
Jonathan >>>> >>>> On 06/06/10 20:18, Michael 
Schmidt wrote: >>>>> Hi 
Jonathan, >>>>> >>>>> if you plan to migrate 
existing physical machines to xen VMs, or you >>>>> have some 
different machines for a comparison, >>>>> you can easy get 
runtime statistics and calculate the usage. Look at >>>>> the 
running iostats and cpu usage. >>>>> >>>>> 
If you plan to rent generic VMs on this server to customers, you 
disk >>>>> / raid setup will be absolutely the 
bottleneck. >>>>> A solution at this point is not easy. If you 
have much write IOs, use >>>>> raid 10 with 4 to 8 disks. With 
many reads - raid 6 or 50 with the >>>>> same amount of 
disks. >>>>> In each case i can suggest you 15k rpm SAS 
disks. >>>>> >>>>> Then you can run 29 VMs. 
Or 60 VMs with 16GB memory and 2 
CPUs. >>>>> >>>>> But note: You cannot set 
disk priority to the VMs. So if one VM does >>>>> heavy disk 
IO, all off the other VMs slowed 
down. >>>>> >>>>> Best 
Regards >>>>> >>>>> Michael 
Schmidt >>>>> >>>>> Am 06.06.10 20:45, 
schrieb Jonathan Tripathy: >>>>>> Hi 
Michael, >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks for your 
email. >>>>>> >>>>>> This is just an 
idea that I have floating around in my head that >>>>>> 
maybe I'd like to rent out some VPSs to customers, just 
to >>>>>> utilise my >>>>>> machine 
which will be sitting in a co-lo nearly 
idle. >>>>>> >>>>>> I'd give out VPSs 
with 256MB RAM and probably 5Mbps connection >>>>>> 
speed. >>>>>> >>>>>> So the answer is, 
I don't know what will be running on them, however >>>>>> I 
could write up an "acceptable use policy", as well as use 
some >>>>>> 
throttling/scheduling? >>>>>> >>>>>> 
Thanks >>>>>> >>>>>> On 06/06/10 
19:39, Michael Schmidt wrote: >>>>>>> Hi 
Jonathan, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> the 
question is, what a kind of VM? >>>>>>> You can 
over-utilize a much greater machine with one VM. >>>>>>> 
Or on the other side, you can run 40 VMs on a shorter 
machine. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Each 
ressource can be a 
bottleneck >>>>>>> >>>>>>> - 
Memory - this is realy easy to calculate: Avaiable minus 
768MB >>>>>>> (Reserved for Dom0 should be enugh in this 
case). >>>>>>> - CPU - Here we need a VM 
statistic >>>>>>> - Disk Bandwidth - Here we need a VM 
statistic, but in the most >>>>>>> cases not the 
bottleneck >>>>>>> - Disk IOPS - Here we need a VM 
statistic, in the most cases the >>>>>>> 
botelneck >>>>>>> >>>>>>> What a 
kind of VMs you plane to run? >>>>>>> Webservers / 
mailservers / database-servers 
...? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Best 
Regards >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Michael 
Schmidt >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Am 
06.06.10 00:54, schrieb Jonathan Tripathy: >>>>>>>> 
Hi 
Everyone, >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 
I have a Dell R210 server which has a Xeon X3430 Quad Core 
CPU >>>>>>>> (2.4Ghz x 4) with 8GB of RAM. I intend 
to use the H200 controller >>>>>>>> in a RAID1 
setup >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 
How many VMs do you think I'd be able to run on this 
machine? >>>>>>>> Is 
20 >>>>>>>> pushing 
it? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I'd 
say most (if not all) guests would be in PV 
mode. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 
Thanks >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 
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