[Xen-users] Opinion on best way to use network storage

[VPS Lime <vpslime@xxxxxxxxx>]

I need the community's opinion on the best way to use my storage SAN to host xen images.  The SAN itself is running iSCSI and NFS.  My goal is to keep all my xen images on the SAN device, and to be able to easily move images from one host to another as needed while minimizing storage requirements and maximizing performance.

What I see are my options:

1) Export a directory through NFS.  Create image files on the NFS mount and have each zen guest use the image off the NFS mount.  This has the benefit of all images being visible to all hosts (on the NFS mount), but I'm not sure about the performance.

2) Create an image on the SAN server for each XEN host and export it to the XEN servers through iSCSI.  The XEN server will see it as a VolumeGroup.  Create Logical Volumes in the VolumeGroup for each XEN guest.  Has the advantage of using LVM for the guest instead of an image file (which is rumored to be faster).  Disadvantage is individual images are not easily moved to other hosts

3) Create a image on the SAN server for each XEN guest and export it through iSCSI.  Attach XEN guests directly to the iSCSI image.  Has the advantage of being portable to other hosts, maybe more efficient?  

Thanks in advance

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