VSAN Free on Proxmox

ticktok · Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:32 am

I have successfully created a shared LVM volume on a Proxmox cluster of 2 nodes with a third server as a witness via QDevice.
The performance is about the same as my original Windows based 2 node cluster.
The issue I have is thin provisioning of the VM disks, with the Windows versions disk were thin provisioned. I used the Starwind Converted to convert the .vhdx to .qcow2 disks.
After I transferred these disks to a Proxmox host and then imported them:-
qm importdisk 104 /root/vm-tfs.qcow2 vg-vms
where vg-vms is the shared Starwind storage the images were then thickly provisioned.
Am I doing something wrong?

Mon Jun 30, 2025 5:21 am

For CVM, you need to install and set up the VSAN plugin in Proxmox (recreating the LVM will be needed) https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resour ... ion-guide/

ticktok · Mon Jun 30, 2025 6:11 am

Thanks for the update, when you say you'll need to recreate the LVM - I presume this is destructive and all the VM disks will need to be exported and then imported later?
Or is it auto-magical and the VM disks can stay there?

Mon Jun 30, 2025 7:03 am

Sadly, it is a destructive procedure.
UPD: QCOW cannot be created.

ticktok · Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:42 am

Hi,
Thanks for the information after issuing the last command:-
pvesm add starlvm swlun -vgname vgt-vms -content images,rootdir -shared 1
the message I received was:-
Plugin "PVE::Storage::Custom::StarLvmPlugin" is implementing an older storage API, an upgrade is recommended

is this something to worry about??

I discovered I can't just migrate the disks from the old LVM to the new one, I suppose its convert to each disk to .qcow2 and then upload to the swlun??

Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:12 am

Plugin "PVE::Storage::Custom::StarLvmPlugin" is implementing an older storage API, an upgrade is recommended

No, it is not a problem.

I discovered I can't just migrate the disks from the old LVM to the new one, I suppose its convert to each disk to .qcow2 and then upload to the swlun??

Yes, you can convert each disk to qcow2 from non-swlun device to a swlun one (try backing up and restoring the VM too).

ticktok · Tue Jul 01, 2025 12:51 am

Hi,
After creating a new lun using the starlvm call vg-thin whenever I import a disk like:-
root@pve-rose:~# qm importdisk 107 /var/lib/vz/template/qcow/ubuntu-2404.qcow2 vg-thin --format qcow2
Plugin "PVE::Storage::Custom::StarLvmPlugin" is implementing an older storage API, an upgrade is recommended
importing disk '/var/lib/vz/template/qcow/ubuntu-2404.qcow2' to VM 107 ...
format 'qcow2' is not supported by the target storage - using 'raw' instead

It converts it to raw and is then not thin provisioned??
local-lvm disk useage

disks on local-lvm

vg-thin useage

disks on vg-thin

Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:44 am

Hi,

Yes, sadly, you can't create QCOW on top of StarWind HA LUN.
We are working on it (thanks for pointing).

ticktok · Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:49 am

Ok, thanks for the information.
What then are the advantages of destroying the current LVM and re-creating it with VSAN plugin in Proxmox?

Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:01 am

The plugin allows taking snapshots of your VMs using thin LVM.
The default thin LVM supports shared LVM, yet does not allow for snapshots.
LVM-THIN, in turn, does support the snapshots but does not support the shared LVM. AFAIK, that module uses one thin LVM pool for all VMs.
The plugin allows for different Thin LVM pools (i.e., each VM has its own thin LVM pool). That's how lvmth plugin supports shared LVM on SAN-like LUNs.

After the LUN is recreated, the storage type should be set to lvmth in the Proxmox LUN GUI.

ticktok · Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:09 am

As seen in the image titled vg-thin, is this instead of the storage type starlvm? What are the advantages in doing so??

Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:17 am

From what I know, it is better to use starlvm due to all that snapshot-oriented text above.

p.s. I strongly recommend trialing the solution to improve the early experience with VSAN. It cannot be converted to Free, but at least you get some tech help.

ticktok · Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:27 am

I'm sorry I don't quite follow? What solution do you mean - "trialing the solution to improve the early experience"?
I have had a perpetual 2 node VSAN license for my Windows cluster but have decided to migrate to Linux.
I was given a ridiculous quote for $24,000 dollars for a 2 node cluster and I'm not even sure whether that was in US dollars or my own NZ dollar.
I know you have recently been acquired and I'm hoping you won't go the way of VMware after their acquisition.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:11 am

"trialing the solution to improve the early experience"?

Trial comes with GUI experience and you can reach out to the account manager for tech assistance.

If you hold the perpetual license with an active support contract, you can get support

With POC too. https://www.starwindsoftware.com/support-form Fill the form, my colleagues will help you with POC.

ticktok · Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:40 am

Thanks for all the advice. I don't hold an active support contract and the project isn't so much a POC as a migration and learn as you go. Albeit with lots of backups and redundancy and with customers blessing.

I did find that the VSAN plugin for Proxmox SAN's to be significantly faster but I'll need to test it further before deciding whether it's worth the process of moving the existing VMs.