Auto Tiering and cache

Software-based VM-centric and flash-friendly VM storage + free version

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Jeremy
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:52 am

Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:29 pm

ello everyone,

I would like to buy Starwind VSAN but before I am doing a test lab with the FREE version.

I have two servers with the following configuration:
- RAM: 128 GB
- Network cards:
    - 2 x 10GB for management
    - 2 x 40GB for iSCSI / Heartbeat
    - 2 x 40GB for synchronization
- Storage VMs VMwware + Files:
    - 2x SSD 6.4Tb NVMe (Storage Space - Hot Tier - Mirror)
    - 3 x HDD 10TB 12GB / s SAS (Storage Space - Cold Tier - Parity)
- Storage Backups:
    - 4 x HDD 10TB 12GB / s SAS (RAID5 Hardware)
   

Here's what I would like to do:

1) Make on the 2 servers, a tiered mirror storage pool with 2 SSD NVMe and 2 HDD 10TB.
On the # 1 server storage pool, configure a Starwind HA image (with server # 2) + a simple Starwind image.
On the storage pool of Server # 2, configure a Starwind HA image (with server # 1) + a simple Starwind image.

Should we use the Write Back Cache of microsoft or use the L1 cache starwind for the 2 images. In both cases how much quantity needed?

The virtual disk must be in NTFS or ReFS?

2) For the backup part, I would like to do on each of the servers, a RAID5 with 4 x HDD 10 TB then create a simple image Starwind accelerate with a lot of cache L1 (ex: 70 GB). I have Veeam Backup doing a backup on the first server and a backup on the second server. 3rd backup copy on HPE Storonce VSA or Starwind VTL.

If not, am I good or not?

Thanks in advance.
Oleg(staff)
Staff
Posts: 568
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2017 7:52 am

Tue Jul 02, 2019 5:39 pm

Hi Jeremy,
Should we use the Write Back Cache of microsoft or use the L1 cache starwind for the 2 images. In both cases how much quantity needed?
You do not need caching since you will already have "hot" and "cold" tiers.
The virtual disk must be in NTFS or ReFS?
It is better to use NTFS.
2) For the backup part, I would like to do on each of the servers, a RAID5 with 4 x HDD 10 TB then create a simple image Starwind accelerate with a lot of cache L1 (ex: 70 GB). I have Veeam Backup doing a backup on the first server and a backup on the second server. 3rd backup copy on HPE Storonce VSA or Starwind VTL.
That is not a good idea to store backups to the same place with the production environment and there is no need in a lot of L1 cache.

Please check StarWind best pactices.
Jeremy
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:52 am

Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:19 pm

Thank you for the answer !
Oleg(staff) wrote:Hi Jeremy,
Should we use the Write Back Cache of microsoft or use the L1 cache starwind for the 2 images. In both cases how much quantity needed?
You do not need caching since you will already have "hot" and "cold" tiers.
I wanted to take advantage of the cache when the writes are done on the cold tier (HDD). There is a big delta of performance between the hot tier and the cold tier that I would like to avoid.
Oleg(staff) wrote:
The virtual disk must be in NTFS or ReFS?
It is better to use NTFS.
OK
Oleg(staff) wrote:
2) For the backup part, I would like to do on each of the servers, a RAID5 with 4 x HDD 10 TB then create a simple image Starwind accelerate with a lot of cache L1 (ex: 70 GB). I have Veeam Backup doing a backup on the first server and a backup on the second server. 3rd backup copy on HPE Storonce VSA or Starwind VTL.
That is not a good idea to store backups to the same place with the production environment
I know but there will be a backup copy on both servers. Backup copy not copied and not replicated daily. The 2 servers will be in different rooms and buildings.
The third backup copy is on a remote site (+ future project: 4th backup copy in the cloud).
Production data is duplicated on servers other than these 2 servers through Veeam Replication.
And the last reason is the budget ...
Oleg(staff) wrote:and there is no need in a lot of L1 cache.
Please check StarWind best pactices.
My goal is for the backup window to be as small as possible. With HDDs, it is not possible and my budget does not allow me anything else. I imagined allocating a lot of L1 cache for the incremental backup (about 65GB per day) to be done in the cache and then in the HDDs.
Oleg(staff)
Staff
Posts: 568
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2017 7:52 am

Thu Jul 04, 2019 2:05 pm

I wanted to take advantage of the cache when the writes are done on the cold tier (HDD). There is a big delta of performance between the hot tier and the cold tier that I would like to avoid.
Yes, but most of the data in use should be on hot tier and L1 cache is not playing a big role.
My goal is for the backup window to be as small as possible. With HDDs, it is not possible and my budget does not allow me anything else. I imagined allocating a lot of L1 cache for the incremental backup (about 65GB per day) to be done in the cache and then in the HDDs
The amount of L1 caching depends on daily workload, yes, usually 1 GB per one TB of StarWind device is enough. But please do not forget that it will take a lot of time to flash and write a big amount of cache to a spindle RAID 5 array in case of a power outage, etc.
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