Upgrading the storage on a Dell R710

[Hobosapien]

Yes I did read the OP.
I still maintain 8TB is a lot of data in one place. YMMV.

Aye, raid is not a backup.

[Zigenare]

Did you even read the OP? It's not a PC it's a server running VMs. And if you think 8TB is hell of a lot of data, better stay clear of It'''s A Digital Disease!

8TB is easily filled with personal DVD collection, i'm at about 4TB and i'm not even hoarding.

Yes I did read the OP.
I still maintain 8TB is a lot of data in one place. YMMV.

[techperson]

Dell RAID controllers are always backwards compatible with RAID containers crated in older RAID controllers, especially comparing a Perc 6 to a Perc H700.

You can replace the raid controller and import the foreign disk fine. The problem most likely you will face is actually the physical SAS connector on the PERC6 being the SFF-8484 per plug instead of being SFF-8087. You will need a SFF-8087 cable on your SAS backpane and the other end to the H700 also using SFF-8087.



https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-017c...=2&imbypass=on

[sal]

OP, that is a hell of a lot of data.

I'd be thinking a little more fundementally, like "do I really need all that data on a PC".

Did you even read the OP? It's not a PC it's a server running VMs. And if you think 8TB is hell of a lot of data, better stay clear of It'''s A Digital Disease!

8TB is easily filled with personal DVD collection, i'm at about 4TB and i'm not even hoarding.

[Zigenare]

OP, that is a hell of a lot of data.

I'd be thinking a little more fundementally, like "do I really need all that data on a PC".

[sal]

The RAID controller replacement it's easy-peasy - You can migrate the current virtual disk, just replace the RAID controller and from it's configuration select "import foreign configuration".

For the upgrade with larger disks, it's not that straight forward, some controllers won't allow you to extend the VD or create a 2nd VD on the same disk. Check if the H700 will allow.

In your place I would just go for a NAS that supports iSCSI or straight out NFS for the ESXi Datastores. Even 1Gbps network is fine for homelab.

[eek]

I have a home lab with a Dell R710 running ESXI (free), its not quite run out of storage but it's got to the stage where I need to think what I do next.

Its got a PERC6/i raid controller and 6 x 2TB drives in a raid I can't remember (I think RAID 6 as I have usable capacity about 7.28TB)

Question 1;

AIUI PERC6 is generally limited to 2TB Drives, so I will need to replace this with a H700 RAID controller, if I do this will it break the existing RAID or would it just continue working and all data remain.

If it doesn't break it

Question 2;

I assume I'd just replace each drive one by one and wait for the raid to rebuild on the new drive before moving onto the next.

Question 3;

Once this is done I assume I would need to expand the volume in the Raid controller and then within ESXI before it's available to my VMs?

Pass - personally I would be looking at starting again - there is a reason why most NAS use JBOD's to avoid this type of issue.

[SimonMac]

I have a home lab with a Dell R710 running ESXI (free), its not quite run out of storage but it's got to the stage where I need to think what I do next.

Its got a PERC6/i raid controller and 6 x 2TB drives in a raid I can't remember (I think RAID 6 as I have usable capacity about 7.28TB)

Question 1;

AIUI PERC6 is generally limited to 2TB Drives, so I will need to replace this with a H700 RAID controller, if I do this will it break the existing RAID or would it just continue working and all data remain.

If it doesn't break it

Question 2;

I assume I'd just replace each drive one by one and wait for the raid to rebuild on the new drive before moving onto the next.

Question 3;

Once this is done I assume I would need to expand the volume in the Raid controller and then within ESXI before it's available to my VMs?