[SOLVED] Is there a benefit to switch a W2k16 Server from IDE to VirtIO

[budy]

…and if yes, what's the way to do that?

 

[apoc]

Virtio are optimized (and afaik para-virtualized) components so yes. There are benefits (performance, less overhead, TRIM support etc.)

First of all you need virtio-drivers to be installed on the Windows Box.
I have used the ones from https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-U...tual-machines-using-virtio-drivers/index.html

After installation you can switch your SCSI-controller to VirtIO SCSI and the Harddisk-type to Virtio Block or SCSI.
I'd recommend doing a backup before doing these changes.

 

[budy]

Thanks - I tried that, but upon booting I am getting a BSOD with "Inaccessible Boot Device". Looks like there's something still missing. Now that I have switched back from virtio fpr the drive, but still having VirtIO as the SCSI-Controller, Windows is trying to load files for automatic repair.

 

[apoc]

Ok. I have checked my old notes.
It seems I have used a very specific procedure for the migration to Virtio.
Here is what I did.

1. Use temporary devices for NIC and SCSI. I have used E1000 and Megaraid SAS, in other cases SATA disks
2. install virtio drivers
3. add an additional disk with virtio SCSI - this was necessary to load / install the drivers
4. after that disk is recognized / installed: shutdown the OS an reconfigure to the Virtio SCSI controller and disks.

Apologies, I had it much simpler in my mind (but it is a few years back ....)

 

[budy]

Thanks - that worked like a charm!

 

[apoc]

Great. Good to know that this still works. Thanks for sharing @budy
Would you please be so kind and mark this thread as solved (by editing the first post and use the prefix from the dropdown menu)

 

[chrcoluk]

Ok. I have checked my old notes.
It seems I have used a very specific procedure for the migration to Virtio.
Here is what I did.

1. Use temporary devices for NIC and SCSI. I have used E1000 and Megaraid SAS, in other cases SATA disks
2. install virtio drivers
3. add an additional disk with virtio SCSI - this was necessary to load / install the drivers
4. after that disk is recognized / installed: shutdown the OS an reconfigure to the Virtio SCSI controller and disks.

Apologies, I had it much simpler in my mind (but it is a few years back ....)

Trying to do this now migrating from esxi.

However proxmox wont let me add a second controller, its either virtio or another, but not two controllers at once.

 

[budy]

I never operated with multiple controllers, just the virtIO one. You will have to connect your volume through the correct BUS/device (SCATA/SCSI,…) so that Windows does find its boot volume. Once you've managed that, you can go ahead and install the PV drivers. Then you will add another virtIO-Volume to the controller and Windows will have to load the driver. Once that is done, you can shutdown Windows and also re-connect the other volumes as virtIO, now that Windows knows, how to handle them.

 

[apoc]

As @budy said: the controller type is not the point. You need to configure the disks accordingly to use the bustype. Sorry if that wasn't clear enough from my description .