Server partitioning

[vimak]

hello, I apologize for my poor English, I write from Italy.

I ask for information to install Proxmox on my Hp Proliant DL380 gen9 server, I have 6 hdd x 4TB 7.2 sas raid 10 ardware, two e5-2650l v3 processors 16 GB of RAM
I use home server, Proxmox, where will they run, openmediavault, similar systems, windows server 2022, debian, etc.
I would like to know how to best partition the 12TB volume.
example:
1- sda proxmox + vm sdb data
2- sda Proxmox sdb vm sdc data
3- or is it better to add two more 10k or 15k sas hdd for Proxmox + vm and leave the 12tb volume for data only?

I hope the questions are clear, thank you all

Alessandro from Italy

 

[Dunuin]

In my opinion, it would be best to use two SSDs for Proxmox+VMs and the 6 HDDs just for data. Otherwise, the terrible IOPS performance of the HDDs might be the bottleneck.

If you don't want to use SSDs, then I would try to use as much HDDs as possible for the VM storage. So proxmox + VM + data sharing all 6 HDDs.

 

[LnxBil]

In addition to what Dunuin said: if you want to throw in a "real" SAS HBA, not a RAID controller, I'd also go with ZFS: a special metadata vdev with 2 enterprise SSDs and the 6 disks you have and use the SSD for metadata and stuff that should be fast.

two e5-2650l v3 processors 16 GB of RAM

... and buy more RAM. I have only 2C/4T on my smallest machine with 16 GB RAM and RAM is still the bottleneck.

 

[vimak]

In my opinion, it would be best to use two SSDs for Proxmox+VMs and the 6 HDDs just for data. Otherwise, the terrible IOPS performance of the HDDs might be the bottleneck.

If you don't want to use SSDs, then I would try to use as much HDDs as possible for the VM storage. So proxmox + VM + data sharing all 6 HDDs.

I don't want to spend any more money to buy ssd, for what I need I have already spent too much, at most I can put two small 10k or 15k fast hdds if the results improve.

 

[vimak]

In addition to what Dunuin said: if you want to throw in a "real" SAS HBA, not a RAID controller, I'd also go with ZFS: a special metadata vdev with 2 enterprise SSDs and the 6 disks you have and use the SSD for metadata and stuff that should be fast.

I'm sorry but I didn't understand, can you explain me better?

 

[LnxBil]

I'm sorry but I didn't understand, can you explain me better?

Your disk configuration is slow and you will not have a lot of fun with the system. Therefore Dunuin already recommended to buy SSDs. I just explained a way to have one ZFS pool that utilizes the SSD and will improve the overall system performance. You said that you won't buy any more hardware, so we cannot give any more advice.

 

[vimak]

enterprise SSDs cost too much

how many gb would i need? 2x400gb raid 10?

 

[LnxBil]

enterprise SSDs cost too much

It's cheaper: you buy two used enterprise SSDs and use them 5+ years and compare that to buying cheap SSDs one per year.

how many gb would i need? 2x400gb raid 10?

Depends on your needs. RAID1 would be sufficient in the beginning (so only 2 disks instead of 4).

 

[Dunuin]

It's cheaper: you buy two used enterprise SSDs and use them 5+ years and compare that to buying cheap SSDs one per year.

Jup. ZFS killed 3 of the 4 consumer SSDs this year but none of the 17 enterprise SSD. And the used enterprise SSDs were actually cheaper than the new consumer SSDs.

 

[vimak]

I'm considering buying two used enterprise ssd to mount in raid 1 for proxmox + vm

1. HGST 400GB 2.5" 12Gb/s SAS price €200
2. SEGATE 400 GB 2.5" SAS-3 12 Gb price €130

do they fit or can i go on smaller models?

 

[LnxBil]

do they fit or can i go on smaller models?

PVE itself does not take much diskspace. It boils down to the space you want to use for your VMs and we don't know what you want, yet 400G is totally OK. If you can go with less, also ok. The smallest enterprise SSD I know (and have) is 128G, which is also totally fine for MY purpose.

Please also consider adding more RAM, 16 GB is not much for a server and you should be able to affort a few GB extra. Normally 4 GB sticks are VERY cheap. I'd also buy the ones with the smallest price per GB. Also keep in mind, that you need to add a hardware defined amount of modules (double, trippel channel) if you want to have the full bandwidth for them.

 

[vimak]

I don't need much space, 250 should be enough, but if the price difference is small, I'll take 400gb.
buy another 16gb ram
4 modules installed, 4 to buy, total 8 modules of 4gb
thank you

 

[Dunuin]

I don't need much space, 250 should be enough, but if the price difference is small, I'll take 400gb.

Bigger enterprise SSD = more TBW = more durability. So even when not partitioning the full disk, this would give you some benefit, as the unused area will still be used for wear leveling.

 

[vimak]

hello, server hardware update:
2 x e5-2650l v3 processors
32GB of RAM
2 x HP HGST 480GB SSD SAS 2.5" 12G
6 x Seagate 4TB 7.2 SAS
P440AR raid controller

Hardware raid 1 SSD for Proxmox and vm
Hardware raid 10 HDD for OpenMediaVault nas, Windows Server 2022 data, etc.

is the configuration ok?
how much space do I dedicate to Proxmox, OMV and W. Server 2022 respectively?
I would like to leave free space for any other vm
thank you

 

[LnxBil]

is the configuration ok?

Still not enough RAM in my book or hugely oversized CPUs especially for our crazy energy prices. Besides that should work fine (we still don't know your performance requirements, e.g. number of concurrent uses, network stuff etc.).

how much space do I dedicate to Proxmox, OMV and W. Server 2022 respectively?

I'd use all the space for PVE, which also has space for all your VMs. I'd start with the minimum required for each guest os with e.g. qcow2 so that you will at first only use the space that is acutally used by your guests.

 

[vimak]

Still not enough RAM in my book or hugely oversized CPUs especially for our crazy energy prices. Besides that should work fine (we still don't know your performance requirements, e.g. number of concurrent uses, network stuff etc.).

maybe later I'll double the ram, but in any case there won't be heavy uses, a simple nas, little more

I'd start with the minimum required for each guest os with e.g. qcow2 so that you will at first only use the space that is acutally used by your guests.

I'm sorry, but I'm Italian and I use the translator, I didn't understand this sentence
thanks

 

[Dunuin]

maybe later I'll double the ram, but in any case there won't be heavy uses, a simple nas, little more

Not sure about your workload, but my Xeon E5 with 8 cores was totally fine with 64GB RAM. If your workload is similar to mine, you would need 192+GB to actually make use of all the CPU power.

 

[vimak]

192GB exaggerated, I don't have to start a Space Shuttle !!!
8gb OMV, 8gb Windows server, 16 left for Proxmox they are not enough?
nom I need all the power of the two processors, they are in the hood, then later if needed it is added

 

[Dunuin]

OMV will run fine with just 2 vCPUs. PVE with 2 cores. then you got 44 vCPUs for your windows server VM. If your Win really needs that much performance for compiling or what ever thats fine. But with VMs that idle most of the time, you usually run out of RAM first.

 

[LnxBil]

192GB exaggerated, I don't have to start a Space Shuttle !!!

According to your CPUs (and cores) you have :-D

I'm sorry, but I'm Italian and I use the translator, I didn't understand this sentence

Your space requirements are the OS minimum space requirements.