[SOLVED] What to you use in Guests? Virtio-blk or the new Virtio-scsi?

[fireon]

What to you use in Guests? Virtio-blk or the new Virtio-scsi?

http://www.linux-kvm.org/images/f/f5/2011-forum-virtio-scsi.pdf

Here an little summary:

virtio-scsi: solving virtio-blk limitations
● High performance
○ Keep the efficient design of virtio-blk
● Rich features
○ Feature set depends on the target, not on virtio-scsi
○ Multipath: one virtio-scsi device = one SCSI host
○ Effective SCSI passthrough
○ Multiple target choices: QEMU, lio
● Almost unlimited scalability
○ Thousands of disks per PCI device
● Drop-in physical disk replacement
○ True SCSI devices, good p2v/v2v migration

Yet still use Virtio-blk. But will change to virito-scsi. Have changed succesfully some Ubuntuvms.

Best Regards

 

[spirit]

The performance is a little slower than virtio-blk, but you can use discard feature if your storage support it for example.

 

[mir]

The performance is a little slower than virtio-blk, but you can use discard feature if your storage support it for example.

- Ceph
- EXT4
- LVM
- XFS
- ZFS (local and iSCSI)

 

[vkhera]

I use virtio-scsi backed by local thin-provisioned ZFS volumes for my "important" servers. For development servers I also use qcow2 files sitting on local ZFS file storage.

 

[mmenaz]

Hi vkhera, I'm desperately searching an HBA controller to work with ZFS, I need one easily available, not too expensive and reliable. Do you have any to suggest? What do you use? LSI in IT mode should be ideal, but in my country seems really hard to find LSI (you can find them re-branded like, i.e., Fujitsu, but then you can't reflesh in IT mode).
Thanks

 

[mir]

IBM Serveraid M1015 is an excellent controller for ZFS.
This should fit the bill (Sold in Italy): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibm-M1015...055503?hash=item3f5604334f:g:fMMAAOSw5VFWK8cD

 

[vkhera]

I use the LSI 9300-4i controller. Works great with ZFS, and is pretty cheap. I have it connected to 4 SAS drives.

 

[fireon]

Ok, so i think both are good. It's depending on the feature what you will use. Right?

 

[mir]

LSI 9300-4i requires PCIe-3 and only supports 4 disks. IBM Serveraid M1015 only requires PCIe-2 and supports 8 disks. IBM Serveraid M1015 is cheaper and is only capable of 6GB/s but the higher speed delivered by LSI 9300-4i is only relevant if you connect SSD.

 

[mmenaz]

Thanks but M1015 needs to be reflashed ("cross-flashed") without this being officially supported (I've found some article in internet, tried with one bought on Ebay and failed)
Also I need a real shop, not someone that sells today and disappears tomorrow.
I would love to be able to buy LSI, flash with officially supported IT bios and tools, and live happy and safe

 

[fireon]

So, and finaly... what shall we use? Virtio-blk or the new Virtio-scsi? I think it is really depending on the features. So i will continue use Virtio-blk.

Thanks and best Regards
Fireon

 

[blackpaw]

What to you use in Guests? Virtio-blk or the new Virtio-scsi?Best Regards

Dumb question - How do you use the virtio-scsi drivers with Guests?

 

[udo]

Dumb question - How do you use the virtio-scsi drivers with Guests?

Hi,
disk type: scsi and options scsi adapter type: virtio

Udo

 

[blackpaw]

Ah, thanks.