VMware Solutions Discussions

Dynamic Disks in VMs?

amiller_1
3,890 Views

As part of a discussion on mbralign, Aaron Delp brought up the question of dynamic disks and mbralign (turns out it won't work). See the end of this thread for some of the original discussion.

http://communities.netapp.com/docs/DOC-2563

I've personally always stayed with basic disks inside Windows VM's as it's easy enough to expand them (diskpart after expanding the vmdk) or just as easy to add another virtual disk. I just never saw any benefit in using dynamic disks. Anyone out there using dynamic disks inside Windows VMs? And if so, why?

Thanks.

5 REPLIES 5

aarondelp
3,890 Views

I have done a little more research and polled some of my customers and I really can't come up with a reason to use Dynamic disks in a virtual environment.  In my mind, the benefit of aligning the disk easily after creation out weighs the benefits of a Dynamic Disk after the fact.

Anybody have a good reason to use Dynamic Disks?

amiller_1
3,890 Views

Just bumping this in case anyone out there has some thoughts....

animesh129
3,891 Views

One of my customers with FAS and FCP needs an 8TB LUN on Windows Server / VM ?

I was thinking of Dynamic Disks? Is there any problem with this or is there a better option ?

Thanks

scottgelb
3,891 Views

Dynamic disks are not supported by NetApp.  Use a GPT lun to get 8TB.

thomas_glodde
3,891 Views

FC Protocol supports 2TB only, means you wont get a 2TB+ RDM or VMDK unless you use expands to put a few 2TB VMFS systems together (poor performance).

You´d be better off to add several sub 2TB disks/RDMs. Think of backup & restore.

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