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vmware workstation storage help

F

Franko

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
Messages
121
Currently running wse 2012r2 for my home server. I am running vmware workstation with a few guest vm's including a torrentbox.

The current storage I am using for the vm's is tiered refs storage spaces (2 256 ssd and 2 3tb 7200 rpm spinners). This setup is pretty sluggish. I am considering switching to 2 1TB ssd in striped configuration. Note the drive is encrypted using bitlocker (occasionally sensitive stuff goes on the drive).

1. Do you think this will fix the sluggishness?
2. What drives would you recommend? (m500 drives are at a discount at the moment but I dont paying more if the performance is worth it)
3. Is there an easy solution that I am missing?

Thanks for the help.
 
running a few VMs in vmware workstation especially if one of them is HD intensive is killing your performance. adding hardware will make it better but "3. Is there an easy solution that I am missing?" would be to just get off of the type 2 hypervisor.

if your insistent on windows you might try their hyperv, i know zilch about it but 2012r2 with hyperv has some pretty good reviews (and i think its sort of type 1).

otherwise proxmox or esxi could be used for bare metal hypervisor.

if you are insistent on keeping the current server config then adding hardware will be the only way to gain performance. but efficiency on that layout will always be low.
 
Yes SSD will improve it greatly. I'd also look at hyper-v rather than workstation on 2012 R2, unless you're running a bsd vm or something.
 
Can you test with a spare SSD in normal NTFS? I haven't tried ReFS yet but have seen multiple forum posts about slowness with it.
 
What motherboard are you running? I'm asking because I'm mulling various PCIe-based solutions..
 
Thanks for the info all. I went with two 1tb M500 drives.

The drives just arrived I will test and get back to you all on the refs/ntfs question.

The motherboard is a Supermicro X10SL7-F
 
Just for follow up. The performance increase that I thought I would get from going to ssd's wasn't there. I believe that the low performance is due to my using a type 2 hypervisor as Zedicus pointed out in his post.

There also was not a significant difference between a 2 disk stripe with NTFS vs REFS as far as performance goes. Overall not worth the price, would not do again.
 
Update: encryption or lack of it made no difference in the sluggish disk performance.
 
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