openfiler

[junior]

Hi all

regarding openfiler, i have setup my esxi on a ml110 and would like to start playing,

i want to setup a central storage within esxi and have been look at openfiler.

can openfiler be setup within the esxi host and accessed to other VM/laptop/desktop/PS3/Xbox across the network?

I have done researched on google and understand its concept for begin SAN attached to host, but is it possiable/worth to run OF within the 1 esxi host?

drawbacks?

thanks

 

[growse]

Why would you want to run Openfiler as a VM? You'll get horrible IO performance with no real benefit that I can see....?

 

[Gerbil]

Why would you want to run Openfiler as a VM? You'll get horrible IO performance with no real benefit that I can see....?

I think the answer was in the first sentence.... as in "would like to start playing"

Yep it works fine. I've done the same thing with Openfiler running under ESX on an ML115. I bought the ML115 to get up to speed with ESX and now I've got it I don't want the expense of running multiple physical servers so I've ported all my shared storage on to Openfiler running as a VM. I/O performance may not be great but its fine for streaming videos etc. round the house.

 

[junior]

thanks for reply,

i see, thought had cross my mind...

just wondering if it was possiable as i was reading other experiences they are running OF on a seperate box (makes sense now), wanted to expirement, ive got a legit iso for win home server which i will try in esxi to, and a win2008 trial,

ideally i want/would like to keep backups of my machines/iso/media/stream off OpenFiler within the ESXI host,

I read through on different forums hearing OF/freenas etc and since im in IT i just wanted to have a play with my new server, pick up some home experience, theroy's in my head just need the practice.

 

[junior]

I think the answer was in the first sentence.... as in "would like to start playing"

Yep it works fine. I've done the same thing with Openfiler running under ESX on an ML115. I bought the ML115 to get up to speed with ESX and now I've got it I don't want the expense of running multiple physical servers so I've ported all my shared storage on to Openfiler running as a VM. I/O performance may not be great but its fine for streaming videos etc. round the house.

spot on!

same reason as your self, I started playing with VMware on the laptop (1.6dual core 2 GB ram with win xp ) and got wind of the ml110/5 servers begin ideal for esxi host, read on esx, bam bought a ml110 xeon server 2gb ram at moment soon to be 6gb,

here i am today asking away today, I m not after gigabytes of speed (all tough would be nice) but something to play with and experiment but most of all free and minimal, as ive read ppl consolidating servers on the HP ml range,

i went on a presentation for a SAN the client i work for and its enspired me to test it, OF is free, why not? does it work, test the water and lets find out,

thanks for reply

edit - any guides on installing OS under esxi? will i be able to share out the storage the whole network?
infact i want to run OF and dupicate this to freenas then export to external hdd, crazy i know, but a laugh
thanks

 

[si_]

For testing and playing about I use Openfiler on VMWorkstation with a q9550, 8gb memory and running off of a RAID10 array on my desktop and works fine. Actually have vSphere4 running on it with nested vm's........still runs ok to test.