Hey guys
In my small/medium sized company we will soon update to Windows Server 2012 R2. I would like to implement virtual servers using Hyper-V. I didn't find a lot of information about Hyper-V in combination with storages spaces and autoamted storage tiers.
And this is very confusing to me as it seems to me that this would be the best practice as it is the most cost-efficient and most elegant solution.
My ideal scenario:
With Hyper-V I virtualize two Windows Server 2012 R2 instances. So two separate virtual machines.
I use the following disk setup:
1x cheap HDD 40GB for hyper-v server 2012 r2 core.
2x SSD 200GB (enterprise-grade)
2x HDD 4TB (7.2k, enterprise-grade)
Step 1:
I will install Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 Core on the 40GB HDD. Via command line, I will create a storage pool with automated tiered storage using the SSDs and the HDDs in mirrored mode the following way:
With Tiered Storage, I create a storage pool containing the SSDs and the HDDs. Then I create storage space A (1TB) and B (3.2TB) with the SSDs in a mirrored setup and the HDDs in a mirrored setup. The SSDs for the „hot files“ and the HDDs for the „cold files“.
Step2:
Ontop of the storage space A I want to install the first Windows Server 2012 R2 instance with Active directory. On storage space B I want to install the second Windows Server 2012 R2 instance for a business application to run on it.
Conclusion:
The SSDs are mirrored and therefore one SSD can fail.
The 4TB HDDs are mirrored and therefore one HDD can fail.
I have a fast and easy scalable environment.
But in the Internet I found many information that it’s not possible to install an operating system onto a storage tier.
Question 1:
Is this setup possible?
Question 2:
If this setup is possible, why is not everyone doing it?
Question 3:
Is it possible to do Step 1 over a GUI from a remote machine?
Question 4:
If the creation of Storage Tiers in the Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 is not possible. Would it work to use a Windows Server 2012 R2 as a parent system on the 40GB HDD? To do Step 1?
I would gladly get some feedback of people knowing Storage Tiers well.
Thanks a lot!