[CentOS] OT: Recommendations for a virtual storage server

[carlopmart]

On 01/31/2011 04:05 AM, James A. Peltier wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----> |>>
> |>
> |>  Correct.
> |
> | But I don't see how any of those things apply here. If the host fails
> | your vm's
> | are going to fail in any case, and there's not much magic involved in
> | exporting
> | an NFS share even if you need to move it. Iscsi targets are slightly
> | more
> | complicated because it's not included in the base Centos install but
> | you can
> | find howto's to set it up. When your resources are limited it looks
> | like a big
> | waste to add an unnecessary virtual layer to storage. I've done it the
> | other
> | way around, though, with NFS exports from the host being mounted by
> | the guest VM's.
> |
> | --
> | Les Mikesell
> | lesmikesell at gmail.com
>
> I made no claims that it solved anything.  I merely noted why someone might want to virtualize in place of NFS.  Personally, I don't think that the OP really knows what they want, or they want the best of all worlds without compromise.  I don't see how it is possible to provide what is being asked for.  Really I think a minimum of two ideally a third server providing iSCSI or NFS is needed for the solution to work.  That third machine should have all of the possible host level redundancy possible to keep it running.  If H/A is required at least two machines are required.
>

Ok I will try to explain with more details. First, this installation it is for my 
home personal use, It isn't for a production environment 24x7 or similar.

I have two physical hosts with this configuration:

HostA:

  - HP ML150
  - 5GB RAM
  - 3TB for storage with HP smartArray E200i
  - Intel Xeon QuadCore.

HostB:

   - HP ML115 G5
   - 8GB RAM
   - 160GB for storage
   - AMD QuadCore

Ok, lets go. I need (or I will like to do) to setup several virtual machines to 
accomplish different tasks (remeber, It is for personal use, like a lab environment):

  - 1 virtual machine using as a DNS server and Kerberos authentication (CentOS or 
RedHat)
  - 2 virtual machines with RHCS installed providing several services: smtp server 
(only smtp), mirror updates, squid and cifs server. (with CentOS5)
  - 1 virtual machine with Windows 7 as a workstation.
  - 1 virtual machine with Windows 2008 R2 server.
  - 2 virtual machines with RHCS installed with OSSEC. Snort. Snortby and Splunk 
server (with CentOS5 too)
  - 2 virtual machines with OpenBSD firewalls with CARP and load balancing.
  - 1 virtual machine as a DMZ Server.

My idea is to install DNS server (with kerberos auth) and 2 virtual virtual machines 
with RHCS and common services linke smtp, squid, etc onto HP ML150. And the others 
virtual machines running on HP ML115 server.

Where is the problem?? Problem is the storage. All storage resides on the HP ML150 
server. For that reason I need to install a server as a virtual storage to run most 
of the virtual machines running on the server HP ML115 with the exception of 
firewalls and the DMZ server that resides on the HP ML115's local disk.

For backups I have an external usb disk with 1TB.

Thanks.

-- 
CL Martinez
carlopmart {at} gmail {d0t} com