Offline disk query 1

[wizzer]

I'm using Windows Server 2008 R2 as a Hyper-V machine, i have a couple of iscsi disks attached to the machine. I am using a virtual machine set up in Hyper-V connecting with a drive set up as a physical drive.

When i restart the host server, it puts the physical drive that i'm using for the VM online, and the VM can't then connect to it, so i then have to make the drive go offline, before i can re-attach it to the VM.

Can anyone advise me how i should be doing this - how can i force the host server to leave the drive offline when it boots up?

Thanks
James

 

[kmcferrin]

If I understand you correctly, you have a disk presented to the Hyper-V host via iSCSI, and then you're passing the disk through the host to the VM rather than creating a VHD on the disk and presenting the VHD to the VM? If that's the case then I would recommend removing the desk from the host and presenting it directly to the VM itself by running an iSCSI target inside the VM. Then you don't have to worry about the offlining/onlining process, and as a bonus if you have an failover cluster configured for Hyper-V the disk will be able to follow the VM during migrations.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[wizzer]

Brilliant - thats sorted out the problem for me.

Not entirely with you on the use of the disk as a failover though - do you mean if i set up a couple of VMs which both access the same iscsi target?

Thanks
James

 

[kmcferrin]

No. I meant that if you have a Hyper-V cluster configured for HA/failover, meaning that if one of your Hyper-V hosts goes down the VM is restarted on the other node. In that scenario you have to have the iSCSI volume presented directly to the VM rather than presented via the host as a passthrough disk, otherwise when the machine moves to the other Hyper-V server the disk won't come with it.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[wizzer]

Ok that makes sense - thanks for your help!
James