Dell PowerVault MD3260 Administrator's Guide - Page 61

Disk Groups And Virtual Disks, Creating Disk Groups

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7 Disk Groups And Virtual Disks Creating Disk Groups And Virtual Disks Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage array, and virtual disks are created in the free capacity of a disk group. The maximum number of physical disks supported in a disk group is 120 (180 with the premium feature activated). The hosts attached to the storage array read and write data to the virtual disks. NOTE: Before you can create virtual disks, you must first organize the physical disks into disk groups and configure host access. Then you can create virtual disks within a disk group. To create a virtual disk, use one of the following methods: • Create a new disk group from unconfigured capacity. First define the RAID level and free capacity (available storage space) for the disk group, and then define the parameters for the first virtual disk in the new disk group. • Create a new virtual disk in the free capacity of an existing disk group. You only need to specify the parameters for the new virtual disk. A disk group has a set amount of free capacity that is configured when the disk group is created. You can use that free capacity to subdivide the disk group into one or more virtual disks. You can create disk groups and virtual disks using: • Automatic configuration - Provides the fastest method, but with limited configuration options • Manual configuration - Provides more configuration options When creating a virtual disk, consider the uses for that virtual disk, and select an appropriate capacity for those uses. For example, if a disk group has a virtual disk that stores multimedia files (which tend to be large) and another virtual disk that stores text files (which tend to be small), the multimedia file virtual disk requires more capacity than the text file virtual disk. A disk group should be organized according to its related tasks and subtasks. For example, if you create a disk group for the Accounting Department, you can create virtual disks that match the different types of accounting performed in the department: Accounts Receivable (AR), Accounts Payable (AP), internal billing, and so forth. In this scenario, the AR and AP virtual disks probably need more capacity than the internal billing virtual disk. NOTE: In Linux, the host must be rebooted after deleting virtual disks to reset the /dev entries. NOTE: Before you can use a virtual disk, you must register the disk with the host systems. See Host-To-Virtual Disk Mapping. Creating Disk Groups You can create disk groups either using Automatic configuration or Manual configuration. To create disk groups: 1. To start the Create Disk Group Wizard, perform one of these actions: 61

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7
Disk Groups And Virtual Disks
Creating Disk Groups And Virtual Disks
Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage array, and virtual disks are created in the free
capacity of a disk group. The maximum number of physical disks supported in a disk group is 120 (180 with the premium
feature activated). The hosts attached to the storage array read and write data to the virtual disks.
NOTE:
Before you can create virtual disks, you must first organize the physical disks into disk groups and configure
host access. Then you can create virtual disks within a disk group.
To create a virtual disk, use one of the following methods:
•
Create a new disk group from unconfigured capacity. First define the RAID level and free capacity (available
storage space) for the disk group, and then define the parameters for the first virtual disk in the new disk group.
•
Create a new virtual disk in the free capacity of an existing disk group. You only need to specify the parameters
for the new virtual disk.
A disk group has a set amount of free capacity that is configured when the disk group is created. You can use that free
capacity to subdivide the disk group into one or more virtual disks.
You can create disk groups and virtual disks using:
•
Automatic configuration — Provides the fastest method, but with limited configuration options
•
Manual configuration — Provides more configuration options
When creating a virtual disk, consider the uses for that virtual disk, and select an appropriate capacity for those uses.
For example, if a disk group has a virtual disk that stores multimedia files (which tend to be large) and another virtual
disk that stores text files (which tend to be small), the multimedia file virtual disk requires more capacity than the text file
virtual disk.
A disk group should be organized according to its related tasks and subtasks. For example, if you create a disk group for
the Accounting Department, you can create virtual disks that match the different types of accounting performed in the
department: Accounts Receivable (AR), Accounts Payable (AP), internal billing, and so forth. In this scenario, the AR and
AP virtual disks probably need more capacity than the internal billing virtual disk.
NOTE:
In Linux, the host must be rebooted after deleting virtual disks to reset the
/dev
entries.
NOTE:
Before you can use a virtual disk, you must register the disk with the host systems. See
Host-To-Virtual Disk
Mapping
.
Creating Disk Groups
You can create disk groups either using
Automatic
configuration or
Manual
configuration.
To create disk groups:
1.
To start the Create Disk Group Wizard, perform one of these actions:
61