Unraid only for VMs

[maxse]

Hi folks,

So I love unraid and have 2 servers and one for the remote server.

I want to run Xpenology on the remote backup server for it's snapshots, and the ability to mix and match disks. I use an old X8SIL board with an Xeon X3470 and it's running great, the only purpose is backups...

 

Now my question is this. I want to only run Xpenology on here (I got the VM working). But the VMs aren't able to start unless an array is started... Does this mean that I have to wake an entire disk just to get an "array" of 1 disk to get the VM to load? Is there a workaround for this?

 

I read that someone reocmmended using a dummy usb drive but that was for short term testing. I don't want to have the USB flash drive that's part of the array to "die" at some point. Any suggestions for this? Would appreciate your help.

 

I looked at Vsphere but it doesn't support this old processor, and I have it all together in a nice Node 804 with 12 drives. I don't want to start upgrading it when it servers my purpose.

 

Thank you in advance

Edited August 18, 2022 by maxse

[JorgeB]

2 hours ago, maxse said:

But the VMs aren't able to start unless an array is started... Does this mean that I have to wake an entire disk just to get an "array" of 1 disk to get the VM to load?

Array needs to be started but it can be spun down, and remain so while you start the VM, assuming the VM vdisk is on a pool or unassigned device.

[maxse]

Sorry I’m confused. 
to spin up the VM a drive has to be assigned on the array, no? A drive that I won’t need and has no purpose….

 

I currently have a cache SSD drive and plan to get another one to have the as RAID 1… 

the VM resides on the cache SSD

 

thecissue isn’t spinning down… it’s what should I do not to waste a hard drive that’s sole purpose would be to start the array… I want to have all drives passed through to XPEnology VM to manage… 

Edited August 18, 2022 by maxse

[JorgeB]

40 minutes ago, maxse said:

it’s what should I do not to waste a hard drive that’s sole purpose would be to start the array

Then use an old flash drive as the single array device.

[maxse]

Right, well that's what I was orignally asking about... Aren't there risks to another usb flash drive diying being part of the array? Which will then cause the entire unraid to crash at some point?

[JorgeB]

You need to have one device anyway to store the libvirt image to run VMs, use a flash drive or better yet a small SSD, of course you need to have a backup if it fails to avoid reconfiguring all the VMs.

[maxse]

Thanks @JorgeB