A few questions regarding multiple VMs


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Hi.

I'm considering consolidating my dedicated PCs to VMs on unraid.

A few questions before I start:

1. How do I enable USB Plug&Play connection to each VM? So it will be possible to connect DOK or other removable devices...

2. Two of the machines are based on win8.1 64bit. Is it possible they share the same base image and each keeps it's own differences in a seperate vhd?

3. Each VM will have its own dedicated GPU - what about power consumption when the VMs are off/asleep?

4. Is it possible to assign the OB soundcard to one of the VMs?

5. How can I use a seperate SSD for the VMs vhds and Docker image?

 

Think there should be a FAQ for KVM usage...

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Hi.

I'm considering consolidating my dedicated PCs to VMs on unraid.

A few questions before I start:

1. How do I enable USB Plug&Play connection to each VM? So it will be possible to connect DOK or other removable devices...

2. Two of the machines are based on win8.1 64bit. Is it possible they share the same base image and each keeps it's own differences in a seperate vhd?

3. Each VM will have its own dedicated GPU - what about power consumption when the VMs are off/asleep?

4. Is it possible to assign the OB soundcard to one of the VMs?

5. How can I use a seperate SSD for the VMs vhds and Docker image?

 

Think there should be a FAQ for KVM usage...

 

1. some info (not sure how current now, but it is in my saved links) on P&P with KVM: http://rolandtapken.de/blog/2011-04/how-auto-hotplug-usb-devices-libvirt-vms-update-1

2. No.

3. It depends on your setup, settings etc. Assuming however that your VM's are off BUT you are hosting them on via unRAID I and unRAID is not in sleep mode then I imagine the GPU will be idle but still drawing power. I have no idea what the consumption would be like? Depends on the card perhaps and what power saving features it has?

4. Yes.

5. You do a number of things. You can use (as many people do) your cache drive to hold your Docker image and VM's. If you don't have a cache drive and want to use a separate drive you can mount a drive outside the array using the "unassigned devices" plugin:

 

https://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=38635.0

 

If you want the Docker image and the VM's on separate drives either use a combination of a cache drive and a drive mounted via "Unassigned Devices" or use 2 drives mounted via "Unassigned Devices".

 

Personally I use an SSD cache drive as a cache drive. I then mount a second SSD via "Unassigned Devices" plugin and have a folder structure as such:

 

>Docker

>KVM

>Plugins

 

I have the drive set to auto-mount and I point the config of Docker, KVM and Plugins to relevant sub folders.

 

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