Snippet Name: Azure_VM_Storage_Pool
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Created Date: 2025-06-16 13:12:46
Last Modified Date: 2025-05-31 10:32:17
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Title: Azure VM Storage Pool
Author: user
8AS I understand it, In Azure for a virtual Machine If Iwanted to create 8 TB drive , i want to actually make a pool? of storage , made up of multiple disks, to leverage each disks max IOPS as a sum of their parts.
Author: ChatGPT
Yes, you're absolutely correct ??? in Azure, to create a **high-performance large volume like an 8 TB drive with high IOPS**, the recommended practice is to **use a storage pool (RAID 0/striped volume)** across multiple data disks.
### Key Concepts:
#### 1. **Azure Disk Size and IOPS Limits**
Each managed disk in Azure has limits based on its SKU:
- For example, a **P30 Premium SSD** is 1 TB with up to **5,000 IOPS**.
- A **P50** (2 TB) offers up to **7,500 IOPS**.
- A **P80** (8 TB) offers up to **20,000 IOPS** but only on certain VM sizes that support Ultra/large disks.
If you need higher IOPS or throughput than a single disk can provide, you **combine multiple disks** in a **storage pool** (usually with Windows Storage Spaces or Linux LVM/RAID0).
---
### Example: Creating an 8 TB Volume with Higher IOPS
| Configuration | # of Disks | Disk Type | Size per Disk | Total Size | Total IOPS |
|---------------|------------|-----------|----------------|------------|------------|
| Option A | 8 | P30 | 1 TB | 8 TB | 40,000 IOPS |
| Option B | 4 | P50 | 2 TB | 8 TB | 30,000 IOPS |
| Option C | 1 | P80 | 8 TB | 8 TB | 20,000 IOPS |
> **Note:** You must also ensure your **VM size supports the aggregate IOPS**. For example, a **Standard_D64s_v3** VM supports up to **80,000 IOPS** across data disks.
---
### In Windows
Use **Storage Spaces** to:
```powershell
New-StoragePool -FriendlyName "DataPool" -StorageSubsystemFriendlyName "Storage Spaces*" -PhysicalDisks (Get-PhysicalDisk -CanPool $true)
New-Volume -StoragePoolFriendlyName "DataPool" -FriendlyName "DataVolume" -FileSystem NTFS -Size 8TB -ResiliencySettingName Simple
```
### In Linux
Use **LVM** or **RAID0** (via `mdadm`):
```bash
sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=0 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sdc /dev/sdd /dev/sde /dev/sdf
mkfs.ext4 /dev/md0
mount /dev/md0 /mnt/mydata
```
---
### Summary
- **Yes, use multiple disks in a striped set (RAID0)** to achieve higher combined IOPS and throughput.
- **Choose disk SKUs and quantities based on performance requirements**.
- **Make sure the VM size supports the total IOPS and throughput** you want.
Would you like a PowerShell or Terraform example to provision such a setup in Azure?
Author: user
If i wanted to visualize that in portal.azure.com, can you point me to how to create it tehre?
Author: ChatGPT
Absolutely ??? here???s how to **create a high-IOPS 8TB striped volume in the Azure portal**, using multiple managed disks attached to a VM:
---
### ??? **Steps in portal.azure.com**
#### **1. Create or Select a Virtual Machine**
- Navigate to **Virtual Machines** in the portal.
- Either:
- Select an existing VM **(Windows or Linux)**, **or**
- Create a new VM that supports the **IOPS and disk count** you need.
- E.g., **Standard_D32s_v3** or **E64ds_v4** supports many disks and high IOPS.
#### **2. Add Multiple Data Disks**
- Go to your VM ??? **Disks** (left blade).
- Click **+ Create and attach a new disk**.
- For each disk:
- **Name**: e.g., `DataDisk1`, `DataDisk2`, etc.
- **Size**: Choose P30 (1 TB) or P50 (2 TB), depending on your plan.
- **Performance Tier**: If supported, pick the right tier for IOPS.
- Repeat until you have enough disks to total **8TB**.
> ???? 8 ?? P30 = 8TB, and each provides 5,000 IOPS ??? 40,000 IOPS total in RAID 0.
- Click **Save** to attach the disks.
---
### ?????? **3. Configure the Storage Pool Inside the VM**
Once the disks are attached, you **log in to the VM** to configure a **striped volume (RAID 0)**:
---
#### **On Windows VM**
1. **Open Server Manager ??? File and Storage Services ??? Volumes ??? Storage Pools**
2. Click **Tasks ??? New Storage Pool**
- Select **available disks**
- Name the pool (e.g., `DataPool`)
3. Create a **virtual disk** using the pool:
- Choose **Simple (no resiliency)** ??? this is RAID 0.
- Size: 8TB
4. Format the new volume (NTFS or ReFS) and assign a drive letter.
---
#### **On Linux VM**
1. SSH into the VM.
2. Use `lsblk` to confirm the new disks (e.g., `/dev/sdc`, `/dev/sdd`, etc.).
3. Create a striped array:
```bash
sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=0 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sd[cdef]
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/md0
sudo mkdir /data
sudo mount /dev/md0 /data
```
---
### ???? Optional: Monitor IOPS
- Go to **Monitoring ??? Insights** or **Metrics** on the VM.
- Add a metric chart for:
- **Disk IOPS (Read/Write)**
- **Disk Throughput**
- **Per-disk performance** (under each disk's blade)
---
### ???? Note on Data Safety:
RAID 0 has **no redundancy**. It???s for performance only. Use with **regular backups** or consider **RAID 10 with more disks** for resiliency.
---
Would you like me to generate an ARM template or Bicep deployment to automate this?
Author: user
if i needed to expand the pool later, i would add a new disk, and then add the disks to the pool, right?
Author: ChatGPT
Yes, you're exactly right ??? if you need to **expand the storage pool later** in Azure, you can **add new disks and incorporate them into the existing storage pool** inside the VM. Here's how that works based on the OS:
---
## ???? Windows VM: Expanding a Storage Spaces Pool
### 1. **Attach a New Disk in Azure Portal**
- Go to your VM ??? **Disks** ??? **+ Add data disk**
- Create a new disk (same SKU and size ideally) ??? **Save**
### 2. **Inside the VM**
- Open **Server Manager** or **PowerShell**.
- If using Server Manager:
- Go to **File and Storage Services ??? Storage Pools**
- Find your existing pool (e.g., `DataPool`)
- Click **Tasks ??? Add Physical Disk**
- Select the new disk ??? Click **OK**
- Then:
- Go to **Virtual Disks** ??? Right-click ??? **Extend Volume**
- Specify the additional size you want to use.
### Or via PowerShell:
```powershell
Get-PhysicalDisk -CanPool $true
Add-PhysicalDisk -StoragePoolFriendlyName "DataPool" -PhysicalDisks (Get-PhysicalDisk -CanPool $true)
Resize-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName "DataVolume" -Size 10TB # or -UseMaximumSize
Resize-Partition -DriveLetter D # Adjust drive letter as needed
```
---
## ???? Linux VM: Expanding a RAID0 or LVM Volume
### 1. **Attach the New Disk in Azure Portal**
- Go to your VM ??? **Disks** ??? **+ Add data disk** ??? Save
### 2. **SSH into the VM and Add to Existing Array**
**If using `mdadm` (RAID0):**
> ?????? RAID0 doesn't support dynamic expansion cleanly; you typically need to recreate the array. Use LVM for flexibility.
**If using LVM:**
```bash
# Identify new disk
lsblk
# Create physical volume
sudo pvcreate /dev/sdx
# Extend the volume group
sudo vgextend my_vg /dev/sdx
# Extend the logical volume
sudo lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/my_vg/my_lv
# Resize the filesystem (ext4 example)
sudo resize2fs /dev/my_vg/my_lv
```
---
## ?????? Notes:
- All disks in the pool should ideally be **same type and size** for performance consistency.
- You???re limited by the **max number of data disks your VM size supports** (e.g., D32s_v3 = up to 32 disks).
- For production: monitor performance after expansion to validate balance and throughput.
---
Would you like a specific walkthrough for LVM or Storage Spaces based on your actual OS and config?
Author: user
my next quesiton is along the same lines. I want to create the Azure Virtual Machine, using an Oracle Linux Image, not accessible via public IP. i would be creating a new vnet, but what is an "NSG", and what extra steps do i need to allow access to that vnet from my network?
Author: ChatGPT
Great next step ??? you're diving into a secure and well-architected setup. Let???s break this down:
---
## ??? What You Want to Do
You want to:
- Deploy a **VM with Oracle Linux**
- In a **new Virtual Network (VNet)**
- With **no public IP**
- But still **access it from your on-prem or another network**
---
## ???? What Is an NSG (Network Security Group)?
An **NSG (Network Security Group)** is like a virtual firewall in Azure. It contains **inbound** and **outbound security rules** that control traffic to **subnets** and/or **NICs**.
- Example rule:
- Allow TCP 22 from 10.0.0.0/8 to subnet ??? allows SSH from internal IPs
- Deny all inbound from Internet ??? blocks unsolicited public access
Each rule includes:
- Source (IP or CIDR)
- Destination (IP or service tag like `VirtualNetwork`)
- Protocol (TCP, UDP, or both)
- Port range (e.g., 22 for SSH)
- Action: Allow or Deny
---
## ??????? What Extra Steps You Need to Access It
Since you **don???t want a public IP**, you need a **private path** to reach the VM.
### ???? Option 1: **Use a Site-to-Site VPN**
If you have an on-prem network (with a firewall/router that supports IPSec VPN):
1. **Create a Virtual Network Gateway** in Azure.
2. **Establish a Site-to-Site VPN** between your router/firewall and Azure VNet.
3. Your local machine can then access Azure VM via **its private IP**.
> ???? NSG Rules: Add an inbound rule to **allow SSH (port 22)** from your **on-prem subnet**.
---
### ??????????? Option 2: **Use Azure Bastion**
Azure Bastion provides **browser-based SSH/RDP** access **without public IPs**.
1. Deploy Bastion in the **same VNet**.
2. Use Azure Portal ??? VM ??? **Connect ??? Bastion**
3. You can log in using your private IP from the portal.
> ???? NSG Rule: Allow inbound **TCP 22** from **AzureBastionSubnet** only.
---
### ???? NSG Example Rule (for SSH from on-prem)
| Direction | Priority | Source | Port | Protocol | Action |
|-----------|----------|--------------|------|----------|--------|
| Inbound | 100 | 192.168.1.0/24 | 22 | TCP | Allow |
---
## ???? TL;DR Deployment Plan
1. In **Azure Portal**:
- Create **Oracle Linux VM** with **no public IP**
- Place it in a **new VNet + subnet**
- Create or associate an **NSG** with the subnet:
- Allow SSH from your network (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24)
2. Choose **access path**:
- Bastion (no VPN setup)
- Site-to-Site VPN (full network integration)
---
Would you like a quick Terraform/ARM example for this whole setup (VM + NSG + VNet + no public IP)?
Author: user
this item is a littel high level for me, can you give an example? Establish a Site-to-Site VPN between your router/firewall and Azure VNet.
Author: ChatGPT
Absolutely ??? let???s break it down into a **real-world example** so it???s more actionable.
---
## ???? Scenario
You have:
- A home or office network with a **firewall/router** (e.g., pfSense, Cisco ASA, Ubiquiti, etc.)
- You want to connect this local network (e.g., `192.168.1.0/24`) **securely to Azure**
- Your Azure VM is in a **VNet with no public IP**
- Goal: Be able to SSH or RDP to that VM **using its private IP** from your local machine
---
## ???? What You Need to Do (Simplified Steps)
### ???? On the Azure Side:
1. **Create a VNet**
CIDR example: `10.10.0.0/16`, subnet: `10.10.1.0/24`
2. **Create a Virtual Network Gateway**
- Type: **VPN**
- SKU: **VpnGw1** (or Basic for testing)
- It requires a **GatewaySubnet** (special subnet in your VNet)
- Create a subnet named `GatewaySubnet` with range like `10.10.255.0/27`
- This process takes 20???45 minutes
3. **Create a Local Network Gateway**
- This represents **your on-prem router**
- Supply:
- Your public IP address from home/office (e.g., `72.14.123.45`)
- Your local network address space: `192.168.1.0/24`
4. **Create a VPN Connection**
- Type: Site-to-Site (IPSec)
- Use a **shared key (pre-shared key)**, e.g., `MySecureKey123`
---
### ???? On the On-Prem (Router) Side:
1. Log in to your firewall/router.
2. Create a **VPN tunnel/IPSec connection** using:
- **Remote Gateway**: Azure's **Public IP** (from the Virtual Network Gateway)
- **Local network**: `192.168.1.0/24`
- **Remote network**: `10.10.0.0/16`
- **Pre-shared key**: `MySecureKey123`
- Enable **IKEv2** and common algorithms like:
- AES256 encryption
- SHA256 hashing
- DH Group 2 or 14
---
## ???? Visual Diagram
```plaintext
????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????
??? Home Router ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? Azure VPN GW ???
???Public: 72.x ??? IPSec ???Public: 52.x ???
???LAN:192.168.1.x VNet:10.10.0.0/16???
????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????
??? ???
Your PC Azure VM (no public IP)
(192.168.1.10) (Private IP: 10.10.1.4)
```
---
## ??? After It's Up
- You can SSH from your PC:
```bash
ssh oracle@10.10.1.4
```
- Azure NSG must allow **port 22 inbound** from your local subnet (e.g., `192.168.1.0/24`).
---
## ???? Want to Try This?
If you tell me what kind of router/firewall you have (e.g., pfSense, Ubiquiti, FortiGate), I can give you the exact step-by-step instructions to configure that side.
Do you know your router/firewall brand or model?