I've reviewed tens of the forum posts on Hyper-V regarding host drive access but none seem to focus on the principle issue I have and I'm hoping I'll get some usable feedback, other than "no you shouldn't do that".
I have a Windows 10 Pro host supporting principally a data server platform; it has some host applications available but is used 85+% as an integration db server.
I'm trying to test a migration from the SQLSvr 2008 R2 installation and have setup hyper-v to create two upgrade paths (1.WinSvr 2012 R2 w/ SQLSvr2012 and 2.WinSvr 10 (later this year) w/ SQLSvr 2016).
I set up the host Win10Pro server (15T disk cap) to host the actual database files on a 5TB RAID 10 array which is automatically backed-up daily to a cloud host. Example: ALL databases will store their data base files and logs to 2 different "drives"
on the same array for recoverability.
My problem is the VM built for WinSvr2012 hosting SQLSvr2012 needs to use the host drive(array) for the database files leaving the DB application and OS software on the VM to its own services. This allows for a trim(mer) data server VM installation
(OS and DB application but no databases).
It boils down to the issue I don't want to have to carve out new hard disk territory off line from the host. I simply want the host to control and manage the files and backups (as already described and setup) for the VM's writing to the host drives. (This model is similar to a more robust EMC type SAN array platform we're just going via a smaller footprint).
In other words I don't necessarily want the data server VM to be fully self contained with all database files and log files perspective. I do want it to be safe and secure from an OS and DB Server point of view; which this current approach can very
nicely resolve if Hyper-V can work with an existing host drive.
This shouldn't be asking for the moon and stars.
The db application, master db and primary files all remain in the VM space; any data base that's not in the VM becomes a database that can literally be taken off line from the VM without sharing the data inside the VM. It "could" cause a
connection problem for the host DB but it would not cause the host DB server to crash, only report errors about the db being offline; manageable.
Example: I have 2 drives, G:\ and I:\, that I use for data files, log files and temp scratch areas to prevent cross drive impacts and catastrophic issues. I want all of the VM's and the host to share the same folders (whether or not their named the
same is beside the point) so I can host ALL data files and other files from the same host drives.
Is there any help for solving the host sharing solution in Hyper-V (in 2016)?
