2x 1.75TB SSD + 4x 4TB HDD but creating a volume gives: The storage pool does not have sufficient eligible resources for the creation of the specified virtual disk (Windows 2019) both in the GUI as in PowerShell

Micro Zoft 1

Per title: I first tried it with the GUI of Server Manager - File and Storage Services - Volumes - Storage Pools but that threw an error.

So I went to the PS shell, and followed the "gebase.45drives.com kb450193 creating mirror accelerated parity volumes and storage tiers in storage spaces (windows server 2019)" instructions (http://knowledgebase.45drives.com/kb/kb450193-creating-mirror-accelerated-parity-volumes-and-storage-tiers-in-storage-spaces-windows-server-2019/)

The Storage Pool is created with the GUI and that works fine.

Then I go the PS Shell:

PS C:\Windows\system32> New-StorageTier -StoragePoolFriendlyName StoragePool -FriendlyName performance -MediaType SSD

FriendlyName TierClass MediaType ResiliencySettingName FaultDomainRedundancy Size FootprintOnPool StorageEfficiency
------------ --------- --------- --------------------- --------------------- ---- --------------- -----------------
performance  Unknown   SSD       Mirror                1                     0 B             0 B


PS C:\Windows\system32> New-StorageTier -StoragePoolFriendlyName StoragePool -ResiliencySettingName Parity -FriendlyName capacity -MediaType HDD

FriendlyName TierClass MediaType ResiliencySettingName FaultDomainRedundancy Size FootprintOnPool StorageEfficiency
------------ --------- --------- --------------------- --------------------- ---- --------------- -----------------
capacity     Unknown   HDD       Parity                1                     0 B             0 B

and

PS C:\Windows\system32> New-Volume -FriendlyName VirtualVolumeDisk -FileSystem ReFS -StoragePoolFriendlyName StoragePool -StorageTierFriendlyNames performance, capacity -StorageTierSizes 1.75TB, 3.64TB
New-Volume : Not Supported

Extended information:
The storage pool does not have sufficient eligible resources for the creation of the specified virtual disk.

Recommended Actions:
- Choose a combination of FaultDomainAwareness and NumberOfDataCopies (or PhysicalDiskRedundancy) supported by the storage pool.
- Choose a value for NumberOfColumns that is less than or equal to the number of physical disks in the storage fault domain
selected for the virtual disk.

Activity ID: {7a04ca9f-0496-002b-b7ca-047a9604d701}
At line:1 char:1
+ New-Volume -FriendlyName VirtualVolumeDisk -FileSystem ReFS -StorageP ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [New-Volume], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : StorageWMI 1,Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimCmdlets.InvokeCimMethodCommand,New-Volume

What could be going on here? I thought I'd have a very nice setup to make a mirror accelerated parity volume...? No? 2x SSD + 4x HDD should be supported as far as I understand it :(

Please help :)

Thanks

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-16T21:47:34.72+00:00

Could it have anything to do with the advised and recommended 20% SSD to 80% HDD disk ratio...? What is that ratio anyway? In GBs? Or in nr. of Disks?

Edit, from: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/refs/mirror-accelerated-parity
It's the size of 1 SSD and the size of 1 HDD. Right?
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-16T22:31:35.617+00:00

I'm getting closer to an answer...

From: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/deploy-standalone-storage-spaces

On the Specify the virtual disk name page, enter a name and optional description, then select Next.

Specify the Virtual Disk Name has an option to "to create storage tiers on this virtual disk". I always enabled that option and indeed I already was wondering why my setup process slightly differed from what I read online. It also shows me that I need another 7th disk to enable 2-disk failure redundancy. I guess I'll need to install another 4TB disk before I can continue and see if there's a problem here or that I was just too dumb to be playing with this in the first place ;-)

I'll be back!
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-16T23:17:42.74+00:00

While I format a new 4TB HDD, I tested if I could create a Mirror as Storage Layout but apparently that'd be the same as checking the aforementioned option to "create storage tiers on this virtual disk"...? Anyways, it fails per subject :(
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-16T23:20:44.53+00:00

Creating the Storage Pool VirtualDisk with parity instead of mirroring also fails! :( While with 6 disks only 1 disk may fail, it should still be possible to create the virtual disk.

So now I'm completely in the dark again... Adding another 4TB disk isn't going to solve anything either I predict.

SO... What's going wrong here? What am I overlooking? Or also, what is the bug?? :(
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-16T23:43:33.85+00:00

Per https://www.petenetlive.com/KB/Article/0001562 I tried to lower the allocated size up to only 9096GB but that didn't work either. I even went as low as 1.5TB to test, with the same results. Free space on the StoragePool is 13.1TB (2x 1.75TB + 4x 3.64TB disks)

Micro Zoft 1

From: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1034091-server-2019-storage-spaces-fails-to-create-vdisk/
Gives:

PS C:\Windows\system32> New-VirtualDisk -StoragePoolFriendlyName Storagepool -FriendlyName TestVD -ResiliencySettingName Parity -Size 0.02TB -ProvisioningType Fixed -MediaType HDD -PhysicalDiskRedundancy 2

FriendlyName ResiliencySettingName FaultDomainRedundancy OperationalStatus HealthStatus  Size Foot
                                                                                              prin
                                                                                              tOnP
                                                                                               ool
------------ --------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------  ---- ----
TestVD       Parity                2                     OK                Healthy      22 GB ...B

Micro Zoft 1

'-Size 0.2TB' works too.

FriendlyName ResiliencySettingName FaultDomainRedundancy OperationalStatus HealthStatus   Size FootprintOnPool Storag
                                                                                                               eEffic
                                                                                                                iency
------------ --------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------   ---- --------------- ------
TestVD       Parity                2                     OK                Healthy      206 GB          415 GB 49.64%

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T00:01:58.68+00:00

'-Size 2TB' works too.
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T00:14:14.883+00:00

-Size 7.274TB New-VirtualDisk : Not Supported
-Size 7.273TB TestVD Parity 2 OK Healthy 7.27 TB 14.55 TB ...9%

SO... What's limiting my max size to 7.27TB? When I use the PS shell I now can't even add a 100MB 2nd VirtualDisk. So I really seem to be maxed out... If anyone has a pointer article that explains this a bit better to me? I'd love to know.

Next reply will be the results of the GUI for a 7.273TB Virtual Disk.
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T00:28:54.507+00:00
(sorry, before I begin the GUI test...

New-VirtualDisk -StoragePoolFriendlyName Storagepool -FriendlyName TestVD -ResiliencySettingName Parity -Size 7.273TB -ProvisioningType Fixed -MediaType HDD -PhysicalDiskRedundancy 2

gives me the following result in the GUI... And that looks horrible: what did I do!!!? :)
Primordial > StoragePool Capacity: 18.0TB. Free space: 3.94TB and the bar Procent Allocated is almost full!
Yet when I use the GUI to add another Virtual Disk I get an error that the free space in this storage pool is only (still) 4GB... Time for bed or is Windows fracking up?
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T00:31:27.29+00:00

In the GUI: any size for the Virtual Disk that involves Parity will give an error. So a size of 7.273TB or (way) smaller won't work. So what was I doing in the PS prompt that generated a 7.273TB virtual Disk?

In the GUI, if I use Mirror instead of Parity I can create a Virtual Disk. Its max size is 3.49TB... Again, why!!?

I'm so confused... HELP! Please :)

Thank you!
Xiaowei He 9,871 Reputation points

2021-02-17T08:27:20.093+00:00

Hi,

Thanks for your post, we have noticed it and trying to find the related resource for you. If there's any update, we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Best Regards,
Anne
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T09:34:56.487+00:00

I've heard that before 🙄 I hope you guys know something, thanks :)
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T14:17:10.927+00:00

Update: no it's not the same. Storage tiers needs 5 disks for 2 disk failure redundancy. Parity layout needs 7 disk for 2 disk fault tolerance.

Also, adding that 7th disk after I formatted it didn't fix anything for my create volume problem :(

1 answer

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T20:59:08.543+00:00

I continued my exploration here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/277395/storage-spaces-direct-on-stand-alone-windows-serve.html

I'm still open to answers here too though! :)
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T21:23:02.533+00:00

PS C:\Windows\system32> New-VirtualDisk -StoragePoolFriendlyName StoragePool -FriendlyName PoolDisk -ResiliencySettingNa me Mirror -NumberOfDataCopies 3 -UseMaximumSize -ProvisioningType Fixed FriendlyName ResiliencySettingName FaultDomainRedundancy OperationalStatus HealthStatus Size FootprintOnPool Storage Efficie ncy ------------ --------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------ ---- --------------- ------- PoolDisk Mirror 2 OK Healthy 3.49 TB 10.47 TB 33.32%

Does this really mean I used about 19TB of hard disk space to create a 3.49TB volume...? What has happened here? :(

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T21:58:47.757+00:00

From: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/763306-storage-spaces-three-way-mirror-mechanics-and-five-drive-requirement and https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/new-storagetier?view=win10-ps

"In a three-way mirror, two copies of the original data are kept, thus making the storage space resilient to two disk failures, but only yielding one third of the total physical capacity as useable storage capacity. If a disk fails, the storage space remains online but with reduced or eliminated resiliency. If a new physical disk is added or a hot-spare is present, the mirror regenerates its resiliency."

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-17T22:10:19.893+00:00

Note to self: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/storage-spaces-fault-tolerance

Micro Zoft 1 Reputation point

2021-02-21T08:28:39.827+00:00

And I created a bounty here: https://serverfault.com/questions/1054041/storage-spaces-on-stand-alone-windows-server-2019-datacenter-what-are-my-option
Cross post of my question to: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2307795-windows-server-2019-storage-tier-2xssd-4xhdd-raid-5-6-parity-disk-requirements?page=1#entry-9103950
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