Prerequisites and limitations when using 256 PVSCSI disks in a virtual machine

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Best Practices, Caveats, and Interoperability when working with VM that has more than 60 VMDKs.

Symptoms:
This document describes the necessary information to use the 256 PVSCSI disks in a virtual machine.
To avoid the failures when using this feature, the user must aware of the below prerequisites and limitations:
 
Prerequisites:

To use this feature, the Virtual Machine’s hardware version must be 14 or higher.
The ESXi host must meet below recommended
performance data:

CPU: 2 CPUs with 28 cores per socket or above
Memory: 64GiB capacity or above
Physical Storage(Local Storage or Networked Storage):
IOPS Bandwidth Latency
Read >120000 >470MB/s <1080 usec
Write >110000 >470MB/s <1198 usec

Limitations:
       
Features not supported:

• VMware vSphere Replication
• Content Libraries
• OVF Template Deployment/Export through UI
• SRM VR mode (vSphere replication)

Features with limited supportive:

• SRM only support ABR mode (Array-based replication)
• Application quiesced snapshots supported for VM with less than 64 disks due to VSS limitations.
• Storage vMotion and XvMotion may timeout when such large VM has snapshots.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7

Resolution

Currently, there is no resolution or workaround:

• VMware vSphere Replication
• Content Libraries

Workaround:
To work around this issue:

1. OVF Template Deployment/Export through UI:

Workaround: Use PowerCLI Export-VApp/Import-VApp cmd-lets for templates export or Import.

2. SRM VR mode (vSphere replication): 

Workaround: Use the Array-based replication mode when performing SRM operations.

3. Storage vMotion and XvMotion timeout issue:

Workaround: Delete the snapshots before Storage vMotion and XvMotion.

Note: Please make sure all data has been backed up before deleting the snapshots.