Veeam Infrastructure appliance unable to handle mixed logical disk sector size in same server

[dejan.ilic]

I'm working on reinstalling a homebrew Linux Hardened Repository with Veeam Infrastructure appliance repo.
During installation it terminates with error:
"Found devices with difference in logical sector size"
- sda - 4096
- sdb - 512

Given that modern large HDD (and SDD) hardware has 4Kn block size and for sure is more optimal compared to 512e (emulated), why would Veeam appliance care?
Smaller drives, like OS installation drive often are capped at 512 (native) byte size, I'm forced to change HDD format on the repository disk to 512e which I luckily can do.

But as Linux can handle both sizes I see no technical reason to enforce the same logical block sizes across different disks.
I feel that this should be corrected in future releases

[david.domask]

Hi dejan.ilic,

It's not about Linux / Veeam limitation, it's about LVM on the appliance.

LVM doesn't allow mixing of devices with different logical sectors -- you _can_ enable it with a config parameter, but as I understand, it's not recommended.

[dejan.ilic]

I was using LVM on my homebrew hardened appliance and didnt notice any issues with mixed logical sector sizes (on Redhat Enterprise Linux 9)
But then I had configured my OS disk on a separate LVM volume group /logical volume compared to the repository data disks that was in another VG / LV.

Thats the reason for my surprise when the Veeam Appliance stopped after detecting the two different sizes on the separate disks.

[MLang]

We have a similar problem here. We want to use a Dell R770 with two MD2460s as a backup repository. However, VIA cannot be installed on a BOSS device (two Nvme-Disks in RAID 1 as a boot medium) because there is no second disk for VIA. The virtual disk in the BOSS would be more than large enough. I cannot understand why a second disk is required for the appliance and why a second partition is not simply created. That would solve the problem entirely.

[lasseoe]

Hi dejan.ilic,

It's not about Linux / Veeam limitation, it's about LVM on the appliance.

LVM doesn't allow mixing of devices with different logical sectors -- you _can_ enable it with a config parameter, but as I understand, it's not recommended.

This is a Volume Group limitation, which kinda makes sense. But, as long as you separate your PVs with different sector sizes in different VG's, all is good.
I've not used Veeams Appliance, but I am hoping you're not adding data LVs into your OS VG.