DELL POWERVAULT MD3200I / MD3600I DEPLOYMENT GUIDE FOR VMWARE ESXI 5.0 SERVER SOFTWARE A Dell Technical White Paper Version 1.0 PowerVault MD3200i and MD3600i Storage Arrays www.dell.com/MD3200i www.dell.com/MD3600i Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software DISCLAIMER: THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. For more information, contact Dell. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. http://www.dell.com June 4, 2012 Page 2 Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 3 TERMINOLOGY/GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 5 SUPPORTED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ................................................................................................ 5 Hardware Requirements ....................................................................................................................... 5 Supported Operating Systems for MD3200i/MD3600i arrays ............................................................. 5 ARCHITECTURAL SETUP ........................................................................................................................... 6 Considerations When Using iSCSI Software or Hardware Initiators for ESXi5.0 on MD3200i/MD3600i Storage Arrays...................................................................................................... 8 Establishing Sessions to a SAN ............................................................................................................ 9 CONFIGURE ISCSI STORAGE ON ESXI5.0 SERVER - INSTALLATION STEPS ..........................................11 Connect to the ESXi server/vCenter using VI Client and follow the steps below. .............................11 Step1: Configure vSwitch ....................................................................................................................11 Step2: Enable VMware iSCSI Software Initiator ...............................................................................16 Step3: Binding VMkernel Ports to iSCSI Software Initiator .............................................................17 Step4: Connect to PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Storage ..............................................................20 Step5: PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Storage Setup and Configuration .......................................23 Naming the host ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Selecting host port identifiers ........................................................................................................................... 25 Entering host port alias ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Host Group name.............................................................................................................................................. 30 Preview Define host ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Creation successful ........................................................................................................................................... 32 Define Mappings for LUNs .............................................................................................................................. 33 Step6: Perform rescan so VMware sees the virtual disk.....................................................................37 Step7: Create VMFS Datastores..........................................................................................................39 Step8: Configuring VMware Path Selection Policy............................................................................48 CONTACT INFORMATION .........................................................................................................................51 APPENDIX A ..............................................................................................................................................52 Add iSCSI VMkernel Ports ..................................................................................................................54 Assign Network Adapters .....................................................................................................................55 Support for vMotion.............................................................................................................................57 3 June 4, 2012 Page 3 Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software TERMINOLOGY/GLOSSARY VD == virtual disk VM == virtual machine NIC == network interface card MPIO == Multi-Path I/O SAN == Storage Area Network RDM == Raw Device Map DVS == Distributed Virtual Switch HA == high availability DRS == Distributed Resource Scheduler MRU == Most Recently Used IQN == iSCSI Qualified Name June 4, 2012 Page 4 Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software INTRODUCTION The steps necessary to connect to an iSCSI SAN are documented in VMware’s iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide which can be found on VMware’s website. This guide goes into depth with configuration examples for connecting to a Dell™ PowerVault™ iSCSI SAN utilizing the software iSCSI initiator inside the VMware® ESXi5.0 Server™. Configuring hardware initiators from within VMware® ESXi5.0 Server™ is not supported on the MD platform. Provisioning of MD iSCSI SAN storage in a VMware® ESXi5.0 environment is a multi-step process starting with establishing the iSCSI session, defining the server topology for host access, and finally allocating storage to the individual virtual machines (VMs). VMware® vSphere5™ offers enhancements over the iSCSI software initiator in conjunction with iSCSI SAN connectivity. These features require advanced configuration in order to work properly. For more details on what’s new in vSphere5, see VMware’s What’s New in vSphere 5.0 . SUPPORTED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Refer to the VMware HCL website for a complete up-to-date list of the prerequisites for installing VMware ESXi5.0 server. SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR MD3200I/MD3600I ARRAYS ESX4.1 and ESXi5.0 are two of the supported VMware OSs for MD3200i. Please see the MD Support Matrix at support.dell.com for a complete listing of supported VMware OSs. June 4, 2012 Page 5 nothing requires you to use all four ports for a given server.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. there are no technical architectural or functional features in the MD32x0i/36x0i that requires you to use all four ports June 4. available resources and intended application.0 Server Software ARCHITECTURAL SETUP As a best practice. see PowerVault MD32x0i IP SAN Best Practices. An IP SAN consists of one or more hosts. Figure 1 Architectural Setup There are many ways to implement an IP SAN based on need. Again. Dell recommends using a separate 1GbE/10GbE network switches to handle iSCSI storage traffic. Figure 1 above shows the high level connection details with all four controller paths utilized. For example. However. utilizing at least one switch in the network infrastructure. Each switch in the configuration must have a path to both controllers. in order to maximize the throughput of your storage arrays. connected to one or more storage arrays through an IP network. all host ports should be utilized. Some general rules can be used when designing your IP SAN. 2012 Page 6 . these ports will all be used for Round Robin. The ESX native multipathing (NMP) driver is able to use all paths on the same subnet. so if you choose a RR pathing policy. you must connect them to different IP subnets. as shown in Figure 2 below.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Otherwise.0 Server Software for a given server. If you use separate vSphere switches. VMkernel adapters might experience connectivity problems and the host will fail to discover iSCSI LUNs. you certainly could only use two of the ports if that meets your throughtput requirements. More specifically. June 4. Depending upon the workload needs. 2012 Page 7 . all iSCSI ports can reside on the same subnet. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software Figure 1 Architectural Setup (continued) CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE ISCSI INITIATORS FOR ESXI5. 2012 Page 8 .0 ON MD3200I/MD3600I STORAGE ARRAYS June 4. 0 server correctly and connect it to the PowerVault SAN.1 administrators can take advantage of multiple paths to the SAN for greater bandwidth and performance using native multipathing(NMP).Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. This does require some additional configuration which is discussed in detail later in this whitepaper. VMware uses VMkernel ports as the session initiators. ESTABLISHING SESSIONS TO A SAN Before continuing the examples. For example.0 Server Software Taking advantage of these ESXi5. The following serves as an example and demonstration of how to configure a new vSphere5 ESXi5. Configuration is done via vSphere GUI.0 maximum number of connections per volume). this means if there are 4 physical NICs. Depending on the environment this can create a single session to an array or up to 8 sessions (ESXi5. you would establish 1 VMkernel port per physical NIC as shown in Figure 3 below. sessions were established using a single NIC path and any additional NICs were there for failover only. The remainder of this whitepaper focuses on installation and configuration of an iSCSI software initiator connection to a PowerVault Series SAN. we first must discuss how VMware ESXi5. June 4. these will be different for each environment. it is recommended to use a one-to-one (1:1) mapping of VMkernel ports to physical network cards. For a typical deployment. Each VMkernel is bound to a separate physical adapter.0 features requires certain steps be taken by ESX administrators. 2012 Page 9 . Each of these commands can be found inside the VMWARE ISCSI SAN CONFIGURATION Guide and where names and IP Addresses are used. With previous versions of ESX. The screenshots displayed in this whitepaper are for reference only and may vary due to site-specific implementations.0 establishes its connection to the SAN utilizing the latest vSphere5 iSCSI Software Adapter. Starting with vSphere4. 0 Server Software Figure 3 Port Binding The following assumptions are made for these examples: 1. 2012 Page 10 . Running latest Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i firmware.0. Running ESXi5.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. June 4. 2. See VMware KB #2017084 here. The MD3200i/MD3600i IP address on the host ports will have already been configured. From the Configuration tab select Networking June 4. CONNECT TO THE ESXI SERVER/VCENTER USING VI CLIENT AND FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW. see PowerVault MD32x0i IP SAN Best Practices. 7. 8. The network topology is connected and both ESX servers and MD3200i/MD3600i arrays are powered on.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. The environment uses multiple NICs and attaching to a Dell PowerVault SAN utilizing VMware Native Multipathing (NMP). 6. Users connecting their vSphere5 environment using just iSCSI HBAs or users wishing to only assign a single iSCSI NIC with no Jumbo Frame support need not follow these steps and instead configure their environment as normal. More than one Network Interface Card (NIC) set aside for iSCSI traffic. Note: Port binding requires that all target ports of the storage array must reside on the same broadcast domain as the VMkernel ports because routing is not supported with port binding. 2012 Page 11 . STEP1: CONFIGURE VSWITCH This step will create a new vSwitch using vCenter.0 SERVER . No Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) for iSCSI traffic. 5. 4.0 Server Software 3.INSTALLATION STEPS Not every environment requires all of the steps detailed in this example. CONFIGURE ISCSI STORAGE ON ESXI5. Select Next to display the port group properties. 2012 Page 12 . assign 3 VMkernel Ports. This is referred to in VMware’s iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide as 1:1 port binding. - - June 4. See VMware KB #2017084 here.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Note: Port binding requires that all target ports of the storage array must reside on the same broadcast domain as the VMkernel ports because routing is not supported with port binding. So if there are 3 NICs. In a configuration assign one VMkernel port for each physical NIC in the system. Check the physical NIC that will be used for this switch.0 Server Software Figure 4 Configure vSwitch - Select Add Networking Select the VMkernel radio button Leave the Create vSphere Standard Switch checked. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software Figure 5 Configure vSwitch (continued) June 4. 2012 Page 13 . Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software - Select Next and specify the IP address that will be used. Note: Nothing requires you to use all four ports on the MD controller for a given server but if you are going to use Round Robin (RR) then using all four ports is recommended. June 4. If you choose to use all four ports then they each need to be on separate subnets and if you need to use vLans you’ll need separate vLans for RR to work correctly. 2012 Page 14 . You certainly can only use two of the ports if that meets the IO requirements. This must be on the same subnet as one of the ports on the MD array. Figure 6 Configure vSwitch (continued) - Select Next then select Finish Repeat this step for each NIC that you will use with the MD array. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. View the Release Notes of the PowerVault Firmware for the current connection limits for the Dell PowerVault. 2012 Page 15 . All of these configurations are done for the vSwitch itself.0 host will create multiple connections to the PowerVault SAN.0 Server Software Figure 7 Architectural Setup Always keep the entire virtual datacenter in mind when deciding on path and volume count. the ESXi5. Once this is configured changes are only necessary if more NICs are being added or the number of paths changes. Note: steps to enable Jumbo Frames are detailed in the Appendix. June 4. This means that once it is done. Place a check mark in Enabled and hit Ok. Select the iSCSI Software Adapter and click Properties. This will enable the iSCSI initiator and assign a unique iqn to the ESX host. Figure 8 Enable VMware iSCSI Software Initiator When the iSCSI properties window opens under the General tab click the Configure button.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. From the vCenter GUI on the ESX host navigate to Configuration -> Storage Adapters.0 Server Software STEP2: ENABLE VMWARE ISCSI SOFTWARE INITIATOR This step enables the iSCSI initiator to prepare the ESX host to connect to the PowerVault SAN. June 4. the iSCSI Software Adapter is not enabled by default and must be activated/added before proceeding. 2012 Page 16 . Initially. As a result. You then associate all VMkernel ports with the software iSCSI initiator using a port binding technique. If this step is skipped there will only ever be a single connection to the PowerVault SAN.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. which were configured in Step 1 earlier. to the iSCSI Software Initiator. In vSphere5 this step must be done via the Network Configuration tab under iSCSI Initiator Properties. With software iSCSI. each VMkernel port connected to a separate NIC June 4.0 Server Software Figure 9 Enable VMware iSCSI Software Initiator (continued) STEP3: BINDING VMKERNEL PORTS TO ISCSI SOFTWARE INITIATOR This next step will bind the VMkernel ports. you can use multiple NICs that provide failover and load balancing capabilities for iSCSI connections between your host and storage systems. 2012 Page 17 . See VMware KB #2017084 here. Note: Port binding requires that all target ports of the storage array must reside on the same broadcast domain as the VMkernel ports because routing is not supported with port binding. In vSphere5. this binding is accomplished by accessing the Network Configuration tab in iSCSI Initiator Properties. 2012 Page 18 . Figure 10 Binding VMkernel Ports - Select Add June 4.0 Server Software becomes a different path that the iSCSI storage stack and its storage-aware multipathing plugins can use.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. you create a separate VMkernel port for each physical NIC using 1:1 mapping. Figure 11 Binding VMkernel Ports (continued) With port binding.0 Server Software - Select the VMkernel switch (created in Step 1) from the list Select OK Repeat this for each of the VMkernel adapters that you have created Close the iSCSI Initiator Properties window When asked to rescan the adapter click Yes. June 4. 2012 Page 19 . 0. Navigate in the vCenter GUI to Configuration -> Storage Adapters. For details. the ESX/ESXi 4. is still available in vCLI 5.0. In this example we will attach the iSCSI Software Initiator to the SAN.x ESXCLI commands for setting up iSCSI are no longer supported in ESXi5. More information for complete administration of the Dell PowerVault SAN can be found in the PowerVault User’s Guide. Some “vicfg” commands do not have an “esxcli” equivalent in vSphere 5.0. Additionally. but most of these commands are played down in favor of the “esxcli” equivalent. Figure 12 Connect to PV Click on the iSCSI Software Adapter and click Properties. introduced in the vCLI in vSphere 4. The “vicfg-” family of commands. refer to iSCSI Storage Setup with vicfg-iscsi. STEP4: CONNECT TO POWERVAULT MD3200I/MD3600I STORAGE Now that the advanced configuration for the vSphere5 iSCSI Software Initiator has been completed. June 4. You should now see your iSCSI Target name listed. We will skip configuring CHAP but both one way and bi-directional CHAP are supported by the PowerVault SAN. 2012 Page 20 .0 Server Software The vSphere Storage documentation Managing iSCSI Storage explains in detail how to specify port binding. the next stage is to connect to the Dell PowerVault SAN.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Click Add. With Dynamic Discovery. 2012 Page 21 .0 Server Software Figure 13 Connect to PV (continued) Click the Dynamic Discovery tab. June 4. it sends the SendTargets request to the array. each time the initiator contacts a specified iSCSI array. In the iSCSI Server box type an IP Address for one of the iSCSI host ports of the PowerVault SAN and click Ok. The iSCSI array responds by supplying a list of available targets to the initiator. There may be a slight delay before the process completes.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. In this example we will create a 100GB virtual disk and assign it to this ESX host using the iqn name. This can be done multiple ways so refer to the PowerVault User’s Guide for more information. June 4.0 Server Software Figure 14 Dynamic Discovery When this is done click Close or enter in another IP Address if there are multiple SANs in your environment. The next step will be to create a new volume and assign it to the ESX server.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. You will be prompted for a Rescan of the HBAs but at this time as there are no virtual disks assigned so it is unnecessary. 2012 Page 22 . select the Mappings tab. Manually Define Hosts by highlighting the Storage Array Name and right clicking.dell. Select Define -> Host.0 Server Software STEP5: POWERVAULT MD3200I/MD3600I STORAGE SETUP AND CONFIGURATION Create virtual disks on MD3200i/MD3600i using steps described in the appropriate reference below: http://support. Figure 15 PV Setup and Configuration June 4.dell. 2012 Page 23 .com/support/edocs/systems/md3600i/multlang/GSG/DAO_BCC/GSG.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.pdf Note: in the following example the Storage array is an MD3200i with virtual disks already configured using the Configure Storage Array selection under the Setup Tab.com/support/edocs/systems/md3200i/multlang/GSG/DAO_BCC/GSG.pdf http://support. The new ESX host being added is named “VMware_host1”. After opening the Modular Disk Storage Manager and selecting the MD3200i storage array to be configured. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. for example. VMware_host1. Leave partitions enabled and select Next. Figure 16 Naming the Host June 4.0 Server Software NAMING THE HOST Select a name that matches the naming convention used for the environment that you are configuring. 2012 Page 24 . 2012 Page 25 . Figure 17 Selecting Host Port Identifiers Note: You can also add the iqn manually. In this example because the iSCSI session has already been established the iqn is already in the list. The iqn can be copied and pasted into the “Add by creating a host port identifier” field. June 4.0 Server Software SELECTING HOST PORT IDENTIFIERS Using the pull down select the host port identifier.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. To find the iSCSI Initiator Name from the vCenter GUI go to Configuration -> Storage Adapters. Click on the iSCSI Software Adapter. 2012 Page 26 . then select Add Figure 18 Adding Host Port Alias June 4.0 Server Software ENTERING HOST PORT ALIAS An alias is used in the topology tree to identify the port.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Add a unique alias for this host port such as the one below. 2012 Page 27 .0 Server Software The completed host port screen will be similar to the one below.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Figure 19 Completed Host Port Identifier June 4. Select Next to continue. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software Select VMware as the host type Figure 20 Selecting Host Type June 4. 2012 Page 28 . Figure 21 Host Group Question June 4. We will create a host group for this example. 2012 Page 29 . See appendix for details.0 Server Software If you intend to use advanced VMware features such as VMotion then this host will share access with other ESX servers and you will have to create a Host Group.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. This is required for VMotion. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software HOST GROUP NAME Enter a host group name that is appropriate for your environment. 2012 Page 30 . For this example we used VMware_Group1 Figure 22 Host Group Name June 4. 0 Server Software PREVIEW DEFINE HOST If all of the information is correct for your environment select Finish. Figure 23 Preview (Define Host) June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 31 . 2012 Page 32 . Figure 3 Topology Creation Successful June 4. You can add additional Hosts after you have finished configuring the current host.0 Server Software CREATION SUCCESSFUL Select No at this time.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Figure 4 Selecting a Virtual Disk for mapping June 4. In the topology tree expand the Undefined Mappings and highlight one of the Virtual Disks. 2012 Page 33 . Right Click and select Define Additional Mappings.0 Server Software DEFINE MAPPINGS FOR LUNS Note: In this example the Disk Groups and Virtual Disks have already been created using the wizard under the Setup Tab.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Figure 5 Selecting the Host Group June 4.0 Server Software Remember that the virtual disk is assigned to the host group and not the host. For this example we selected the host group that was defined in the previous steps. 2012 Page 34 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Figure 6 Assigning additional virtual disks June 4. 2012 Page 35 .0 Server Software Assign the other virtual disk to the existing host group. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software After the virtual disks are assigned notice that the host group and its associated hosts are no longer under the default group in the topology. Figure 7 Completed Topology with Assigned Virtual Disks June 4. This completes the configuration. 2012 Page 36 . the only thing to do now is to rescan the iSCSI Adapter and make sure the volume appears correctly.0 Server Software STEP6: PERFORM RESCAN SO VMWARE SEES THE VIRTUAL DISK The next step is to connect to the volume on the SAN and verify the connection status. 2012 Page 37 . Figure 29 Perform Rescan June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. In the vSphere4 GUI click on Configuration -> Storage Adapters and select the iSCSI Software Adapter. Since the iSCSI access and configuration was configured in the last step. Click Rescan All and choose to Scan for New Storage Devices and select Ok. Figure 30 Perform Rescan (continued) If the device information is correct select the Path Tab and verify that there are active and standby paths for each device (LUN) June 4.0 Server Software If everything has been configured properly under Devices there will be new PowerVault iSCSI Disks with the correct LUNs. similar to what’s shown below. 2012 Page 38 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Begin by selecting Storage under Hardware and then select Add Storage June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 39 . they can also be formatted as VMFS Datastores and utilized as normal. Creating a Data Store from the MD3200i LUNS is the same as creating a Data Store with any local disk. STEP7: CREATE VMFS DATASTORES Now that the iSCSI Software adapter is set up and configured and the Dell iSCSI disks are visible to the adapter.0 Server Software Figure 31 Perform Rescan (continued) Repeat this step for each additional new Dell iSCSI disk that is created. 2012 Page 40 .0 Server Software Figure 32 Create VMFS Datastores June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 41 .0 Server Software Because an iSCSI disk is considered a local SCSI disk the storage type is Disk/LUN Figure 33 Create VMFS Datastores (continued) June 4. Figure 84 Selecting a LUN to create a Datastore June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software Select one of the LUNS from the MD3200i/3600i in order to create a Datastore. 2012 Page 42 . 2012 Page 43 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.0 Server Software Figure 35 Selecting File System Version June 4. Select Next to create a VMFS partition. Figure 9 Disk Layout June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 44 .0 Server Software This screen displays the information about the disk layout. 0 Server Software Enter a Datastore name and select Next. Figure 37 Datastore name Review the disk layout and click Finish to add storage. 2012 Page 45 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. June 4. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. June 4.0 Server Software Figure 38 Review disk layout The new storage is completed and ready to use with VMs. 2012 Page 46 . 0 Server Software Figure 10 Selecting a LUN to create a Datastore June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 47 . Configure -> Storage. select the volume from the vCenter GUI. This allows for greater and better bandwidth utilization than in previous versions of ESX. Highlight the datastore and select properties. To verify the Path Selection Policy on a datastore. such as Most Recently Used(MRU) and Round Robin(RR). 2012 Page 48 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. Figure 40 Configuring VMware PSP June 4.0 Server Software STEP8: CONFIGURING VMWARE PATH SELECTION POLICY Features enabled by configuring the iSCSI Software Initiator the way we have is that now we can take advantage of several multipathing policies. 0 Server Software From the properties window select Manage Paths.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 49 . Figure 41 Configuring VMware PSP (continued) The path selection can be either MRU or RR and the Storage Array Type should be VMW_SATP_LSI. Figure 42 Configuring VMware PSP (continued) June 4. 2012 Page 50 .0 Server Software June 4.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. dell.COM/SUPPORT/TOPICS/GLOBAL.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5.com/vmware June 4.ASPX/SUPPORT/PRODUCT_SUPPORT/PRODUCT_SUPPORT _CENTRAL?C=US&CS=555&L=EN&S=BIZReferences VMware vSphere 5.DELL.html Dell/VMware alliance home page: http://www.0 Documentation: http://www.com/support/pubs/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-pubs.vmware. 2012 Page 51 .0 Server Software Figure 11 Configuring VMware PSP (continued) CONTACT INFORMATION HTTP://SUPPORT. if you have lots of random data going to one LUN and lots of sequential data on another LUN. Since the MD3220i has four ports per controller you get your best throughput with four subnets. and physical NICs as well as the I/O access characteristics will affect how you configure the MD3200i/MD3600i. Only one controller at a time has access to the LUNs. This LUN/controller relationship is reported by the MD3200i/MD3600i to VMware which then dictates the paths (and the "optimal" condition of the array). For example. you might want them to be on separate disk groups as all that random movement could inhibit June 4. Performance depends on many variables. Regardless of the pathing method in VMware. the LUNs are assigned out of disk groups. The decision to use multiple subnets may depend upon the specific architecture and networking topology and may not be essential in all cases. Without additional subnets that will cause a bottle-neck at the controller since pathing is at the disk group level rather than the LUN level for the MD300xi Configuring RR to the same LUN across both controllers is not recommended. setup each port on a different subnet with one disk group per controller. Here are the ESXi CLI commands to switch the pathing policy. You run this for each device. esxcli storage nmp psp roundrobin deviceconfig set --device =< device name > -useano=true|false esxcli storage nmp device list You can use the following command to change default pathing policy to RR for all SATP_LSI devices: #esxcli storage nmp satp set –s VMW_SATP_LSI –P VMW_PSP_RR The number of servers. each disk group with one LUN per port.0 Server Software APPENDIX A Considerations involving subnet configuration It is recommended that you have different ports on different subnets due to throughput and pathing considerations. you will only have one active port on each controller of the array if you do not create additional subnets.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. On the MD3200i/MD3600i. 2012 Page 52 . On an MD3200i/MD3600i. this can also be accomplished via vCenter GUI. Multiple subnets should be allocated by the number of array ports per controller. The alternate controller has access to those LUNs but only as a failover alternate path. Further details on esxcli commands are available here. Note. With the MD3200i you only get an active path to multiple ports on the same controller if they are on different subnets or VLANs. The difference between current path and MD3200i/MD3600i preferred path can be a configuration issue. Considerations involving Volume Not On Preferred Path Virtual Disk Not On Preferred Path(VNOP) condition is the result of a Virtual Disk (a. Insufficient active paths have been defined to allow multipath access preferred by the MD3200i/MD3600i storage array for performance and redundancy features. if all the data is sequential. So.0 Server Software performance of the sequential data.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. and in most cases is not a functional path or hardware failure. There are corrective actions possible to resolve the reported Virtual Disk Not On Preferred Path fault condition without replacement of any hardware. A performance tuning guide that talks about various variables that you can play with and how each might impact performance is available here. June 4.k. Recovery can be accomplished via Redistribute Virtual Disks. 2012 Page 53 . LUN) being assigned to the alternate controller from its original assignment when first created. Now.a. a lot depends on the nature of your data. you might get better performance keeping both the LUNs on a large disk group and take advantage of spindles. This situation can arise as a combination of default settings for Virtual Disk creation in the MD3200i/MD3600i and the creation of active iSCSI sessions between the host and the MD3200i/MD3600i for iSCSI access. The following command will create a new vSwitch called vSwitch2: esxcfg-vswitch –a vSwitch2 Next. The following command will add a new iSCSI VMkernel Port named iSCSI1 on the vSwitch created in the previous step. 2012 Page 54 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. ADD ISCSI VMKERNEL PORTS All of these configurations are done for the vSwitch itself. June 4. Once this is configured there only need to be changes made if more NICs are being added or if more or less paths are needed. The polling rate of vCenter is not instantaneous so changes will not show up immediately after it is typed. Throughout these procedures some of the verification can be done via command line or seen in the vCenter GUI. This means that once it is done.0 host will create multiple connections to the PowerVault SAN. the ESXi5. You can also see it displayed in the GUI of vCenter. enable Jumbo Frames on the vSwitch: esxcfg-vswitch –m 9000 vSwitch2 To verify that the switch was configured properly run the following command: esxcfg-vswitch –l Your output will look similar to this: Switch Name vSwitch2 Num Ports 64 Used Ports 1 Configured Ports 64 MTU Uplinks 9000 You can note the new vSwitch2 with the MTU of 9000 to verify that the switch was created correctly. Be sure to check the environment to make sure that Jumbo Frames are supported at the networking layer before enabling Jumbo Frames on the ESX host.0 Server Software CLI commands to enable Jumbo Frames To enable Jumbo Frames on a vSwitch from a vSphere5 vCenter see Enable Jumbo Frames for iSCSI or these commands can be run via vCLI. Adding a NIC is configured and verified in the vCenter GUI.255. navigate to Configuration -> Networking. click Properties on the vSwitch2.0 Server Software esxcfg-vswitch –A iSCSI1 vSwitch2 This next command will configure the IP Address. June 4. on the ESX Host. In vCenter. First navigate to the Networking section on the ESX host you are configuring. Remember that the polling of vCenter is not instantaneous so a refresh might need to occur to see the latest changes.255.206 –n 255.0 –m 9000 iSCSI1 To verify the configuration enter the following command: esxcfg-vswitch –l The output will look similar to this: Switch Name vSwitch2 Num Ports 64 Used Ports 7 VLAN ID 0 Configured Ports MTU Uplinks 64 Used Ports 1 Uplinks 9000 PortGroup Name iSCSI1 You can verify the IP Addresses via the vCenter GUI. 2012 Page 55 . ASSIGN NETWORK ADAPTERS The next step in the process is to assign the network adapters (NICs) that will be attached to the iSCSI network and used for iSCSI traffic. Configuration -> Networking. From here. These will be attached to the vSwitch2 that we created earlier.6.10. Subnet Mask and enable Jumbo Frame support for the new VMkernel Port iSCSI1 esxcfg-vmknic –a –i 10.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 0 Server Software Click the Network Adapters tab. 2012 Page 56 .Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. This will open up the Add Adapter Wizard. Then click Add. June 4. From here select the vmnics that you want to add to the vSwitch. In our example it will be vmnic1. page 214 offers guidance entitled. For now keep the defaults listed in the Failover Order screen and click Next.0 Server Software Click Next after you have selected the chosen adapters. page 57 describes configuring and using vMotion. Review the adapters listed and click Finish completing the process. the configuration to enable vMotion is a single check box on the properties of the hosts’ VMKernel network interface. Additionally.Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. In vSphere5. These adapters will now show up in the GUI under the Network Adapters tab. 2012 Page 57 . SUPPORT FOR VMOTION VMware’s Datacenter Admin Guide . Storage vMotion Requirements and Limitations. June 4. VMware vSphere Examples and Scenarios. Dell PowerVault MD3200i/MD3600i Configuration Guide for VMware ESXi5. 2012 Page 58 .0 Server Software June 4.
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