EqualLogic + vmware + BCM57800

Similar Questions

• Design of network for VMware/iSCSI SAN

  I am currently reshaping our business network to take account of the variation between stand-alone servers and an Equallogic/VMware environment. We will use iSCSI to connect to the virtual machine to the San.

  My question is this. How a proper network design should seek this kind of deployment? I've specified my current hardware less than what I have to work with. Given that I can't pay by port / vlan database MTU value on the 3750/2960 should I dedicate a switch for iSCSI?

  Equipment available:

  Core switch/router:

  WS-C37560G-24TS-1U

  Stacked switches:

  WS-C2960S-48TS-L access switch

  WS-C2960S-48TS-L access switch

  WS-C2960S-48LPS-L voice changer

  WS-C2960S-24TS-L Server switch (dedicated iSCSI Possible)

  Unused stacked switches:

  Dell Powerconnect 6224 x 2 reference

  Servers:

  Reference Dell R710 Quad NIC

  Reference Dell R610 Quad NIC

  Storage:

  EqualLogic PS4100 with two 2 x 1 GbE controllers = 4 GbE for iSCSI

  Best regards

  Markus

  given that the same logic has two controllers that you will have to use a pair of switches to cross connect for redundancy. You are going to need some maps as well. 1 sc, 1 for vmotion, 2 for iscsi (cross connected) and probably 2 for the production traffic.

  Sent by Cisco Support technique iPad App

• Storage of hybrid matrices 3 with Betclic

  I have 2 6500ES and 1 6100XS used by 8 ESX hosts approximately 130 virtual machines running.  Performance is important, but I migrated just my MD3000i data on the 6500's, so I already see an improvement... the SSD is impressive.  :)

  I have 3 questions

  1.) can I do 1 pool or 2?  I currently have them in 2 pools, however, I wonder if just do 1 pool and let the faders EQL to load all the work assumes that do it for me... I don't want to have to check the use of the e/s between the basins as I went and manually or using DRS storage so I don't have to. E/s of store DRS requires turning on storage i/o control, which is not recommended according to practice Documentation best EqualLogic VMWare - I'm guessing that because it could hinder the decisions of swing for the loading of the SAN.

  I think I read that best practices says 2 pools, but I don't know if it takes 3 hybrids account.

  With the exception of the virtual machine our data are pretty ephemeral. Receive us a small amount of data, create a large amount of data, duplicate, save it, deliver, then he sits for a period of time before being archived and purged.

  (2.) I think higher than the latency of reading expected when Ops ARE on the 6500 / s fall below 500 Kbps.  It of not crazy high, but revolves around the range 8ms.  I disabled delayed ACK, who brought 12-15 latency time, and want to disable TCP offloading the next maintenance window.  But, is this normal?  My 6100 remains generally less than 2ms read and write

  Updates to the firmware 3) -is it safe to do in activity? Or I really need to stop all my ESX hosts before you do?  The documentation says to do when there is low usage... Does this mean that status at the HQ of SAN said low? or what is considered to be low? Is the same applies to the hard drive firmware updates?

  Thanks in advance!
  David

  Re: 1. I suggest that keep you in the two pools.  Only because of the difference in size between the 6500's and 6100 s.   You could go to 3 swimming pools, but they run you the risk of having to move virtual machines to balance IO.

  Re: 2. I'll try also turn off RSO, great Recieve Offload.

  Re: 3 upgrades.  E/s low means when the table is not widely used.  So yes, a low e/s of SANHQ reading would show that.  If your company is not active 24 x 7, so it's normal after hours time span weekend.   Most important is giving the login_timeout 60 ESXi servers and by setting the disktimeout value to 60 in virtual machines.  With the recent firmware the time required to failover and early response is usually less than 30 seconds.  But not always, one may be closer to 60 seconds under load.  It is also essential to ensure that the switch ports happen immediately on the transition.  (AKA portfast)   This way when the CM goes down, the ports are online immediately.    In addition, to be able to handle a FW update also means you can manage a CM failover on a HW problem.

  Disc FW updates.   Yes.  The updates take place one disc at a time.   Then, the player is power rolled, to update the FW.   That time is very fast, and single e/s to this player is paused, then resumed once the player comes back online.   But again, the best time is low i/o.

  In a perfect scenario, yes make upgrades in a window of Maint would be ideal.  At least stop the virtual machines.   In this something unexpected occurred offshore lucky.

  Since it is ESXi you run at least 6.0.7 firmware?

  Kind regards

• Module Extension of Multipathing EqualLogic for VMware vSphere 5 Std.

  Hi all

  Can install EqualLogic Multipathing plug-in for VMware with vSphere 5.0 STD license?

  Thank you.

  The file PDF of Dell is indeed the case - you must be at least vSphere Enterprise in order to use any third party Multipathing module (such as Dell MEM, EMC PowerPath/VE, etc.).

  See the link depending on which compares the features available in each edition of vSphere.  The feature that we are talking about here is called 'Storage API for Multipathing' and only in Enterprise and Enterprise Plus:

  http://www.VMware.com/products/vSphere/buy/editions_comparison.html

  You can still use the native multipathing in vSphere, but unless you upgrade to Enterprise you will not be able to use the MEM.

  I hope this helps.

  Matt

  http://www.thelowercasew.com

• VMWare using only 1 IP of EqualLogic PS6000

  I have a new configuration of vSphere with 2 hosts ESXi (Dell R610s) and all my a new EqualLogic PS6000 storage. I use the Broadcom NIC for iSCSI (all other traffic exceeds a secondary NIC 4port). Right now I use 2 ethernet ports on the R610s and PS6000 for iSCSI. I followed the instructions in the document "setting up VMWare vSphere software iSCSI...". "Dell for 2 different iSCSI VMKernel interfaces configuration. The PS6000 uses an IP address of the 10.30.1.1 group and the 2 network cards are 10.30.100.1 and 10.30.100.2 (all with a 255.255.0.0 netmask). The problem I have is when I connect the R610s to the PS6000 via the IP 10.30.1.1, the PS6000 only redirects them to 10.30.100.1, forcing all traffic from these two hosts in the same VM. I tried connecting a computer non - ESX (my Mac desktop computer), and it sends me to 10.30.100.2, so this interface works without a doubt. What I'm trying to understand now, that is exactly how I have VMWare to connect two IPS to distribute the load between the two interfaces on the PS6000. The PS6000 reports 2 connections by volume of each ESX host.

  Does anyone have an idea what I should look next?

  Thank you.

  I opened several requests for EQL support about something similar to this.  In many cases when I migrated a table in an existing pool, or when I activated interfaces more I don't see connections spread.  I saw the following:

  -Select Eth1 and Eth2, wait a few hours, run IOMeter tests, all connections are always on Eth0

  -Restart the controller, now all connections are on Eth1 and Eth2 with none on Eth0

  -Wait as the rest of the weekend and check Monday, iscsi connections are balanced.

  The above situations have happened to me a few times and I have been informed that the balancer connection will be finally doing things.  I think something has changed with this code over time, it was that the balancer spreads connections very quickly.

  Ben

• Reference Dell EqualLogic HIT/VSM - VMware license terms.

  Hello.

  I read the release notes of Virtual Storage Manager 4.0, vSphere, conditions of licence, they are required:

  License terms for vSphere
  VSM comes with licenses and the following features:

  VSM: VSphere license any

  VASA: vCenter 5.0 or later version, ESXi 4.0 or later, any vSphere license
  In addition, the storage array firmware allows use the following features that VSM is installed:

  vStorage API for integration (VAAI) table: business, Enterprise Plus on ESXi license
  4.1 or later.

  Issues related to the:

  1. I'll be able to run VSM with vSphere Essentials Plus? VAAI at least requires vSphere Enterprise License. What are the consequences if I deploy with vSphere Essentials Plus.

  2 VSM supports ESXi 5.5 U2?

  Thank you

  Paul

  VASA is a feature you don't need basic VSM features.  Which is what the release notes are trying to say.   VASA allows VMware request more information on storage volumes.   I.e. through VASA VCS calls can show that a volume is RAIDed storage, integrates snapshots or replicas.   Currently, the usefulness of the VASA is limited, even when it is available.   VASA is the first step to VMware to better understand a storage array capabilities. More features will be coming in future versions of ESXi.

  However, to make the VASA work any, the storage provider must provide software 'glue' for specific HW calls of a query of VCS.   VSM, is what has the code, known as a "provider of VASA.   A translator of sorts.

  Kind regards

• EqualLogic PS6100X: direct connections (double) iscsi to 3 vmware ESX host

  Hello

  Due to the reduction of costs, we integrate

  1 x ps6100x Dell Equallogic (2 controllers to each 4 ports)

  3 x dell poweredge r720 (each have 2 ports dedicated for trafficking SAN storage)

  vSphere 5.5 (shared storage on the San)

  Without the use of SAN switches. Each host has dual direct connection (1 to each SAN controller) with the initiator iscsi software.

  We did before with Dell MD3200i, who has also 2 controllers and 8 ports, so we expect no problems.

  But now that I have read on the Equallogic, I'm starting to become uncertain if this Setup will work?

  I know that this is not recommended, but at this point, my only concern is that it will work (even with less performance).

  Can you please give me some advice on this?

  Best regards

  Joris

  P.S. If this is probably NOT possible, what would be the best/low average cost to make this possible?

  I've seen this failure at work, as in the connections dropped, BSOD was virtual machines with a single host with no switch.  iSCSI traffic tends to be very burst, which is having when the right switch pays you back.

  Re: 3750 X are those good switches, there is some adjustment settings that need to be addressed.  Also to solve a flowcontrol problem download the most current IOS firmware.

  For such a small group / number of servers, the stacked 2960 would be OK.  Perhaps to problems later if you need to scale this environment.  lack of 2960 allocate buffer, then you want to start without Jumbo frames, all enter into stable and of good practices.  So maybe later try enabling it.  3750 X works very well with Jumbo and Flowcontrol active BTW.

  These choices are better than no switch miles.  3750 x were pretty expensive last time I looked.  Unless you have a little already.  If you share them with the rest of the traffic that is not optimal, but at least put all ISCSI traffic on its own VIRTUAL local network.

  4948 are the right choice.  Some high-end HP switches.  Step away from the elders, like 2810 or 2824/48.  They seem to be there for cheap $$ but are designed for GbE Office not GbE iSCSI.

  Kind regards

• EqualLogic HIT for VMware

  We just purchased a 6100 Equallogic - I was installing the virtual appliance HIT the vCenter plugin - I see that it must have a network connection on the network iSCSI in addition to the management network.

  Can I just add a machine virtual port group port to my virtual switch of the existing iSCSI network so I can then add a second network adapter on the virtual computer?

  Will there be an impact on performance on iSCSI connections if I do this?

  Thank you!

  HY, Yes, we must configure two network cards on the device: one on the MGMT network and the other on the iSCSI network. You can simply add a portgroup VM to the virtual switch iSCSI network (where also the VMkernel ports for iSCSI are configured) and bind it to the NIC to the iSCSI device.

  EqualLogic has provided the proper documentation and download the appliance (OVF).

  There's no impact on the iSCSI connection by configuring it this way. We use iSCSI on the other virtual machines also with this binding configuration (to use iSCSI on the virtual machine itself).

  Kind regards

• EqualLogic PS4000E and VMware

  Hello

  We have one EqualLogic PS4000E with 16 x SATA 1 TB of disk.  Has anyone ever used a similar setup?  and how do you have with it?

  Also how much a difference Raid 50, or Raid 6 will make compared to Raid 10?  I know 10 provides better performance, but it is really worth the loss of 5 TB of space?  or we would be fine with the Raid 50?

  We currently manage around 30 VMs on ESXi 4.1 4 hosts.  The stores will we be hosting all these and our file shares serving approximately 300 users.

  We also have a slight concern that we have the bad conrollers for configuration.  We bought the thing with dual controllers each with 2 x 1 Gbit ethernet ports.  What we didn't realize is the second controller is idle in a failover situation.  Is this really enough flow float 30 servers and a file share?

  Thanks for the help

  David

  Hello.

  The PS4000E is a solid device.  I have a client with one and it is working very well so far.

  Regarding the RAID level, my client went with RAID 6.  The loss of performance vs argument will go down to your workloads really.  RAID 6 seems to be a good compromise for loads of generalization of my client and they are running file/print, SQL, various applications and Citrix on it.

  Dual controllers is the way to go.  Make sure that you install the MEM plugin on your ESXi hosts and you will be impressed by the performance of this device.  But again, the 30 servers will be entirely dependent on the workload and their needs.

  Good luck!

• VMware

  Are there known issues for EqualLogic PS4000 in a VMware 6.5 environment? Is it compatible?

  Thank you

  Hello

  Yes with Dell PS Series, model number is not important.   The version of the firmware is.

  Anyone running Dell PS Series without the need to be 6.0,7 or later version to avoid potential problems with VMFS Datastoeres.

  Technically, 6.5 is unprecedented for compatibility testing is not finished

  Kind regards

  Don

• My group IP Equallogic rattling of unknown Internet hosts

  Hello

  I have an Equallogic group composed of former members of PS6000 and also running firmware 5.02 (I know it's old).  Our network security team saw that the IP of the Equallogic group sends constant pings to certain IP addresses.  Some of these IP addresses are no. DHCP Server related (169.254.1.151 169.254.1.19, etc.), but also we are seeing pings being sent to internet two IPS, 20.20.20.2 and 20.20.20.3.  These pings are apparently constant, and we can not find in the logs in the management console, why they produce.

  Any thoughts or ideas?

  Kind regards

  Kevin

  Hello

  I suspect that you have a Server Windows, with HIT / me installed.  But the MPIO configuration wizard has not been run to exclude all non-iSCSI subnets.  If the hosts are trying to log on by using all available subnets.  To ensure than a back road, the table first ping this IP address.  In case of failure it will not attempt a connection.

  Then once you run the Remote Setup Wizard, you will see the option of MPIO.  Make sure only the iSCSI subnet is included and this should solve your problem.

  Re: Firrmware.  Very old firmware.  If you run VMware ESXi, you are also at risk of corruption of VMFS metadata.  The minimum EQL firmware to address this problem is 6.0.7.  There are also a lot of improvements to the management of disk errors, etc...   5.0.2 is released Oct. 2010.

  Kind regards

  Don

• How to delete files orphans on the equallogic virtual volume

  It is in reference to article kb of VMware to the address following:

  https://KB.VMware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalID=2108332

  So what commands or GUI options are available to remove volume virtual orphaned objects?

  vSphere indicates the virtual volume in a vacuum but a space used 53 GB to 1 TB. The equallogic gui shows several virtual machines with 0 Mb in size associated with the storage container. Any attempt to remove gui and ssh results in the following error 'storage container must be empty to be deleted. The storage container is also showing that it incorporates snapshots and related clones that I can't access.

  Storage container _ Information
  name: XXXXXXXX-VOL001 UUID:
  Description:
  Size logic: logical 10TB used: 354GB
  Free logic: 9.65 TB Aggr physical size: 1 TB
  Physical AGGR used: 53GB free physical Aggr: 971,02 GB
  VVols: 2 VVolSnapshots: 1
  VVolLinkedClones: OnlineVVolsSnapshotsLinkedClones 0: 2
  _______________________________________________________________________________
  _ Information _ pool storage container
  Name of the cluster: the default physical size: 1 TB
  Used Physics: 53 GB physical free: 971,02 GB
  Free space warning percentage: 10%
  _______________________________________________________________________________

  Fixed it myself using "vvol" or "AUTOMAGIC help command. Here's a tutorial. Use at your own risk!

  SSH in equallogic array.

  [Enter the support mode]
  support

  [Show vvols on Bay Equallogic and check if the vvol that you are trying to delete is related]
  See the vvol
  Bound _ Information _ VVols
  _______________________________________________________________________________
  Name size Type container Description
  --------------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ------------
  04250816-50 ° c 6-4, 350GB vmdk-vvol XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX-sna
  BBC-92f0-2869-p-2016-05-
  f95a41ad 08 - 20:53:3

  [Select the vvol]
  vvol select 04250816-50c6-4bbc-92f0-2869f95a41ad

  [Displays details of the selected vvol and locate the linked access policy]
  Show

  _ Information access policy
  Name: VSMAR-160408124414913 UUID:
  0-000000-000000000-0000000000000000

  [Untie the spectacle of the access policy that you are able to remove the object vvol]
  remove the access strategy VSMAR-160408124414913 link

  [go up one level]
  output

  [check if vvol is now independent]
  See the vvol

  Non-consolidated _ VVols _ Information
  _______________________________________________________________________________
  Name size Type container Description
  --------------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ------------
  04250816-50 ° c 6-4, 350GB vmdk-vvol XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX_1-SNA
  BBC-92f0-2869-p-2016-05-
  f95a41ad 08 - 20:53:3

  [delete the orphaned vvol]
  vvol delete 04250816-50c6-4bbc-92f0-2869f95a41ad

  [May not be no need to go up one level]
  output

  [list of storage containers]
  show tank

  Name logical size physical pool size
  --------- ------------ --------- -------------
  Value by default 10 TB of XXXXXXXXX 1 TB

  [select the storage container that had the orphaned objects]
  storage container select XXXXXXXXXX

  [view detailed information and check that used physical Aggr: or used Physics: is now 0MB]
  Show

  Storage container _ Information
  name: XXXXXXXXXXX UUID:
  Description:
  Size logic: logical 10TB used: 0 MB
  Free logic: 10TB Aggr physical size: 1 TB
  Physical AGGR used: 0MB free physical Aggr: 1 TB
  VVols: 0 VVolSnapshots: 0
  VVolLinkedClones: 0 OnlineVVolsSnapshotsLinkedClones: 0
  _______________________________________________________________________________
  _ Information _ pool storage container
  Name of the cluster: the default physical size: 1 TB
  Used Physics: 0 MB free physical: 1 TB
  Free space warning percentage: 10%
  _______________________________________________________________________________

  You are now able to remove the storage container in the GUI.

• Linux KVM and EqualLogic

  Hello

  I was wondering if someone could help me with a problem with KVM and ISCSI.
  If we're going to restart a controller on our EqualLogic SAN or there is no disruption to network on the storage network (for example, a member of the pool move us)
  KVM you can throw a wobbler and go of their filesystems read-only (guest centos 5.9 with virtio pilot).
  I have read a few forums that indicate you can set values for timeout to drive on the clients themselves, but this is not possible using the virtio driver, which is what we currently use.
  Is it possible that we can load KVM to suspend the virtual machine, if there is a failure of storage and take back them when the store comes back online (I think that vmware for it)?
  We are running Centos 6.4. There seems to be a werror = 'stop' and the rerror = 'stop' options to achieve this, but if I try to put these options in the XML of libvirt for a VM, libvirt seems to be to remove.
  Thank you

  This was solved by using/dev/eql to the disk instead of ISCSI and dev/disk/by-path path (using virt - manager)

• 3 Dell Equallogic PS6010

  Hello

  I have 3 Dell Equallogic PS6010 Raid 6 accelerated what is the optimal configuration for performance and reliability. Should I put all members in the same pool with some volumes? using this configuration what happens if one of the members die in the pool volumes will still be online? Or do I have to create a separate pool for each Member and syncrep everywhere?

  Thank you!

  Hello Quackattack,

  If you have several members in the same pool, then default data for each volume to be spread out in the members.  Up to three by default, unless the volume is too large to fit on only three members.

  So in the case of Member failure, all volumes in common with this member will go offline until the table is restored to service.  Members in the same pool work together so that will give you the best performance, but at a greater risk.  The berries are extremely redundant to prevent this.  Also, members in a pool even with permutation of the blocks to keep the I/O latency to the balance between the members.  If a member with a lot of IO will send blocks occupied another Member and take blocks of slow motion of this member.  Keeping the latency in space and tick as well balanced.   It's advanced performance load balancing.

  But if this is a priority, then put them in separate categories would be better.  You would have to manually manage IO loads to prevent a pool being saturated, while others might be slowed by comparison.

  You can also do a combo.  Put two members in a pool, then someone else in another to the syncrep on your volumes. Giving you a balance between too.

  Much depends on the load that you expect to apply to the group.  In addition, if you can levarge improvements EQL MPIO, like MEM for ESXi, HIT / THE for Linux or HIT / ME to Windows.

  If you use ESXi, VMware requires also to company or company + to run MPIO extensions like MEM.  If you cannot use MEM, then this PDF has info on how to improve fuction MPIO using VMware standard Round Robin.  As well as other tips as well.

  en.Community.Dell.com/.../20434601

  If you haven't already done so, install SANHQ v3.x to better monitor your group (s).

  Kind regards

• Update firmware on AN Equallogic SAN on a cluster

  I'm new to Equallogic and need to update the firmware on a PS 6000 SAN that is in a cluster with TWO of SEM, that the firmware needs go to v6.0.7 to v7.0.5

  My questions: I was told that I need to evacuate the SAN (migrate everything out of him) to the second SAN in the cluster, so there is no risk on everything that's wrong in the virtual machine, while the firmware update coming.

  Where am I supposed to go? I checked the workgroup SAN Equallogic and VMWare vsphere GUI Manager interface, and I don't see a place where I can do.

  Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

  We assume that your EQLs have two controllers on the right?  EQL use a controller Active and standby and in the event of a failure of the controller failover took about 10 sec. To survive this event or need a propper configuration of your phys. Switch, hosts and virtual machines. Just follow the installation and best practices.

  Then... a firmware perform the same type of failover. From an update FW flashing the standby controller first, then asks for a 'restart' which performs failover. That the 'new' standby also will Flash.

  All our EQL + VMware configurations remain 10 seconds (4 pings are missing) breakage.

  If you wish to cancel a member of a pool for maintenance it takes something like that

  -Both of your members are in the same pool

  -You create a new and "move a member" of the existing pool in the new. If there is enough space left all volumes is automatically migrated to the existing Member and the last in the pool

  -If the Member is now in your pool maintenance you can perform the FW update

  Its fully transparent and non interruptible for hosts/VMs. But takes a looooonnnnng time finshed.

  If your members are in different pools already and assuming that enough space

  -Use 'move the volume' to transfer a volume of a pool to another. You need to check if there is enough space left

  -Another method would be to activate SyncRep for all Volumes and perform a switch over. If a member holds all the SyncAlternates you can put paused the SyncRep and perform the update of FW.

  In the first 7 months of this year we perform 3 (4?) FW upgrade of our 11 EQLs that currently spans 7.0.6. The process time vacuate trust has never been an option for us.

  The FW comes with a PDF file on how to perform the upgrade and contains some notes so please take a look inside.

  Kind regards

  Joerg