Virtual disk on an iscsi SAN

Similar Questions

• Storage on iSCSI - mounted directly from the VMware virtual disks

  I am setting up a HUB/CASE/box Server mailbox of all-in-one for fewer than 500 users on a Windows 2008 R2 virtual machine and am about to configure the storage I need. The two words that I can't wait to hear more from Microsoft PSS is "not recommended" or "not supported." I have a Dell Equalogic PS6000 and have the ability to 'direct attached' compared to the VMware virtual disks for storage of mailbox databases. We run vSphere with vMotion, etc..

  Using virtual disks bad practice? Advantages or disadvantages I should know about? Adding a layer of complexity that might come back to bite me?

  I have a very similar setup and am currently using directly attached iSCSI volumes EqualLogic berries for my Exchange 2007 mailbox stores.  I also have the role of running UNIFIED messaging that works in fact remarkably well even if everything is running on a virtual machine.

  It was in large part because the EqualLogic recommendations had to use directly attached volumes so that taking snapshots multi-application/replication tools worked correctly.  If the Exchange mailboxes are held on a VMFS volume, then Tools EqualLogic will not be able to get to them.

  Microsoft have been OK on this configuration, and I actually had them made up our VM, one or two times when we iron out some problems of UNIFIED messaging (although I hide icon "VMWare Tools"!).

  The best thing to do would be to create volumes you think you'll need and attach them directly to the virtual machine using the Microsoft iSCSI initiator, and then run the Exchange tool (I forgot his name) to test the storage for speed and capacity.

  See you soon.

  Chris

• How can I move virtual machines from a local data store for a new iSCSI SAN?

  Hello guys,.

  Now that we have a new iSCSI SAN market how can I tranfer all the virtual machine to a local data store for a new SAN? Can I stop the VM in the host, and then copy the DataStore files with all the info on the new volume?

  Thank you

  Pesinet

  Alternatively, you can use VMware converter or cold Migration / Storage VMotion if you have the appropriate licenses.

  Duncan

  VMware communities user moderator | VCP | VCDX

  -

• Microsoft NLB on a virtual iSCSI SAN using computer

  Hello

  Is it possible to use the NLB network on a virtual computer that is connected to an iSCSI SAN?  I was under the impression that MSCS is not available, use an iSCSI device, but is NLB another form of consolidation?  I am unable to find a clear answer anywhere else.

  Any help would be appreciated.

  Yes its is possible, the storage has nothing to do with NLB, its pretty much traffic going to different hosts of network load balancing.

  useful info: http://blog.baeke.info/blog/_archives/2006/2/21/1775587.html

  If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points to 'Correct' or 'useful '. Thank you!

• vSphere on iSCSI SAN disk size

  Hello

  I installed the 5.1 version and will also use VMWare View.

  I see in the documentation that there always a size of 2 TB drive but also given conflicting reports on that.  I tested it and I see that he can see more then 2 TB.

  My question is if I want to 2 TB standard or can we go more then 2 TB and if yes, what size Max now.

  Thank you.

  
  Gary

  Hello

  If you're talking about VMFS datastore now we support 64 to http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere5/r50/vsphere-50-configuration-maximums.pdf

  If you talk about virtual disk, virtual disk size 2 TB less 512 bytes

  Concerning

  Mohammed

• Make Accessible iSCSI SAN-VM via Windows iSCSI initiator

  I have a "total newbie" question that I hope can respond quickly enough.

  I added a new DELL MD3000i SAN to my storage network in order to use this SAN exclusively for Windows virtual machines. I have the vdisks large (2) 4 to 7 to each (Yes, I REALLY need unique and large volumes) defined on the MD3000i. (4) the MD3000i ports are connected to my iSCSI VLANS and have the id default host port 192.168.130.101/102 and 192.168.131.101/102.

  I have a MD3220i installed in the network and working with hosts ESXi 4.1 (2) (192.168.230.101/102, 192.168.231.101/102 of the subnets). I am quite familiar with how to make the storage available to the host via the initiator of the iSCCI, but I know not how to make accessible storage for virtual machines WITHOUT using the host to connect to the iSCSI SAN, create a data store, and then add a new virtual disk to the virtual machine.

  Only the vmnic dedicated to the iSCSI initiator have physical links to iSCSI VLANS (vSwitch01). The network switch has (2) network adapters connected to the network via vSwitch0 "inside".

  Any ideas on the best way to "get there from here"?

  Hello.

  You will need to create a group of ports in virtual machine on the same vSwitch created in your iSCSI ports group.  Give the virtual machine a 2nd NETWORK card and then assign it to the created virtual machine port group previously.

  Good luck!

• question of iSCSI san

  Hello everyone,

  I just created my first with software e open iscsi san solution.

  My situation: on the local disk, I put my VM

  I created 4 iscsi data warehouses

  1 will be used to back up my VM and can be reached for Vsphere

  The other 3 serve as a backup for my 3 VMS solution. I am connected to them through the Iscsi initiator in the virtual machine, format them, and now they appear as an additional drive in the virtual machine. I can see them in Vsphere but is no longer in data warehouses, but in devices (because they are formatted as NTFS)

  Now the question:

  Is it possible to see what data is on data warehouses that are formatted to ntfs When you are not connected to the virtual computer?

  When a virtual machine should crash, backupped data should always be saved to disk iscsi, but where can I get it?

  Thanks in advance, onkt

  NTFS is only accessible via windows server only. You can mount the iSCSI drive backup on another virtual computer.

• Beginners Overview: ESX to an iSCSI SAN servers

  Hello

  I hope I have the right section of the forum to do this, basically

  I'm trying to understand how VMWARE ESX server (3.5 if it is one)

  the difference) would connect to a SAN and what benefits it would be

  provide.

  Apologies if it's really basic, I'm new to both without and VMWare

  ESX so I'll try to understand all the concepts, I tried reading

  the articles, but they are a little dry for me.

  As I understand it, installing it would be something like

  this:

  Physics:

  ESX Server & gt; initiating hardware iSCSI (does not support

  (software?) & gt; cable network & gt; Turn on SAN & gt; Drive auto.

  Logic:

  Something like the creation of a LUN on the SAN itself (via the SAN web page) then use

  customer of VI to point to for a data store? Or is there some control of ESX?

  It would make sense that images of OS VMWare store customers

  on local disks to the ESX Server, so they start from all drives, in which case the SAN is down, then

  have the discs on the virtual machines stored on the SAN? Or will keep you

  everything about the SAN outside the ESX itself, which could at least

  remain separated from the SAN?

  Any help is appreciated.

  The main reason to use SAN storage is to provide shared storage so that you can take take advantage of features order higher than VMware provides as vmotion - the ability to move a running virtual machine form an ESX Server to another with no downtime for users of the virtual machine - DRS based on vmotion allows ensuring that the vms system receive the memory and cpu resources , HA that allows the virtual machine restart on another ESX Server.

  The physical scenario you describe needs to be corrected ESX and ESXi, they built insoftware intiators so you don't have a hardware initiator need - but if you choose to use a material to ensure that it is in the HCL - http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

  This document will give you information on the how and why of using SAN storage - http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35u2/vi3_35_25_u2_iscsi_san_cfg.pdf

  If you find this or any other answer useful please consider awarding points marking the answer correct or useful

• To access ESXi 4 Update 1 custom server from dell MD3000i iSCSI SAN

  Hello

  I'm brand new on VMware ESX/ESXi products and for the most part, no.  I configured several machines virtual with server 1 and 2.  I am trying to connect a virtual ESXi 4 server in a SAN and starts to become very confused about what I can or not do.  I hope that someone here can break it down for me because I couldn't find the answer to my specific questions.

  Here's how I'm Setup:

  I have a Dell PowerEdge R710 with ESXi 4 Update 1 'Custom Dell' (whatever that means) is installed.

  I have a Dell MD3000i SAN using iSCSI with a pre-configured dedicated virtual disk.

  I would like to create virtual machines on virtual disk said.

  I think that ESXi 4 is completely free.

  It seems that to manage the server, I need to use 1 of the 2 products.  The Vsphere client or web application of VMware Go.

  If I use Vsphere:

  I have the ability to add a type of storage through the user interface.

  I'm on a 60-day trial. I thought that it was free.

  If I configure my iSCSI via Vsphere and then the eval expires... what happens?  All jump on me and then I have to purchase a license to get it back?

  If I use VMware go:

  It seems I don't really have any options to do any kind of configuration iSCSI in VMware Go.  I do?

  I also have a XenServer that is configured in this way and it's all free. I wanted to try the bare metal of VMware solution, but now I wonder if I'll have to go back to Xen.

  Can someone please relieve me of my confusion until I have to pull the plug on this experience.  Maybe direct me to the proper documentation on how to configure what I need with what I have at the cost free-is possible.

  Thanks a lot for your comments and have a wonderful weekend!

  I'd go by QuickStart Webcast and Webcast ESXi Webstart to help get a better understanding.

  Here is a configuration to the MD3000i http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/solutions/esx_storage_deployment_guide_v1.pdf guide

• Slow performance read/write on iSCSI SAN.

  This is a new configuration of ESXi 4.0 running virtual machines off a Cybernetics miSAN D iSCSI SAN.

  Having a high data read the test on a virtual machine, it took 8 minutes vs 1.5 minutes the

  the same VM on a slower 1.0 Server of VMWare host with virtual computers on

  local disk.   I look at my reading speed of the SAN, and

  It's getting a little more than 3 MB/s max in reading, and usage of the disk on the virtual computer is slower 3MB/s...horribly.

  The SAN and the server is both connected to the same switch 1 GB.  I followed this guide

  virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/09/a-multivendor-post-on-using-iSCSI-w

  ITH-vmware - vsphere.html

  to get the configuration of multiple paths correctly, but I still do not get good

  performance with my VM.   I know that the SAN and network

  must be able to handle more than 100 MB/s, but I am not getting

  it. I have two network cards of GB on the multipath SAN to GB two network cards on the

  ESXi host.  One NETWORK card per VMkernel.  Is there anything else I can check

  or do to improve my speed?  Thanks in advance for advice.

  Another vote for IOMeter.

  Try to test 32K 100% sequential read (and write) with 64 IOs in circulation, this will give sequential performance.  Should be close to 100 Mbps per active path of GigE, depending on how much the storage system can get out.

  Then 32K 0% sequential read (and write) with 64 traffic against a LUN will IOs (say 4 GB +) good test size give a value for IOPS, which is the main factor for virtualization.  Look at the latency, must remain below approximately 50ms usually in order to be able to work if the default 32 IOs in circulation (by host) is OK (say you had six hosts, the table should be able to deliver the random i/o with a latency)<50ms with="" 192="" outstanding="" ios="" (="">

  Do not use the "test connect rate" and cela effectively tests only cached flow, which we are not so interested in any case.

  Please give points for any helpful answer.

• Best practices - virtual disk of Raw device mapping vs

  Hello

  A small question about the configuration. What would be described as the best practice to configure a comment server that required a large amount of disk space? What is the preferred option:

  1 - create a virtual machine with a mapping of raw device to the LUN (on a san)

  or

  2 - create a virtual machine with another large virtual disk that is in a data store on the LUN (on a san)

  Thank you

  Dave

  Kader you are limited with 2 TB in any case (except using the iSCSI software from within the guest operating system), the only arguments are:

  (1) use RDM if it is possible that you will connect to this physical machine LUN. Or you already have the unit number logic of a physical machine as a large file server.

  (2) VMFS use in all other situations - VMDK give flexibility, you can migrate the virtual machine where you want.

  ---

  MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert 2009

  http://blog.vadmin.ru

• iSCSI SAN, blocking the ability to attach a RDM to two VM?

  Hello

  We have an iSCSI SAN and I wanted to test with clusters on this stuff, but I can't get a RDM attached to more than one virtual computer at a time.

  I know that MSCS is not taken in charge by iSCSI, but is not supported or is it not possible to join a ROW over a virtual computer at a time?

  Thank you!

  Kenneth

  The solution should work... so with RDM, but also with an initiator of software inside each node of the virtual computer.

  If you use RDM, you must configure the SCSI controller in physical mode.

  On the second node does not add a new drive... but easy to use existing RDM disk (or disable ROW filtering of the customer).

  André

• [Performance] Data store Virtual disk LUN or a raw device

  We try to find the solution the faster for one of our internal systems.

  Currently, we have a data store that is located in a SAN iSCSI via a virtualdisk file.

  Since we want to benefit the maximum of iSCSI SAN configuration, we want to know what solution is faster:

  -Via the data as virtual disk (diskfile) store

  -Via direct LUN mappingl (mapping RAW)

  I searched the documents, but it is impossible to find the figures/numbers how much performance gain, we would be able to get.

  Us don't use clichés (and do not use then as well), and what other pinpoints should I also everything by making the decision to change the architecture?

  There may be some performance improvements, you can do in your env, but they come from VMDK of RDM.

  -Matt

  VCP, vExpert, Unix Geek

• ESXi 3.5 4 problem to upgrade by adding the VMFS partition existing on iSCSI SAN

  Hi all

  I've got 2 x Dell PowerEdge 2950 III linked directly with Dell MD3000i iSCSI-SAN and today I had once hard to improve my production ESXi 3.5 u 4 ESXi 4.0,.

  First is that the upgrade is failed miserably after following this thread: url = http://communities.vmware.com/thread/211413;jsessionid=47217F9BCCA2DF1325DBE7A266D48A8D?tstart=0VMware communities: error on upgrade the host: this host is not compatible with this upgrade. [url]

  with the following error message: ERROR: unsupported boot disk

  The layout of boot device on the host computer does not support the upgrade.

  That's why I did a clean reinstall of ESXi 4 on top of ESXi 3.5 u 4 and lost all unique settings on my ESXi host. I am now stuck in SAN iSCSI partition mapping after following the guide from: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/eslvmwre/AdditionalDocs/cnfigrtnguide/storage_guide.pdf [/ URL]

  See the following attachment.

  I wonder how people make their upgrade in ESXi 4.0 in the production system running ESXi 3.5 u 4 filled with hundreds of VM? The reason why I use 2 x ESXi server connected to unique SAN server, is that I can just start the virtual machine on the SAN from the other ESXi - & gt; that's fine and tested, but then when I rebuild the failed server, I need to delete all the data inside the shared partition that contains my VMs.

  So in conclusion after one of the ESXi server failed, mapping of iSCSI would eventually destroy all data in the partition?

  CMIIW, any idea and suggestion would be gladly appreciated

  Kind regards

  AWT

  The configuration-> tab cards storage, you should be able to recrawl and find existing VMFS volumes.  You shouldn't need to add storage.

  Andy

• Promise VTrak M310i iSCSI SAN

  RE: Promise VTrak M310i iSCSI SAN

  This unit is located in the 3.5 but a solution to budget.  Someone there had positive results with this SAN and ESX3.5i?

  The M310i has 2 x 1 Gigabit NIC.  We expect 30 VM on the device hosting and their running on the network of private storage.  Two gigabit NIC will provide enough flow to run the number of virtual machines?  Connection to Dell 2900 series 3.

  M310i product page

  Thank you in advance...

  It is really difficult to give a definitive answer one way or another how this will work.  The real answer is that it depends on what are these virtual machines.  If you use just 30 virtual machines that run background services, do a lot of disk i/o, etc., then you're probably fine.  If you use more than a couple of servers to database or by e-mail on these boxes and consider storing discs on which these virtual machines on this device, 2 GigE interfaces may be too limited for this environment.