vSphere Storage - ESXi 5.1 - Documentation - VMware

NetApp Storage Systems
For NetApp storage systems to communicate within an ESXi environment, you must perform specific
configuration steps.
For additional documentation on NetApp and VMware best practices and SAN solutions, search the NetApp
web page.
Table 12-1. Configuration Steps
Configuration Step Description
Disable ALUA. If any of your iSCSI initiators are a part of an initiator group (igroup), disable ALUA on the
NetApp filer.
Set up multipathing. When you set up multipathing between two iSCSI HBAs and multiple ports on a NetApp
storage system, give each HBA a different iSCSI initiator name.
Set LUN type and initiator
group type.
Provision storage. Use either FilerView or CLI.
Dell EqualLogic Storage Systems
The NetApp storage system only permits one connection for each target and each initiator.
Attempts to make additional connections cause the first connection to drop. Therefore, a
single HBA should not attempt to connect to multiple IP addresses associated with the same
NetApp target.
Set the appropriate LUN type and initiator group type for the storage system:
n LUN type – VMware (if VMware type is not available, use Linux).
n Initiator group type – VMware (if VMware type is not available, use Linux).
When setting up your EqualLogic storage systems to work in an ESXi implementation, you must address
certain specific issues.
Follow these requirements:
n You do not need any special multipathing setup. EqualLogic storage systems support storage-processor
failover that is transparent to iSCSI. Multiple iSCSI HBAs or NICs can connect to the same target or LUN
on the storage side. EqualLogic provides a multipathing extension module that can be installed on ESXi
to provide additional capabilities.
For information about the custom multipathing configuration packages, contact Dell EqualLogic.
n Enable ARP redirection for ESXi hardware iSCSI HBAs. See “Configuring Advanced Parameters for
iSCSI,” on page 108.
n EqualLogic storage systems impose a maximum limit of 1024 iSCSI connections per storage pool and 2048
connections per storage group.
n Extend the iSCSI login timeout on the ESXi host to 15 - 30 seconds. See “Configuring Advanced Parameters
for iSCSI,” on page 108.
For more information about configuring and using EqualLogic storage systems, see the vendor’s
documentation and the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2007829.
HP StorageWorks SAN/iQ Storage Systems
Chapter 12 Modifying iSCSI Storage Systems for ESXi
HP StorageWorks (formerly LeftHand) SAN/iQ systems support ESXi iSCSI connections from a software
initiator and hardware initiator.
When configuring SAN/iQ, enable automatic volume resignaturing for SAN/iQ storage devices to allow access
to SAN/iQ snapshots and remote copies.
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