vSphere Storage - ESXi 5.1 - Documentation - VMware
vSphere Storage - ESXi 5.1 - Documentation - VMware
vSphere Storage - ESXi 5.1 - Documentation - VMware
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>vSphere</strong> <strong>Storage</strong><br />
When you first boot from iSCSI, the iSCSI boot firmware on your system connects to an iSCSI target. If login<br />
is successful, the firmware saves the networking and iSCSI boot parameters in the iBFT and stores the table in<br />
the system's memory. The system uses this table to configure its own iSCSI connection and networking and to<br />
start up.<br />
The following list describes the iBFT iSCSI boot sequence.<br />
1 When restarted, the system BIOS detects the iSCSI boot firmware on the network adapter.<br />
2 The iSCSI boot firmware uses the preconfigured boot parameters to connect with the specified iSCSI target.<br />
3 If the connection to the iSCSI target is successful, the iSCSI boot firmware writes the networking and iSCSI<br />
boot parameters in to the iBFT and stores the table in the system memory.<br />
NOTE The system uses this table to configure its own iSCSI connection and networking and to start up.<br />
4 The BIOS boots the boot device.<br />
5 The VMkernel starts loading and takes over the boot operation.<br />
6 Using the boot parameters from the iBFT, the VMkernel connects to the iSCSI target.<br />
7 After the iSCSI connection is established, the system boots.<br />
iBFT iSCSI Boot Considerations<br />
When you boot the <strong>ESXi</strong> host from iSCSI using iBFT-enabled network adapters, certain considerations apply.<br />
The iBFT iSCSI boot does not support the following items:<br />
n IPv6<br />
n Failover for the iBFT-enabled network adapters<br />
NOTE Update your NIC's boot code and iBFT firmware using vendor supplied tools before trying to install<br />
and boot <strong>VMware</strong> <strong>ESXi</strong>. Consult vendor documentation and <strong>VMware</strong> HCL for supported boot code and iBFT<br />
firmware versions for <strong>VMware</strong> <strong>ESXi</strong> iBFT boot. The boot code and iBFT firmware released by vendors prior<br />
to the <strong>ESXi</strong> 4.1 release might not work.<br />
After you set up your host to boot from iBFT iSCSI, the following restrictions apply:<br />
n You cannot disable the software iSCSI adapter. If the iBFT configuration is present in the BIOS, the host<br />
re-enables the software iSCSI adapter during each reboot.<br />
NOTE If you do not use the iBFT-enabled network adapter for the iSCSI boot and do not want the software<br />
iSCSI adapter to be always enabled, remove the iBFT configuration from the network adapter.<br />
n You cannot remove the iBFT iSCSI boot target using the <strong>vSphere</strong> Client or the <strong>vSphere</strong> Web Client. The<br />
target appears on the list of adapter static targets.<br />
Configuring iBFT Boot from SAN<br />
You can boot from the iSCSI SAN using the software iSCSI adapter or a dependent hardware iSCSI adapter<br />
and a network adapter. The network adapter must support iBFT.<br />
When you set up your host to boot with iBFT, you perform a number of tasks.<br />
1 Configure iSCSI Boot Parameters on page 123<br />
To begin an iSCSI boot process, a network adapter on your host must have a specially configured iSCSI<br />
boot firmware. When you configure the firmware, you specify the networking and iSCSI parameters and<br />
enable the adapter for the iSCSI boot.<br />
122 <strong>VMware</strong>, Inc.