vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-55-storage-guide

Chapter 12 Modifying iSCSI Storage Systems for ESXi• For EVA4000/6000/8000 active-active arrays with firmware 5.031 and later, use the VMware host modetype.Otherwise, EVA systems do not require special configuration changes to work with an ESXi system.NetApp Storage SystemsFor NetApp storage systems to communicate within an ESXi environment, you must perform specificconfiguration steps.For additional documentation on NetApp and VMware best practices and SAN solutions, search theNetApp web page.Table 12‐1. Configuration StepsConfiguration StepDisable ALUA for 7-mode.Set up multipathing.Set LUN type and initiatorgroup type.Provision storage.DescriptionIf any of your iSCSI initiators are a part of an initiator group (igroup), disable ALUA onthe 7-mode NetApp controller. Clustered ONTAP is ALUA only.When you set up multipathing between two iSCSI HBAs and multiple ports on a NetAppstorage system, give each HBA a different iSCSI initiator name.The NetApp storage system only permits one connection for each target and eachinitiator. Attempts to make additional connections cause the first connection to drop.Therefore, a single HBA should not attempt to connect to multiple IP addressesassociated with the same NetApp target.Set the appropriate LUN type and initiator group type for the storage system:• LUN type – VMware (if VMware type is not available, use Linux).• Initiator group type – VMware (if VMware type is not available, use Linux).Use either FilerView or CLI.Dell EqualLogic Storage SystemsWhen setting up your EqualLogic storage systems to work in an ESXi implementation, you must addresscertain specific issues.Follow these requirements:• You do not need any special multipathing setup. EqualLogic storage systems support storage-processorfailover that is transparent to iSCSI. Multiple iSCSI HBAs or NICs can connect to the same target orLUN on the storage side. EqualLogic provides a multipathing extension module that can be installed onESXi to provide additional capabilities.For information about the custom multipathing configuration packages, contact Dell EqualLogic.• Enable ARP redirection for ESXi hardware iSCSI HBAs. See “Configuring Advanced Parameters foriSCSI,” on page 95.• EqualLogic storage systems impose a maximum limit of 1024 iSCSI connections per storage pool and2048 connections per storage group.• Extend the iSCSI login timeout on the ESXi host to 15 - 30 seconds. See “Configuring AdvancedParameters for iSCSI,” on page 95.For more information about configuring and using EqualLogic storage systems, see the vendor’sdocumentation and the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2007829.VMware, Inc. 105