Best Pratice - Guest iSCSI Configuration

[atagallie]

I am configuring NetApp SnapManager for Exchange so i have to present the LUNs directly to the VM, this means i have to use the iSCSI in the guess OS.

what are some of the best practices in configuration for max performance?

should i create a new vSwitch and port group with two spare pNics in an etherchannel  on the storage VLAN, then create a vNIC from here to the Exchange server?

in the etherchannel i am using IP hash load balancing, will this provide good MPIO as compared to configuring MPIO on Microsoft iSCSI software?

Anthony

[jeff9565]

Anthony,

A couple of things you need to know about doing this:

1.  Presenting iSCSI LUN using MS iSCSI initiator inside a VM guest (last I checked) is "not supported" by VMware.

2.  That being said, I've seen a lot of people do this.  You need to know, though, that taking a snapshot of this VM may or may not work as VMware is unaware of the LUN and the operation may timeout.

3.  As far as the networking, I would do create a separate port group that has access to your iSCSI network and add a vNIC to your Exchange server in that port group.  You do not need an iSCSI vmk vSwitch as you are not presenting the LUN to VMware, but directly to your host.

4.  As far as MPIO, if you think your Exchange server will have that much traffic, you can create a separate vSwitch with 2 pNICs on your iSCSI network, use IP hash in etherchannel on the switch and present multiple vNICs to your Exchange server and configure MPIO from inside MS.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[beckham007fifa]

I use one on one mapping for the nics, there is iscsi configuration document

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_iscsi_san_cfg.pdf