Change from iSCSI to HBA

[FMorales]

Hello, I am going to install a Qlogic HBA on one ESX 4 that connect with a EMC SAN using iSCSI......

If I plug a HBA on the ESX and setup the HBA for "see" the same LUNS that iSCSI software initiator ....

Do I have to disable iSCSI protocol on the ESX if I install the HBA?

Could I have both protocols enable?

Thanks a lot

--

Francisco Javier Morales López de Gamarra

Vmware VCP | LPI - CCNA

[a_p_]

Do I have to disable iSCSI protocol on the ESX if I install the HBA?

Could I have both protocols enable?

I think there will be no issue to have the software and the hardware iSCSI adapter enabled at the same time. However, I would not present the same LUNs to both initiators. Since these are the same disks (i.e. same disk ids...) I don't think this will be handled properly by the VMkernel. I doubt MPIO is able to manage paths across different initiators.

André

[athlon_crazy]

By using iscsi software, TCP/IP stack for iscsi connection will be handled by your CPU host which could provide significant workload on your host specially during any type of signifant I/O load(iscsi processing). While this iscsi process will be offloaded from CPU host when you use the HBA type of iscsi.

[Andy_Banta]

Both the SW initiator and HBAs will see the same storage and paths work correctly. Nothing bad happens.

This is not a supported configuration, due to lack of testing.

Andy