More than one iSCSI Target in Storage Adapters?

[Jet1199]

Hallo @ all,

I'm using an Synology NAS under ESXi 5.0/vSpere (free Version). 100% of the NAS is configured for iSCSI usage.

I have thee hardware machines, each carrying some virtual servers. So I created three iSCSI-Targets on the NAS, one for each machine withe the size equal than the internal datastore of the machine integrated raid.

In vSpehere I can add one iSCSI-Storage Adapter (shown as device and in the details list. After defining the rest everything works fine.

Problem: I want to assign more than 1 iSCSI Software-Adapter (for Restore-Reason, if the original machine fails) in vSpere, but it is grayed out. The maximum iSCSI Software adapters seems to be limited to one.

Is this so? How could I define the other two targets on the machine? (They are neverwhere else defined, my question is limited to 'How can I add an second storage adapter? All machines are stopped, the maintanance mode doesn't help.

CU - Jens

[vPatrickS]

Hey

Yes there is only one software iSCSI adapter but with this adapter you are able to mount multiple LUNs via different networks/paths to a host.

Unfortunately I forgot the steps necessary to go on a QNAP NAS to map a iSCSI LUN to a host.

In general you should check:

• LUN masking/mapping – Are the hosts allowed to see the LUN on your storage device?
• Are the LUNs served via different networks/IPs – then you have to configure additional management ports (IPs) on your vswitch. Maybe this can help you: http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2011/08/vsphere-50-storage-features-part-12-iscsi-multipathing-enhancements.html
• Add all IPs of your iSCSI target interfaces within the software iSCSI initiator on the dynamic discovery tab

Regards

Patrick

[Jet1199]

@Metzzo:

Thanks for the fast reply.

I find the way to include an iSCSI, but for the 2nd it's grayed out ...

I have three iSCSI targets, one for each machine, because only one is mountable at the same time. Isn't it so?

If you mean I shoule create ONE target for all machines and divide the LUNs to them, please tell me, that this would be OK. I know, that this should never be so ...

Jens

[vPatrickS]

Hey

It's absolutely OK to serve one iSCSI Target to multiple hosts. VMFS is designed for that multiple hosts can access the same volume/target.

I always prefer a shared volume for all hosts, which is also a requirement for vsphere HA etc.

But if you want to go with your 1:1 mapping you can do this.

What have you done so far on your ESXi hosts?

You have to rescan for new devices on each host. Then you must add/create a new datastore on each host.

During the creation of a new datastore you should see three available LUNs.

So this enables you to create one datastore on each host.

Host1 : LUN1 : datastore1

Host2 : LUN2 : datastore2

Host3 : LUN3 : datastore3

You don’t need to add another iSCSI adapter.

Regards

[sparrowangelste]

Jet1199 wrote:

@Metzzo:

Thanks for the fast reply.

I find the way to include an iSCSI, but for the 2nd it's grayed out ...

I have three iSCSI targets, one for each machine, because only one is mountable at the same time. Isn't it so?

If you mean I shoule create ONE target for all machines and divide the LUNs to them, please tell me, that this would be OK. I know, that this should never be so ...

Jens

you can mount up to 256 iscsi targets to a host

you can create one target for all the host and then make sure that the permissions are such that all 3 of your host can access them