Comments on: iSCSI and ESX Server 3 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/ The weblog of an IT pro specializing in virtualization, storage, and servers Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:59:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-16858 slowe Fri, 05 Jan 2007 22:09:26 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-16858 Don, Glad to hear you've found the site helpful. Thanks, Scott Don,

Glad to hear you’ve found the site helpful.

Thanks,
Scott

]]> By: Don Lapre James http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-16758 Don Lapre James Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:01:36 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-16758 Your info here has helped me trouble shoot a few of my own errors. Just wanted to thank you for the info and the blog. Best regards, Jim Don Lapre James webmaster@donlaprewilliams.com www.donlaprewilliams.com Your info here has helped me trouble shoot a few of my own errors. Just wanted to thank you for the info and the blog.

Best regards,

Jim
Don Lapre James
webmaster@donlaprewilliams.com
http://www.donlaprewilliams.com

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-2887 slowe Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:34:36 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-2887 David, Sounds like your issue is not the ESX firewall but instead a default setting in ESX that only lets it see 8 LUNs. Anything after 8 is invisible. Look for the Disk.MaxLUN setting and set it higher than your highest LUN to be presented to the servers. I'm not in front of ESX right at this moment so I can't directly you to the exact place where it is set. David,

Sounds like your issue is not the ESX firewall but instead a default setting in ESX that only lets it see 8 LUNs. Anything after 8 is invisible. Look for the Disk.MaxLUN setting and set it higher than your highest LUN to be presented to the servers. I’m not in front of ESX right at this moment so I can’t directly you to the exact place where it is set.

]]> By: David Blaisdell http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-2881 David Blaisdell Thu, 26 Oct 2006 03:12:47 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-2881 I just experienced the issue relating to iSCSI and the VM ESX firewall. The twist I encountered was that after the initial build of 4 ESX hosts everything worked fine and I added 8 LUNs and had a dozen VMs running with no issue. However when trying to add a 9th LUN I could not. Somehow the firewall was enabled for inbound/outbound iSCSI connections but then got turned off somehow?? Thanks for your coverage of this - it will save many some unnecessary frustration. David I just experienced the issue relating to iSCSI and the VM ESX firewall. The twist I encountered was that after the initial build of 4 ESX hosts everything worked fine and I added 8 LUNs and had a dozen VMs running with no issue. However when trying to add a 9th LUN I could not. Somehow the firewall was enabled for inbound/outbound iSCSI connections but then got turned off somehow??

Thanks for your coverage of this - it will save many some unnecessary frustration.

David

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-2294 slowe Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:35:58 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-2294 Jae, Good question--I'd hazard to say NIC as opposed to Filer CPU, but I'm not a NetApp guru so don't quote me on that. I'll see if I can get a NetApp guru from my office to provide his perspective. Jae,

Good question–I’d hazard to say NIC as opposed to Filer CPU, but I’m not a NetApp guru so don’t quote me on that. I’ll see if I can get a NetApp guru from my office to provide his perspective.

]]> By: Jae Ellers http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-2279 Jae Ellers Thu, 14 Sep 2006 20:17:09 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-2279 We're doing this now, have 740 GB coming online in 3 luns for migrating ESX 2 --> 3. Vmotion works great so far with limited usage on ibm x366 systems. Will have to see how the iSCSI load impacts the filer. We've already got a new 4-port card to add if the production network becomes overloaded. Anyone comment on where we should see the bottleneck? Filer CPU or NIC? It's a FAS 3050. We’re doing this now, have 740 GB coming online in 3 luns for migrating ESX 2 –> 3. Vmotion works great so far with limited usage on ibm x366 systems. Will have to see how the iSCSI load impacts the filer. We’ve already got a new 4-port card to add if the production network becomes overloaded. Anyone comment on where we should see the bottleneck? Filer CPU or NIC? It’s a FAS 3050.

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-1718 slowe Fri, 18 Aug 2006 20:14:10 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-1718 Dennis, I reviewed the NetApp documents you mentioned in your comment, but none of them pertain to iSCSI configuration or troubleshooting; they are all high-level overviews of using NetApp Filers and Snapshot technology with VMware. I would suggest you step back from that and fall back to troubleshooting the basic iSCSI connectivity: make sure you have correctly mapped the LUNs on the Filer, make sure the initiator groups are correctly configured, and (on the VMware side) make sure you have allowed the software iSCSI traffic through the firewall. Let me know how I can help further. Dennis,

I reviewed the NetApp documents you mentioned in your comment, but none of them pertain to iSCSI configuration or troubleshooting; they are all high-level overviews of using NetApp Filers and Snapshot technology with VMware. I would suggest you step back from that and fall back to troubleshooting the basic iSCSI connectivity: make sure you have correctly mapped the LUNs on the Filer, make sure the initiator groups are correctly configured, and (on the VMware side) make sure you have allowed the software iSCSI traffic through the firewall.

Let me know how I can help further.

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-1717 slowe Fri, 18 Aug 2006 20:07:40 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-1717 Tim, iSCSI works reasonably well as a storage mechanism, but that's only part of the picture when it comes to VMotion. Since the virtual disk file (the VMDK file) doesn't move during a VMotion operation, the storage is kind of secondary to the whole equation. You will need Gigabit Ethernet connectivity on the same subnet for VMotion to work between ESX servers, and you should be using Gigabit Ethernet for iSCSI anyway. Although I have not tested NFS yet (plan to soon), VMware's product page indicates full support for the storage of VMDK files and VMotion with NFS. Refer to http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/#interoperability and see the section titled "Storage" for the official party line. Tim,

iSCSI works reasonably well as a storage mechanism, but that’s only part of the picture when it comes to VMotion. Since the virtual disk file (the VMDK file) doesn’t move during a VMotion operation, the storage is kind of secondary to the whole equation. You will need Gigabit Ethernet connectivity on the same subnet for VMotion to work between ESX servers, and you should be using Gigabit Ethernet for iSCSI anyway. Although I have not tested NFS yet (plan to soon), VMware’s product page indicates full support for the storage of VMDK files and VMotion with NFS. Refer to http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/#interoperability and see the section titled “Storage” for the official party line.

]]> By: Tim Teller http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-1716 Tim Teller Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:54:58 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-1716 Scott, We have a NetApp Filer that is configured with iSCSI. We haven't used it yet. We are purchasing VMWare I 3 enterprise. I am wondering if VMotion works well with iSCSI. We also have an OnStore NAS gateway that support NFS, could you do VMotion with NFS? Thanks in advance, Tim Teller Scott,

We have a NetApp Filer that is configured with iSCSI. We haven’t used it yet. We are purchasing VMWare I 3 enterprise. I am wondering if VMotion works well with iSCSI. We also have an OnStore NAS gateway that support NFS, could you do VMotion with NFS?

Thanks in advance,
Tim Teller

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2006/07/10/iscsi-and-esx-server-3/#comment-1548 slowe Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:06:29 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=295#comment-1548 Are you seeing iSCSI operations on the Filer? At the console, you'll see regular status updates showing how many HTTP, CIFS, NFS, and iSCSI operations...do you see any iSCSI operations? If not, you may still be blocking outbound iSCSI traffic from the ESX Server. Run the "esxcfg-firewall -e swiSCSIClient" (if you haven't already) to make sure that iSCSI traffic is being allowed out from the ESX server. In the meantime, I'll review those NetApp documents and see what additional information I may be able to provide. Are you seeing iSCSI operations on the Filer? At the console, you’ll see regular status updates showing how many HTTP, CIFS, NFS, and iSCSI operations…do you see any iSCSI operations? If not, you may still be blocking outbound iSCSI traffic from the ESX Server. Run the “esxcfg-firewall -e swiSCSIClient” (if you haven’t already) to make sure that iSCSI traffic is being allowed out from the ESX server.

In the meantime, I’ll review those NetApp documents and see what additional information I may be able to provide.

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