VMware Communities: Message List - Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

bboule — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:02:42 GMT

Indeed...I failed to read to the end as it is not currently supported for iSCSI...Apologies all around!

Bob

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

AndreTheGiant — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:58:33 GMT

In version 3.5 jumbo frame are NOT supported on the iSCSI initiator (software). It works but is not supported.

Instead is supported for VMs, so you can use initiator inside the VMs and jumbo frame.

Andre
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Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

bboule — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:46:43 GMT

Another thought when talking about the perfromance of iSCSI is to enable Jumbo Frames, here is a link to the hardware the VMware is supporting Jumbo frames on http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/whatsnew_esx35_vc25.html if your switch supports it, and the NICs in your iSCSI box support it, it is worth the extra config time as you will see the perfromance benefits!

Bob

Bob Boule

StarWind Software

bob.boule@starwindsoftware.com

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

kjb007 — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:48:24 GMT

The benefits are security, decreased broadcast domain, bandwidth, to name a few. Your storage is the backbone for all of your vm's, you keep that network secure, isolated, and with as much bandwidth as needed, so as to keep as many issues at bay as possible.

-KjB
VMware vExpert

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

AndreTheGiant — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:43:23 GMT

>It seems to say you can do it either way. Whats the benefit of your suggestion vs. the all on the same lan approach?

A full (SAN side) HA solution.

Andrea
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Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

EdRoper — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:39:50 GMT

It seems to say you can do it either way. Whats the benefit of your suggestion vs. the all on the same lan approach?

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

AndreTheGiant — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:59:37 GMT

>2 for iscsi, teamed together

Don't do NIC teaming. The SAN topology of MD3000i is the same as a fabric FC SAN: two different LAN (or VLAN).
Referer tho the installation guide and you will the the cabling and the IP addressing (are the default value).

Andrea
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Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

kjb007 — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:19:15 GMT

That is pretty much the same thing I'm recommending for some remote offices that we're replacing soon. It's those 710's and the 3000i, with the the servers directly attached to the iSCSI device. Low latency, iSCSI completely isolated from anything else.

-KjB
VMware vExpert

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

Razorhog — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:33:43 GMT

I am about to order the same thing... 2 R710's and an MD3000i with VMWare infrastructure. I currently have 4 NIC ports on each server but I think I might up that to 6.

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

kjb007 — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:08:00 GMT

It would be best to isolate the iSCSI traffic. Logically at the very least, and physically if possible. That being said, if you're not doing a lot of I/O, then VLANs may be enough. Just make sure you have enough bandwidth available if you're going to share uplinks.

-KjB
VMware vExpert

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

EdRoper — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:02:48 GMT

Is it best to run the NON iscsi traffic on a totally separate switch, or can we segment out our 2 Powerconnect switches with VLANS? The reason I ask is the powerconnects are nice new 1GBS switches, the only ones we have. Everything else in our current inventory is just 1gb hubs and a 100mbs firewall.

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

kjb007 — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:50:28 GMT

Add the NICs you want to use to the switch. In the portgroup settings, go to the teaming section, click override failover, and nic 2 and move to standby. Do the opposite nic for the 2nd portgroup.

-KjB
VMware vExpert

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

EdRoper — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:42:17 GMT

I figured as much. How exactly do you configure another NIC as a standbye when you're creating vswitches?

Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

kjb007 — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:08:40 GMT

Keep the storage traffic isolated from other traffic. Put service console and vmotion on the same nic(nic 3) , and use the vm nic (nic4) as a standby for them. Then use the nic 4 as active for vm traffic, and use the nic4 as a standby for the vm traffic. That way you have redundancy built in to all interfaces.

-KjB
VMware vExpert

Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

EdRoper — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:50:16 GMT

We are pretty new to VMware in our organization. We just purchased 2 Dell Servers, 2 Powerconnect Switches, and a MD3000i. Along with this we will be using ESXi and Vmware Infrastructure.

Each server has 4 1gb ethernet ports. From what I understand, its best to use :

2 for iscsi, teamed together

1 for service console & management

1 for VM guest traffic

With this in mind, is it ok to run VMotion over the 2 nics that are teamed together? Or should I be configuring this differently?