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14 Replies Last post: May 13, 2009 7:02 AM by bboule
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Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion

May 8, 2009 4:50 PM

Click to view EdRoper's profile Novice EdRoper 11 posts since
May 8, 2009

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?

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 8, 2009 5:08 PM
Click to view kjb007's profile Guru kjb007 5,476 posts since
Sep 18, 2006
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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 8, 2009 5:42 PM
in response to: kjb007
Click to view EdRoper's profile Novice EdRoper 11 posts since
May 8, 2009
I figured as much. How exactly do you configure another NIC as a standbye when you're creating vswitches?
Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 8, 2009 5:50 PM
in response to: EdRoper
Click to view kjb007's profile Guru kjb007 5,476 posts since
Sep 18, 2006
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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 8, 2009 6:02 PM
in response to: kjb007
Click to view EdRoper's profile Novice EdRoper 11 posts since
May 8, 2009
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.
Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 8, 2009 6:08 PM
in response to: EdRoper
Click to view kjb007's profile Guru kjb007 5,476 posts since
Sep 18, 2006
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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 10, 2009 12:33 PM
Click to view Razorhog's profile Enthusiast Razorhog 81 posts since
May 23, 2008
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.
Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 10, 2009 4:19 PM
in response to: Razorhog
Click to view kjb007's profile Guru kjb007 5,476 posts since
Sep 18, 2006
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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 10, 2009 9:59 PM
Click to view AndreTheGiant's profile Guru AndreTheGiant 5,643 posts since
Aug 28, 2008
>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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Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 11, 2009 4:39 AM
in response to: AndreTheGiant
Click to view EdRoper's profile Novice EdRoper 11 posts since
May 8, 2009
It seems to say you can do it either way. Whats the benefit of your suggestion vs. the all on the same lan approach?
Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 11, 2009 4:43 AM
in response to: EdRoper
Click to view AndreTheGiant's profile Guru AndreTheGiant 5,643 posts since
Aug 28, 2008
>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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Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 11, 2009 5:48 AM
in response to: EdRoper
Click to view kjb007's profile Guru kjb007 5,476 posts since
Sep 18, 2006
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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 13, 2009 6:46 AM
in response to: kjb007
Click to view bboule's profile Novice bboule 6 posts since
May 6, 2009

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

Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 13, 2009 6:58 AM
in response to: bboule
Click to view AndreTheGiant's profile Guru AndreTheGiant 5,643 posts since
Aug 28, 2008

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 :p and jumbo frame.

Andre
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Reply Re: Question about creating virtual ports for iSCSI and VMotion May 13, 2009 7:02 AM
in response to: AndreTheGiant
Click to view bboule's profile Novice bboule 6 posts since
May 6, 2009

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

Bob

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