How can I register a VMware ESXi 4.1 host on a CLARiiON AX4-5F system ?

[LeftTurn22]

Hello experts,

as part of the process of keeping up to date our VMware vSphere 4 production infrastructure and as part of the process of switching from ESX to ESXi as recommended by VMware we are now planning to switch from current VMware ESX 4.0.0 Build 171294 to the latest version/Build of ESXi.
Before going through the entire procedure we are looking for instructions on how to register the new ESXi 4.1 installation on the Clariion AX4-5F after upgrading the hosts to ESXi 4.1 (more specifically after Step 7 and before Step 8 outlined below).

When we initially built the hosts using current VMware ESX 4.0.0 Build 171294 we installed Navisphere host agent on the ESX Service Console and automatically got the hosts registered on the Clariion.

Since VMware ESXi does not have a service console should I manually unregister the old VMware ESX 4.0 hosts after Step 5 using Navisphere Express and manually add them back using Navisphere Express after completing the ESXi 4.1 installation ?

Our migration plan from ESX to ESXi is described below:

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1) Upgrade VMware vCenter Server to the latest build currently available
2) Migrate all VMs from Host A to Host B
3) Remove Host A from the cluster
4) Detach Host A from VMware vCenter Server and release this host's licenses
5 ) Shutdown Host A and unplug SAN connections to prevent accidental overwrites during ESXi 4.1 installation
6) Perform any hardware firmware updates from IBM to the host
7) Build the ESXi 4.1 host from scratch
😎 Reconfigure host networking, reconnect storage, add back the host's licenses and add back the host to the cluster
9) Test extensively and finally move all VMs back to the ESXi 4.1 host and repeat with the remaining ESX 4.0 host starting from Step 3)
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Thank you in advance for your support.

Regards,

Massimiliano

[AndreTheGiant]

If physical hosts are the same you do not need to register them again.

The host connections is based on HBA WWN, so if they do not change the ESXi will see the storage.

If HBA are new you can simple create the connection manually (very simple in Navisphere Express interface).

Andre

[LeftTurn22]

Hello Andre,

thank you for your reply.

Physical hosts and HBAs are the same so I understand ESXi 4.1 should see the same production LUNs without doing anything.

Instead if HBAs were new we would have to create the connection manually in Navisphere Express interface. According to the information contained in an Applied Technology white paper from EMC I have also discovered that once a new ESX/ESXi host has been properly configured with an IP address and a hostname it will initiate an automatic registration with the CLARiiON storage system without the need to create the connection manually in Navisphere Express interface.

Have you already managed to do so using a new physical host or new HBAs ?

Thank you again for your support.

Regards,

Massimiliano

[AndreTheGiant]

Host is only a couple of HBA with a name and a IP (is needed for Naviagent to test the connectivity).

But nothing more...

On AX with Naviagent Express I simple use the connection page that works great.

With with a recent Flare also hosts may be able to do a auto-connect (I usually use this feature on CX series).

Andre

[LeftTurn22]

Thanks again for your helpful replies.