Storage help need

[rafiqul]

Hi

I am going to install VMWare esxi 4 on hp blade server first time. I got confused about storage. Could any one please help me about the following issue:

1. should i install ESX server in local data store or in SAN data store.

2. after installation of ESX how can I configure FC SAN storage? any video training fro FC SAN is welcome.

Thanks

Rafiqul

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

1. should i install ESX server in local data store or in SAN data store.

Usually you will install the Hypervisor (ESXi) on either local disks or on an SD card if the blade server has this option. The datastores on which the VM's will be installed should be on the SAN LUNs.

2. after installation of ESX how can I configure FC SAN storage? any video training fro FC SAN is welcome.

This in not different from any other system. You will need to do the zoning and present the SAN LUNs to the ESXi host(s). After doing this you will use the vSphere Client, go to "Configuration" -> "Storage" and use the "Add Storage" wizard to format the LUNs as VMFS datastores. If the LUNs don't show up automatically after presenting them to the ESXi host(s), you may need to run a "Rescan" for the "Storage Adapters".

André

[rafiqul]

Dear Mr. André

Thank you very much for your reply. I would be grateful if you could please help me in a little more detail. I have set my ESXi server FC HBA and connected to FC SW, FC SW to FC SP. I am not sure what I have to do now to get access of the SAN box to create VMs. Could you please help me what I have to do now to complete SAN?

Thanks in advance

Rafiqul

[rafiqul]

I mean What I have to do ESXi host and in SAN box??

[a_p_]

To be able to help I need some details about your hardware. You mentioned HP Blades, which model (e.g. BL460c G7)? How did you configure the blade chassis (C3000 or C7000)? I assume your blade servers have a FC mezzanine card connected to 2 FC switches in the blade chassis and the storage is connected to the external ports of these FC switches!? Which storage system do you use? A rough draft might help.

André

[rafiqul]

Thanks for your time

HP Blades  BL460c G7

blade chassis C7000

2 x (300GB 10k 6G SFF SAS Hot Pluggable DP)

Cisco BLC 1/10GbE 3120X Switch

Transceiver module SFT fibre Channel

How should I set these to install ESXi and use those storage for my VMs

Thanks.

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

• Since you already have the disks in the blades, you may configure the disks as RAID1 and install ESXi on the local disk.
• Unless already done, configure the FC switches using single-initiator zoning, i.e. 1 zone = 1 (initiator) port on the blade + all (target) ports on the storage.
• Create the hosts on the storage and assign the corresponding WWNs to them. Also make sure you select "VMware" as the host OS (if applicable)!
• Create LUNs on the storage system, select the appropriate managing controller (depending on your storage system) and present the LUNs to all of the ESXi hosts using the same LUN-ID!
• Rescan the storage adapter on the ESXi hosts and create the datastores on the new LUNs using the "Add Storage" wizard.

André

[rafiqul]

Thank you very much André

.

God bless you and have good times

[rafiqul]

should i ask you an alternate solution help? if i set two physical disks on my blades and install esx server in one of those. what i have to do to use both disks for my desired 5 VMs for 5 different server.

during installation first disk would be automatically VMFS. can i use rest of the space on 1st disk to create VMs or i need to carry out aditional work for that. and what about 2nd disk to use for the same purpose.

Sorry to bother you.

[a_p_]

Although I 'd really recommend to use the two disks in a RAID1 set, you can certainly use them as individual (JBOD) disks. The ESXi Hypervisor only requires about 5GB on the installation disk and will create a VMFS datastore to store virtual machines on the remaining disk space. If the second disk has not been initialized before, the installation may automatically create a VMFS datastrore on that one too. If not you can create a VMFS datastore on the second disk manually.

André