vSphere 5.5 and iSCSI lun sharing with Microsoft cluster

[TSPFed]

Hello,

I have two ESXi 5.5 hosts using a Netapp filer NAS. We are using VMware Software iSCSI adapter  to configure the LUNS on the NAS. ESXi  hosts sees the LUNS as expected and data stores can be created from the LUNS with no issues. NAS initiator groups are configured to see the iqn of both physical hosts.

I am trying to configure Microsoft cluster on two virtual guests. I tried following the VMware guide to create a new SCSI controller with either "virtual" or "physical" options and then carving  some space from one of the iSCSI data stores. If I change it to "virtual" or "physical" options the virtual machine won't boot. I can boot the virtual machine with hard drives in none only.

How could I configure Microsoft clustering with a VMware software iSCSI adapter so that these drives on the iSCSI data stores can be shared between the hosts?

Thanks in advance

[ScreamingSilenc]

Let me understand from what you have mentioned.

1. Your creating a Cluster Across Box (CAB) Microsoft Cluster.

2. Your trying to carve out space from iSCSI datastore (i.e virtual disks) instead of adding iSCSI LUN's individually.

3. You have tried "Virtual Mode" & "Physical Mode" Bus Sharing, and none of them worked.

     Virtual Mode -  Is only Supported with Win2003 Server GOS in CAB

     Physical Mode - Is only supported with Physical RDM's

Correct me if I'm wrong

[FritzBrause]

1. For the MSCS OS disk (Windows OS disk), you take a normal vmdk on a VMFS datastore.

2. For the shared disks (quorum etc.), you need dedicated LUNs (iSCSI is supported). But they must be added as RDM.

Also for the RDMs, you need to give a different vSCSI controller in the VM. So for instance give it SCSI identifier 1:0, 1:1 etc.

The mode of the second vSCSI controller in the VM must be set to physical compatibility mode (recommended) or virtual compatibility mode.

Take this KB as a starting point and follow the MSCS guide for vSphere 5.5.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004617

[ScreamingSilenc]

If you don't have individual iSCSI LUNs you can use non shared disk (virtual disk) with bus sharing none on each cluster nodes and use file server as a quorum.

Note: these virtual disk should not be shared across nodes

[TSPFed]

Thanks all, configuring the lun as RDM worked and MSCS is happy now.....

Thanks again for the direction....