NFS vs iSCSI - Please help me decide which

[Intricate]

I am new to VMWare and have a single ESX3.5 host. I currently have a small iSCSI appliance that I will be replacing with a EMC Clariion AX4. The question is do I use NFS or iSCSI for my VM's on the new AX4 since it supports both.

Any insight as to which is preferred and reasoning would be appreciated.

Erik

[Intricate]

Sorry - neglected to mention Ill be adding a second host possibly even a third when I add the AX4. The storage will be on a dedicated network/switch.

[bretti]

Go with iSCSI.

You can get iSCSI HBAs aka TOE cards to get better performance as you grow.

My opionin is that iSCSI will perform better than NFS, but that is up for debate.

[piercelynch]

As it happens, I am currently diving into the world of IP SAN/iSCSI as an alternative to FC storage for a new installation. However, I very much agree that compared to NFS - iSCSI really is the better apporach in terms of performance and scalability. From what I am reading, the iSCSI performance on the AX4 is very good, and certainly something I am also looking at.

iSCSI all the way :smileylaugh:

P.

[postfixreload]

iSCSI is a better choice. The vmkernel can talk directly to VMFS vs other file system. And it's more secure