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Presenting a LUN to a VM

We have NetApp SAN with all of our VMs running from NFS mounts. In order to use SQLServer on a VM, we will need to present a LUN to the VM so that NetApp's SnapManager can put the DB into a consistent state prior to taking a snapshot. How do I present a LUN from the SAN directly to a VM (not to the ESX host)? Is this what is meant by RDMs? Where is the best place to get some details on how to do this?

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kjb007
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It was a NetApp release. They officially support Physical Mode RDM with SnapDrive 6. Someone has had success with it as well: http://communities.vmware.com/message/1037118

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB

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weinstein5
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Yes it is referring to RDMs - RDMs are only available to be used with block level access storage such as SAN (iSCSI and FC) or local SCSI storage - are you able to run iSCSI with your NetApp?Because that will be need to to have a RDM - this should give you more information about RDMs -

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kjb007
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Presenting a LUN directly to a vm is an RDM. You can do it in various ways, by presenting the LUN to the ESX hosts (iSCSI/FCP) and presenting it to the VM directly through ESX, or by using NPIV and zoning to the WWPN of the vm itself, or using iSCSI directly inside the vm itself, in which case it's not really an RDM.

In order to use SnapManager, the VM has to communicate with the filer, and so SW iSCSI initiator from within the vm may be the only way here. See here: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/115047

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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kjb007
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It looks like you can use a physical mode RDM as well using Fiber channel. Will depend on what protocol you're currently using on your SAN.

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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thanks.

where were you looking to get information on FC?

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kjb007
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It was a NetApp release. They officially support Physical Mode RDM with SnapDrive 6. Someone has had success with it as well: http://communities.vmware.com/message/1037118

-KjB

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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