iSCSI, ESX 3.0.1 and QLogic QLA-4052's

[natedev]

I'm using the QLogic QLA-4052's (experimental - I know) with ESX 3.0.1 and experiencing success in connecting to my new D-Link xStack DSN-3200 (not yet on the HCL) as a iSCSI target. I was able to setup LUN's and use them for virtual machines. VMotion appears to work and performance seems to be very good (again, this is an experimental setup).

A few interesting observations:

\- While the QLA-4052 has no problems connecting to the DSN-3200, I am unable to connect to my iSCSI target with VMWare's software iSCSI initiator.

\- And while I can use a physical Windows 2003 R2 Server with Microsoft iSCSI Initiator 2.03 to connect to my iSCSI target, I can not access it from within any VM's running the same config inside of ESX (though I can ping the target). Also interesting, if I import those same VMs to VMWare Server 1.0.1, my target can be accessed inside the VMs.

D-Link is in the process of getting their hardware certified to be on the ESX HCL. Obviously, they're close but not quite there. I'm interested in hearing whether anyone has any suggestions of things they can do to improve ESX compatibility. While I'm happy with my QLA-4052's, I'm sure that not everyone who would want D-Link's IP SAN solution would be using them.

[acr]

Not quite sure re: your specific problem, but the QLA4052 are in full support now..

[natedev]

I actually ran some disk benchmarks \*within* a VM on my local RAID 10 U320 SCSI (4 drives, 15K RPM) versus the iSCSI target on my D-Link xStack DSN-3200 setup in RAID 10 with 14 x 750 GB 7200 RPM SATA II drives. All tests were run on an HP Proliant DL380 G3 (2 x 3 GHz Xeons, 8 GB of RAM) running ESX 3.0.1. I used the QLogic QLA-4052 HBA.

Performance with the local array got:

67.4 MB/sec - Sequential reads

53.2 MB/sec - Sequential writes

27.3 MB/sec - Random seek and read/write

Performance with the xStack DSN-3200 was:

107.2 MB/sec - Sequential reads

73.2 MB/sec - Sequential writes

35.2 MB/sec - Random seek and read/write

My iSCSI target and switch was set for an MTU of 9000. I couldn't find a place to set the MTU for the QLA-4052's. I suspect they may be using 1500 which means I'd probably get better performance by setting my switch and iSCSI target to use the lower MTU as well.

[natedev]

Forgot to mention that I used PerformanceTest 6.0 from PassMark Software to conduct the testing.

[natedev]

My question here was whether the problems I had with the software iSCSI Initiator sound like they might be addressed by Paul LeLonde's patch.

Also, it was strange that I could access my iSCSI target with the QLA-4052's but not by using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator 2.03 running inside of a Windows 2003 R2 virtual machine on ESX 3.0.1. In that case, it would have been using my teamed NIC's instead of the QLA-4052 to get to the iSCSI target.

[jbods]

Did you succeed in making your setup work properly?

[natedev]

I was never able to get a Windows 2003 R2 vm on ESX to successfully use the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator 2.01, 2.02, or 2.03. I can ping the target but not connect. ESX, on the other hand, has no problem connecting to the target and using its LUNs as DataStores. The same vm imported to VMware Server is able to use the iSCSI Initiator. Could be related to teaming on my dual port NIC on my ESX Server or some kind of bug in the iStor firmware of my DSN-3200. At this point, I'm a little stuck (though the DSN-3200 has worked flawlessly with ESX directly).

[crendall]

I don't think you want to use the Microsoft iSCSI initiator within the VM. You connect ESX to the iSCSI storage and the volume on the iSCSI SAN will look like local SCSI storage to the VM. Using the Microsoft iSCSI initiator within the VM will make it run slower, I believe.

[natedev]

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I'm already using the iSCSI storage with ESX. I stumbled across the problem with the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator not working within an ESX virtual machine because I the VM had worked with the iSCSI target when it was running under VMware Server. It concerns me that the problem is occurring because it suggests that the virtual machine's networking is not as transparent to the OS and applications as we would hope.

[2Advanced]

any chance that you can share the steps taken to get your DSN-3200 working?

[kfeina]

Yo say: I don't think you want to use the Microsoft iSCSI initiator within the VM. You connect ESX to the iSCSI storage and the volume on the iSCSI SAN will look like local SCSI storage to the VM. Using the Microsoft iSCSI initiator within the VM will make it run slower, I believe.

If I connect ESX to the iscsi storage to store the VM inside, and then I use the iscsi storage to store data through the vm, is possible to separate this traffic (ESX-iscsi rescpect VM-iscsi)? 2 Ethernet Cards are possible? one fer iscsi esx and the other for VM iscsi?

I'm a little confused. Thanks a lot.

[natedev]

The only success I've had is to use QLA-4052Cs with ESX 3.0.1 and connect to the DSN-3200 that way. I setup volumes in the DSN-3200 and then connected to these as datastores so that they would be configured as VMFS volumes. I then migrate VM's from the local datastore (using the internal drives of my server) to the datastore on the xStack.

The VM's seem to run well on the xStack but I don't trust it. I'm seeing heat dissapation problems with 15 750 GB Seagates in there. Also, the iStor GigaStorATX firmware is very buggy. D-Link has essentially ignored my requests because they have to wait for iStor to do something about it. I think you might want to check out Dell's new PowerVault NVX product. It's a PowerEdge 1950 with a DAS running Windows 2003 Unified Storage Server (which has the iSCSI target they acquired from StringBean Software). So you get inexpensive hardware that's more flexible than a proprietary unit like the D-Link DSN-3200.

[2Advanced]

Hello sir. Might I suggest using the newly release firmware from D-Link? It was just released two days ago (v1.4.0.27). If you have any difficulty obtaining it for whatever reason, be sure to contact iStor Networks, Inc. (they manufacture the GigaStorATX) and I'm certain they can help you.

A serious amount of improvements in the firmware release and I strongly suggest that you give it a try. Version 1.4.0.27 is a MUST have!

Ceers!

[natedev]

This would be awesome. Did the newer firmware install without messing up the configuration? Does the ESX software iSCSI initiator work with it now? Can you use the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator from within ESX-based virtual machines to access the GigaStorATX?

I haven't heard back from D-Link yet. Can you give me a URL to download the firmware?

[2Advanced]

Hello,

The URL for downloading the latest firmware is:

http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DSN%2D3200

[natedev]

Thanks - just got an email from D-Link Support about it. They just posted it within the past few hours. Looking forward to trying it out. The hardware does have nice capabilities. My frustration has been the firmware.

[natedev]

Looks like my xStack isn't accepting the firmware upgrade. Getting error messages. Sigh... might be Miller time. Maybe Monday will be a better day.

[natedev]

Quick update... looks like you have to turn off your firewall to do a firmware upload. I'm guessing the Java applet console sets up a TFTP server or something similar and then tells the xStack to download it from the workstation. iStor support was very quick to respond.

[OlivierGaubert]

It is very possible and very good to run Mirosoft iSCSI from within the Virtual Machine. I put this OS on a VMDK stored on a LUN accessed by ESX (HBA) and store Exchange and SQL logs/databases on iSCSI LUNs so I can snapshot directly from the SAN using their VSS compatible agent. The microsoft iSCSI initiator from within the OS is used to present the logs/database iSCSI LUNs to Exchange/SQL.

Also, performance wise, Microsoft iSCSI could be better than ESX iSCSI or HBA iSCSI because it supports 8 parallel paths.

I use this on Win2003. Not yet R2.