iSCSI for ESX and Windows?

[barber50701]

Here is what I have:

2 ESX hosts with an MD3000i for storage. The 2 hosts and iSCSI are one their own network and all is good!

I was asked if I could add a Pysical Windows 2003 Server to the "iSCSI Nettwork" Is this possible to do?

I have 3 raid containers on the MD3000i all formated as VM Datastores. If this is possible I obvouisly would need to format one as NTFS...correct?

So basically I need to know is it possible to share an iSCSi between ESX hosts and a Windows server.

Nick

[vinividivici]

So you want to add a physical server to an existing network (ISCSI network)?

I would say yes. I believe we are doing this now on our network. Our virtual servers, ESX servers and physical servers all access the ISCSI SAN for storage.

Format the container that the physical server accesses to whatever filesystem it requires (fat16, ntfs, etc). I think there is a 13 or 16 host limit though.

[malaysiavm]

you can always add new physical server that are non VMware related to your iscsi box as long as the system have accessible to your ISCSI switch with ISCSI initiator install.

Craig

vExpert 2009

Malaysia VMware Communities - http://www.malaysiavm.com

[jbruelasdgo]

both (ESX and Windows) can connect to same iSCSI SAN

as long as they do not share the same LUNs (do not think that Windows would recognize the VMFS)

Jose B Ruelas

[barber50701]

Any ideas on how to get the physical server configured? I have found serveral step by step guides and followed them but still nothing

when I configure my Server 2003 I am unable to see the iSCSI. I have a dedicated a NIC to the "iSCSI network" I have giving the NIC a static ip that is in the same range as the 'iSCSI network" but when I ping any of the IP's assigned to the iSCSI I get no response..Should I? When I use the MD3000i configuration utility for the iSCSI inatior it is also unable to see the MD3000i. The thing that gets me is that I have a link light on the Vlanned switch, but nothing on the server (No Link light) so I thought maybe the NIC was bad...so I tried a completly different server with known good NIC's in it and I got the same result.

Nick