Mount external storage in ESXi 3.5 ?

[mads_kikkenborg]

Hello.

Im a big fan of VMware Server og now the ESXi is also free - great!

On my VMware Server 2.0 BETA I have mountet my external NAS (Synology RS-406) in CentOS 5.2, and then added the storage as local storage in the webinterface.

I need to know how to do the same on ESXi ? I can´t figurer it out, how to mount. I have tryed all possible command in the console without any good.

Can somone please help me solving this problem ?

Also I need to know how to add 2 different interfaces in the ESXi. I have the option in VMware server 2.0, but it seems to be impossible in ESXi becaouse of the Load Balacing.

Thanks. Regards Mads Kikkenborg

[kjb007]

ESX does not support CIFS, you'll have to use an NFS based NAS storage on ESX. In order to add NFS, you'll need to add the nfs storage in the esx storage configuration section. You'll also have to make sure that the nfs server is configured for no_root_squash.

-KjB

[robert_jensen]

External storage can be mounted either as Iscsi, or as NFS.

You can add physical network interfaces to a virtual switch.

You can then add port groups to the Virtual switch.

In my test enviroment i have 2 diffrent interfaces.

1. Wan

2. Lan

Each network interface is connectet to vSwitch0 and vSwitch1.

On vSwitch0 i have a port group called WAN and on vSwitch1 i have a port group called LAN

Just connect the VM to the interface you need.

If you have access to Vlan's its a lot easyer, and more fault tolerant to have all your interfaces cooected, to the same vSwtich, and the tag your port groups with Vlan id, to controll where the trafic is going.

/Robert

[mads_kikkenborg]

Ok, then I need to use VMware Server again, because my Synology does not support NFS. Can anyone tell me witch cheep NAS storages who support NFS in VMware ESXi ?

Thanks for the answar, robert jensen, now I know how it works

//

Mads Kikkenborg

[robert_jensen]

It depends on what you call cheap.

You can go the home made way, and installing www.openfiler.com into on old machine. Thats works perfectly.

My collegae talket about a chep hardware nas for, a couple of days ago.

ill try to ask him for the brand and model.

but if your looking for a raid 5 solution, its normaly about 500$ without any disks.

So a cheap solution, can be hard to find.

I was actualy just looking at synologys website, for nas solutions.

Synology, now claim that all their products are NFS ready - Look for yourself.

http://www.synology.com/enu/products/features/index.php

When you look at the products in the website, i just cant find that information, so if thats what your looking for, you might want to talk to synology, before you buy anything.

Another way to go, is an internal sata controller.

On this page, you ca find controllers that work with esxi

http://ultimatewhitebox.com/

/Robert

[mads_kikkenborg]

Ok Thanks.

I will just use the VMware server 2.0

//

Mads Kikkenborg

[mrn1c3]

Mads,

I run ESX3.5I with my synology RS407 as an ISCSI target

If you upgrade the firmware on your synology to the latest Beta version, ISCSI will be supported

To upgrade your Synology Disk Station to the Beta version

zip the downloaded System Firmware and install the .pat file through System > Firmware Upgrade page of the Management user interface

[ScottHolman]

Hi mrc1c3,

does you synology support sharing iscsi target luns? I've looking to get DS409+, but have read a few posts saying the that the synology only support single initiators per lun. Is that true on you box?

Cheers,

Scott