Connect ESX Hosts to two SAN for data migration

[tjxupendesai]

Hi

I hope you can help, I have two ESX hosts connecting to Dell SAN via iSCSI software Adapter.

I am installing a new EMC SAN on the network (with new subnet), and need to migrate the VMs from the Dell to the EMC.

There are two spare NICs available on the ESX host.

Whats the best way to get the ESX hosts talking to both Dell and the EMC and Storage vMotion the VMs over.

Can i amend the iSCSI vSwitch and add the spare two nics in, create a new port group which will connect the EMC SAN?

many thanks

[hussainbte · Accepted solution]

I suggest you use multiple nics and vmkernel ports with port binding to the software iSCSI adapter.

If you can get the EMC and Equalogic on the same network you can add them both using the same vSwitch configuration.

by doing this you will benefit from the multipathing when connecting to both the arrays. which will help in storage vMotion

[tjxupendesai]

hello

Thank you for coming back to me, unfortunately i dont have a choice with the subnets, the network team wants to claim the subnet back.

But the Cisco switch will have all the vlans trunked, so the iscsi port should be able to see both the EMC and the Dell and allow me to do the VM migration.

In theory:

The iSCSI is setup on vSwitch2 (iSCSI Software Adapter), and i still have two spare NICs.

1. Dell iSCSI vSwitch2: Nic1 172.30.93.6 & Nic2 172.30.93.7

2. EMC SAN - Nic1 172.30.118.27 & Nic2 172.30.118.28

3. Add the two spare NICs to the vSwitch2.

4. Configure these two NICs with the new EMC IPs.

5. Provision the LUN on the EMC & grant the ESX host access.

6. On the iSCSI software Adapter setup the Dynamic discovery for the EMC.

7. Create the new LUNs.

8 Initiate the storage vmotion.

Do you think the above plan would work? Do you see any potential issue.

Thank you again.

[hussainbte]

I suggest you create a vSwitch3 and put the spare nics on that with 2 seperate vmkernel adapters.

do the port binding to the vmhba for software iscsi,.. this is very much required

the rest is all OK..

when on separate networks I would be more comfortable with the configuration on seperate vswitch

[tjxupendesai]

Thank you I will give a go tomorrow.

So software iscsi will be available from the new vswitch.

the data migration is planned for the weekend, do have a couple of days to test.

Thank you

[tjxupendesai]

Hi

I had one more query if you can help. What the best way to check the progress of storage vMotion.

If i SSH on to the ESX hosts, what command should i use to monitor the progress.

many thanks