Test Environment Config

[ScottE76]

Hello,

I am looking to setup a test environment for VI3 with ESX 3.0,2.

I was thinking on the lines of purchasing 2 x High spec'd desktops so these will act as 2 hosts.

Then purchasing a Thecus NAS box with ISCSI.

Ideally I would like to emulate a corporate environment and have a fibre switch and HBA's installed in both desktops, but cost may deter me.

Can anyone recommend the correct hardware for such a configuration?

Thanks

Scott

[Rob_Bohmann1]

you can search thru the forums on the term "white box" to find a few differernt configs that people have gotten to work.

[qinwang]

It very good , I aslo leranning~~~~~~

[Smeagol]

Look into "openfiler" its a free linux based filer that supports iscsi and nfs

As for the esx hosts you have to be more careful as the vmkernel drivers only support the hardware listed on the compatibility list.

That means you need to get stuff thats compatible. You will need some sort of scsi local disks and the chipset needs to be compatible too. That means sticking to AMD or Intel Mainboard chipsets in the most part.

Tyan 2882 mainboards work with the AMD chipset.

For storage look at the LSI Logic 150-4 or 150-6 Sata controllers or the Adaptec AHA-2410, 2810 or 2820 etc they all use the same driver as the scsi raid adaptec or the megaraid in the case of LSI. Ive used all of these controllers ok.

Intel SRC stuff used to work with v2 but not v3. You can get the Adaptecs pretty cheap on ebay. That would be my vote.

Then use shed loads of ram and try and get a 64bit guest supported CPU like the newer Opeterons and Dual core intels.