Best way to present ISO images to all ESX hosts

[NYSDHCR]

Presently, we have all of our ISO images in a vmdk (windows) presented to a Windows 2003 vm shared out via NFS. This windows 2003 also runs our vRanger backups. At times, this vm gets pretty busy, and the ESX hosts connected to this NFS share lose the NFS share (it appears as inaccessable). Any suggestion how to present our ISO images to all of our ESX hosts (12 in all)? We don't want to copy all ISO images to the local ESX host.

[jonathanp]

You have SAN?

What is you environement?

Jonathan

[merse]

Are you SAN connected? All my ISOs are on a VMFS LUN accessible by all ESX Servers.

[jp-H]

Hi,

You can create a small VMFS volume shared by all ESX servers.

Then copy all ISO images or config files inside. I use this with 16 ESX server with no problem.

[NYSDHCR]

Yes, we have a SAN. Do you just present the LUN to each ESX host?

[jp-H · Accepted solution]

Exactly.

The easiest way.

[jonathanp]

yes create a lun and share/map it to all you esx servers...

can be VMFS or EXT3.... since you can hold iso image on both.

Regards

[NYSDHCR]

Will we be able to expand when we need to add additional ISO images?

[jonathanp]

you may add extent or just add another vmfs lun (easier) ....

Jon

[jp-H]

Yes you'll be able.

Just create a new volume and expand the older VMFS with the newest with the "add extend" function.

[NYSDHCR]

Thanks all - I'll do ythat!