Connect NAS (iSCSI) to vSphere using Crossover Ethernet Cable

[philwett]

Hello

I have a HP Proliant DL360 G5 in a datacenter (housing) directly connected to the internet. To backup all the VM's I would like to attach a NAS (QNAP with iSCSI) to the server. But since the server is only connected to a 100mbit switch (provider only provides 100mbit) i'm seeking for a direct solution to get advantage of better performance.

On my Proliant Server i'm using the internal dual port NIC (VMNIC0 and VMNIC1) and an additional NC360T dual port NIC (VMNIC2 and VMNIC3). I made two Switches, vSwitch0 with VMNIC0 and VMNIC2 and vSwitch1 with VMNIC1 and VMNIC3 to get redundancy. Each vSwitch has its own service console with public IP.

Since I would like to continue to use the above configuration it came in my mind to buy a additional network card (NC110T with 1 NIC) and use a crossover cable directly to the QNAP NAS. The NAS has two NIC's, one will be attached as said to the ESX and one directly to the internet (to manage from outside).

But now I don't know how to configure this. What do I need to do that the ESX will talk to the NAS, and what kind of IP-Address I have to set on the NAS to talk to the ESX?

Do I need to configure a vSwitch2 (with physical adapter NC110T) and a new Service Console with an private IP: eg. 192.168.1.1 and on the NAS NIC Port which connects to the ESX I set 192.168.1.2 and then it should be possible to work with ISCSI? I then can add the storage on vSphere?

I really would appreciate if someone how perfectly understands this stuff can give me an advice!

Thank you very much

Best Regards,

Phil

[AWo]

If you don't have a physical iSCSI adapter you need to configure the software iSCSI initiator. You need to add a VMkernel port to the vSwitch you want to use for the iSCSI connection. Using two physical adapters for that vSwitch is fine. You can assign an IP address to that port and you need to assign an IP address from the subnet range you have choosen to the iSCSI box, as well.

Read: http://pubs.vmware.com/vsp40u1/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm#href=iscsi_san_config/c_setting_up_...

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

Author @ vmwire.net

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[spuluka · Accepted solution]

This sounds like a good plan and you have the process down right.

• After you install the new card you should see the additional NICs just as you did for the first configuration.

• You create a new vSwitch for the internal network segment that connects the NAS and ESX as you note and add those nics

• You then create the console port and IP address on the private network

• Now the two devices can see each other

• In QNAP you'll create your iSCSI target or your NFS volume

• For iSCSI you go to storage adapters -- properties -- add the ip address of the NAS then close and discover

• This should find the target paths.

• Then you go to storage and add and format the iSCSI volume

• For NFS you go straight to storage and add the NAS address and volume name and mount the storage volume

All the storage will then be visible and usable by ESX.

Steve Puluka

JNCIA-ER

JNCIA-EX

Senior Network Administrator

Liberty Dialysis

[philwett]

Hi Spuluka

Thank you very much for your answer. I will go ahead as you described!

Thanks

Phil