Problem with NPIV

[ccurr]

Hi,

I am trying to configure NPIV on a virtual machine but can not despite having followed all the steps on several guides on.

Environment:

- ESX 3.5

- SAN EMC CX500 SAN with 4 switches : 2 DS-24m2 and 2 Brocade with ISL

HBAs and SAN switches have NPIV enabled

1. With Navisphere I created a LUN and I have assigned to StorageGroup which includes the ESX Server host

2. With Virtual Center, I created a virtual machine to which I assigned the length through a disk RDM.

3. I made the switch in the SAN zones containing the following WWPN:

- Virtual machine

- ESX host

- Storage Processors

4. In Navisphere I added manually in the form Initiators WWNN: WWPN assigning as the ESX host that contains the virtual machine

5. I started the VM

Unfortunately running the command cat / proc / scsi / lpfc / * known to the virtual ports are not created

NPIV Supported: VPIs VPIs used max 16 0

and / var / log / vmkernel is always error

WARNING: SCSI: 745: Failed to Create VPort world for xxxx vmhba1, rescan failed, status = bad0001

Where could the error? I'm crazy for two days and I can not get out.

Another question related more to the problem, you can install a virtual machine as the Emulex lpfc driver on a physical machine? The host that contains the virtual machine has installed two of Emulex HBAs.

I followed the instructions of this post but the problem rispresenta anyway.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/mi...Id=1018326

Thanks

[MauroBonder]

check, its only a suggest http://communities.vmware.com/message/984584

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[RParker]

Another question related more to the problem, you can install a virtual machine as the Emulex lpfc driver on a physical machine

Installing the driver on the VM will not work. That device isn't actually attached to the VM, it's on the host. NPIV is what you want.

So it's very simple. check the config of the VM, did you enable NPIV AND make Virtual WWN WWP on that VM as well? You need at least 1 of each for the VM.

The Host, the VM (WWN/WWP) and the storage need to be properly zoned. So IF the host can see the VM WILL see it by default, ALL the VM's will unless you specifically keep them out of the zone. A mistake many people make is making a NEW zone for this purpose, but what people don't realize is that NEW zone may override a previous zone.

So SAN1 is in zone DATA. ESX1 is in zone DATA. Now you want to create a zone for VM1. So you create a new zone called DATA2. You add SAN1, ESX1, and VM to this new zone, and THEN you tell the zone ONLY allow these devices, which will knock out the zone DATA.

All you really need is the original zone, add VM1 to it. The SAN will determine which devices can access (and not the switch). That could be part of your problem. Also some vendors need the WWN AND WWP for ALL devices.

In our case I have to zone JUST the WWPN (for the host) and use the WWNN (from the VM) in order to see it, which makes no sense, but that too me a whole day to figure that out. So maybe you did everything right, it could be which zoning you are using.

A general rule is WWPN is for target, WWNN is for sender. So you put WWPN in the switch zoning, and put WWNN on the SAN mapping. Sometimes adding both WWPN and WWNN works, but then others EITHER and NOT both will work, so you may have to manipulate the WW names you used and figure out a good combo.

Don't you just love Fiber?

It's really not that hard to configure beyond that. Make SURE the ESX host can see that SAN data AND it's not a VMFS datastore.... it MUST be raw!

If this is all correct, zone properly and VM1 (WWN) are visible to the data, then it should work fine.