Qlogic Fibre Channel HBA and VM Technical Information

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration GuideESX 4.0ESXi 4.0vCenter Server 4.0This document supports the version of each product listed andsupports all subseq

The virtualization layer schedules the virtual machine operating systems and,if you are running an ESX host, the service console. The virtualization l

CPU, Memory, and Network VirtualizationA VMware virtual machine provides complete hardware virtualization. The guest operating system andapplications

Each virtual disk that a virtual machine can access through one of the virtual SCSI controllers resides in theVMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS

Raw Device MappingA raw device mapping (RDM) is a special file in a VMFS volume that acts as a proxy for a raw device, such asa SAN LUN. With the RDM,

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide14 VMware, Inc.

Using ESX/ESXi with Fibre ChannelSAN 2When you set up ESX/ESXi hosts to use FC SAN array storage, special considerations are necessary. This sectionpr

Zoning is similar to LUN masking, which is commonly used for permission management. LUN masking is aprocess that makes a LUN available to some hosts a

Overview of Using ESX/ESXi with a SANUsing ESX/ESXi with a SAN improves flexibility, efficiency, and reliability. Using ESX/ESXi with a SAN alsosuppor

Disaster recoveryHaving all data stored on a SAN facilitates the remote storage of data backups.You can restart virtual machines on remote ESX/ESXi ho

Figure 2-1. Sharing a VMFS Datastore Across ESX/ESXi HostsVMFS volumeESX/ESXiAESX/ESXiBESX/ESXiCvirtualdiskfilesVM1 VM2 VM3disk1disk2disk3Because vir

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide2 VMware, Inc.You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:http://www.vmw

You might want more, smaller LUNs for the following reasons:nLess wasted storage space.nDifferent applications might need different RAID characteristi

Use Disk Shares to Prioritize Virtual MachinesIf multiple virtual machines access the same VMFS datastore (and therefore the same LUN), use disk share

If you decide to run the SAN management software on a virtual machine, you gain the benefits of running avirtual machine, including failover using VMo

Host-Based Failover with Fibre ChannelTo support multipathing, your host typically has two or more HBAs available. This configuration supplementsthe S

nHandles I/O queueing to the physical storage HBAs.nHandles physical path discovery and removal.nProvides logical device and physical path I/O statist

After the NMP determines which SATP to call for a specific storage device and associates the SATP with thephysical paths for that storage device, the

Choosing Virtual Machine LocationsStorage location is an important factor when you want to optimize the performance of your virtual machines.There is

Using Cluster ServicesServer clustering is a method of tying two or more servers together by using a high-speed network connectionso that the group of

Using VMotion to Migrate Virtual MachinesVMotion allows administrators to manually migrate virtual machines to different hosts. Administrators canmigr

Requirements and Installation 3When you use ESX/ESXi systems with SAN storage, specific hardware and system requirements exist.This chapter includes t

ContentsUpdated Information 5About This Book 7 1Overview of VMware ESX/ESXi 9Introduction to ESX/ESXi 9Understanding Virtualization 10Interacting with

Setting LUN AllocationsThis topic provides some general information on how to allocate LUNs when your ESX/ESXi works inconjunction with SAN.When you s

ESX Boot from SAN RequirementsWhen you have SAN storage configured with your ESX system, you can place the ESX boot image on one ofthe LUNs on the SAN

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide32 VMware, Inc.

Setting Up SAN Storage Devices withESX/ESXi 4This section discusses many of the storage devices supported in conjunction with VMware ESX/ESXi. For eac

Direct connectThe server connects to the array without using switches and with only an FCcable. For all other tests, a fabric connection is used. FC A

Because this array is an active/passive disk array, the following general considerations apply.nTo avoid the possibility of path thrashing, the defaul

nSCSI 3 (SC3) set enablednUnique world wide name (UWN)nSPC-2 (Decal) (SPC2) SPC-2 flag is requiredThe ESX/ESXi host considers any LUNs from a Symmetri

This configuration provides two paths from each HBA, so that each element of the connection can fail over toa redundant path. The order of the paths i

Configure Storage Processor Sense DataA DS4800 SP that runs Windows as a guest operating system should return Not Ready sense data when it isquiescent

HP StorageWorks Storage SystemsThis section includes configuration information for the different HP StorageWorks storage systems.For additional inform

Setting Up the Emulex FC HBA for Boot from SAN 48 6Managing ESX/ESXi Systems That Use SAN Storage 51Viewing Storage Adapter Information 51Viewing Stor

7 Verify the connection by entering the following:SHOW CONNECTIONSThe output displays a single connection with the WWNN and WWPN pair 20:02:00:a0:b8:0

Hitachi Data Systems StorageThis section introduces the setup for Hitachi Data Systems storage. This storage solution is also available fromSun and as

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide42 VMware, Inc.

Using Boot from SAN with ESXSystems 5This section discusses the benefits of boot from SAN and describes the tasks you need to perform to have theESX b

Figure 5-1. How Boot from a SAN Worksstorage arrayboot diskhostFC switchHBAserviceconsoleVMkernelNOTE When you use boot from SAN in conjunction wit

Before You BeginWhen preparing your ESX host and storage array for the boot from SAN setup, review any availableinformation, including specific recomm

3 Configure the HBA BIOS for boot from SAN.4 Boot your ESX system from the ESX installation CD.The QLogic BIOS uses a search list of paths (wwpn:lun)

Enable the QLogic HBA BIOSWhen configuring the QLogic HBA BIOS to boot ESX from SAN, start with enabling the QLogic HBA BIOS.Procedure1 Enter the BIOS

3 Use the cursor keys to select the chosen SP and press Enter.nIf the SP has only one LUN attached, it is selected as the boot LUN, and you can skip t

3 From the Emulex main menu:a Select the same adapter.b Select <1> Configure Boot Devices.c Select the location for the Boot Entry.d Enter the t

Updated InformationThis Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide is updated with each release of the product or when necessary.This table provides the up

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide50 VMware, Inc.

Managing ESX/ESXi Systems That UseSAN Storage 6This section helps you manage your ESX/ESXi system, use SAN storage effectively, and performtroubleshoo

Table 6-1. Storage Adapter InformationAdapter Information DescriptionModel Model of the adapter.Targets Number of targets accessed through the adapte

Understanding Storage Device NamingIn the vSphere Client, each storage device, or LUN, is identified by several names.NameA friendly name that the hos

Display Storage Devices for an AdapterFor each storage adapter on your host, you can display a list of storage devices accessible just through thisada

Table 6-3. Troubleshooting Fibre Channel LUN DisplayTroubleshooting Task DescriptionCheck cable connectivity. If you do not see a port, the problem c

Rescan Storage AdaptersWhen you make changes in your ESX/ESXi host or SAN configuration, you might need to rescan your storageadapters. You can rescan

Disable Sparse LUN SupportYou can disable the default sparse LUN support to decrease the time ESX/ESXi needs to scan for LUNs.The VMkernel provides sp

Requirements for Using NPIVIf you plan to enable NPIV on your virtual machines, you should be aware of certain requirements andlimitations.The followi

11 Select the number of virtual processors in the virtual machine from the pull-down list, and click Next.12 Configure the virtual machine’s memory si

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide6 VMware, Inc.

Procedure1 Open the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.Option ActionNew virtual machineFor a new virtual machine, after creating the virtual machin

You can find some information about modifying claim rules in Appendix B, “Managing Storage Paths andMultipathing Plugins,” on page 79.For detailed des

View Storage Device PathsUse the vSphere Client to view which SATP and PSP the host uses for a specific storage device and the statusof all available

Change the Path Selection PolicyGenerally, you do not have to change the default multipathing settings your host uses for a specific storagedevice. Ho

Figure 6-1. Manual Load Balancing with Fibre Channelstorage arrayESX/ESXiSP1 SP23 421FC switchHBA2HBA1 HBA4HBA3For load balancing, set the preferred

Procedure1 Select Start > Run.2 In the command window, type regedit.exe, and click OK.3 In the left panel hierarchy view, double-click first HKEY_L

Disable Automatic Host RegistrationWhen you use EMC CLARiiON or Invista arrays for storage, the hosts must register with the arrays. ESX/ESXiperforms

Optimizing SAN Storage PerformanceSeveral factors contribute to optimizing a typical SAN environment.If the environment is properly configured, the SA

nWhen allocating LUNs or RAID groups for ESX/ESXi systems, multiple operating systems use and sharethat resource. As a result, the performance require

Resolve Path ThrashingUse this procedure to resolve path thrashing. Path thrashing occurs on active-passive arrays when two hostsaccess the LUN throug

About This BookThe Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide explains how to use VMware® ESX™ and VMware ESXi systemswith a Fibre Channel storage area net

Procedure1 In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory panel.2 Click the Configuration tab and click Advanced Settings under Software.3 Cl

Adjust Queue Depth for an Emulex HBAIf you are not satisfied with the performance of your Emulex adapter, you can change its maximum queuedepth.Proced

Snapshot SoftwareSnapshot software allows an administrator to make an instantaneous copy of any single virtual disk definedwithin the disk subsystem.S

Array-Based (Third-Party) SolutionWhen you use an ESX/ESXi system in conjunction with a SAN, you must decide whether array-based tools aremore suitabl

Mounting VMFS Datastores with Existing SignaturesYou might not have to resignature a VMFS datastore copy. You can mount a VMFS datastore copy withoutc

Procedure1 Display the datastores.2 Right-click the datastore to unmount and select Unmount.3 If the datastore is shared, specify which hosts should n

6 Under Mount Options, select Assign a New Signature and click Next.7 In the Ready to Complete page, review the datastore configuration information an

Multipathing Checklist AStorage arrays have different multipathing setup requirements.Table A-1. Multipathing Setup RequirementsComponent CommentsAll

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide78 VMware, Inc.

Managing Storage Paths andMultipathing Plugins BUse the vSphere CLI to manage the Pluggable Storage Architecture (PSA) multipathing plugins and storag

Technical Support and Education ResourcesThe following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this book an

ProcedureuUse the esxcli corestorage claimrule list to list claim rules.Example B-1 shows the output of the command.Example B-1. Sample Output of the

Example B-2. Sample Output of the vicfg-mpath CommandMPP_1MPP_2MPP_3MASK_PATHNMPDisplay SATPs for the HostUse the vSphere CLI to list all VMware NMP

Add PSA Claim RulesUse the vSphere CLI to add a new PSA claim rule to the set of claim rules on the system. For the new claimrule to be active, you fi

Delete PSA Claim RulesUse the vSphere CLI to remove a PSA claim rule from the set of claim rules on the system.Procedure1 Delete a claim rule from the

Example B-5. Masking a LUNIn this example, you mask the LUN 20 on targets T1 and T2 accessed through storage adapters vmhba2 andvmhba3.1#esxcli cores

Procedure1 To add a claim rule for a specific SATP, run the following command.esxcli nmp satp addrule <rule_parameter> -e <description> -o

esxcli corestorage Command-Line OptionsSome esxcli corestorage commands, for example the commands that you run to add new claim rules, removethe rules

IndexSymbols* next to path 61Aaccess, equalizing disk access 69active-active disk arrays 16, 38, 62active-passive disk arrays, path policy reset 6

diagnostic partitionsboot from SAN 44sharing 65direct connect 33disabling auto volume transfer 37disabling paths 63disaster recovery 17disk acce

lower-tier storage 26LSILogic queue depth 29LUN decisionsadaptive scheme 20predictive scheme 20LUN masking, boot from SAN 45LUN not visible, SP v

Overview of VMware ESX/ESXi 1You can use ESX/ESXi in conjunction with a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN), a specialized high-speed network tha

preferred path 61prioritizing virtual machines 21problemsavoiding 66hub controller 40performance 68visibility 54profile name, Linux 39PSA, See

troubleshooting 66Uuse cases 17VvCenter Server, accessing 13Virtual Machine File System 12Virtual Machine Monitor 9virtual machinesaccessing SANs

Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide92 VMware, Inc.