esxi host installation and integration for block

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ESXi Host Installation and Integration for Block

Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:• Describe ESXi storage connectivity limits and guidelines• Describe the implementation of ESXi FC connectivity• Describe the implementation of ESXi iSCSI connectivity

ESXi Host Installation and Integration for Block 1



This lesson covers the following topics:• ESXi system limits and guidelines• ESXi HBA utilities• VMware VAAI Integration• VNX VASA Configuration

Lesson 1: ESXi Storage Connectivity



ESXi Connectivity: Requirements• One or more VNX storage systems• One or more ESXi hosts• Supported HBAs, HBA drivers, switches and cables• Correctly configured switch zoning• Correctly configured network• A management station in the environment

Supported host and OS Supported browser Supported JRE Network connectivity to storage systems

3ESXi Host Installation and Integration for Block


Array Storage ConsiderationsCentral repositoryScalable and recoverable implementationMultiple hosts can access the same storage spaceVirtual machines can be clustered across physical hostsVirtual machines can take advantage of vSphere features

• vMotion• vSphere HA (High Availability)• vSphere DRS (Dynamic Resource Scheduler)• vSphere FT (Fault Tolerance)

Data management capabilities with array software• LUN/File system expansion and mobility• Thin provisioning• Storage Tiering and Cache capabilities• Archiving and Deduplication• Local and remote replication



Storage Design Considerations: General SANApply VNX Best Practices for ESXi host Storage

Ensure Cache is Enabled for the Array and Individual LUNs

• Do not create Multiple VMFS Partitions on the same LUN

Plan to dedicate an entire LUN to a VMFS Volume

Place each LUN in a RAID group or Pool that provides the necessary performance levels



Storage Design Considerations: RDM• Use RDMs when VMFS virtual disk would become too large to

effectively manage• Use RDMs to leverage native SAN tools

SAN snapshots Direct backups Performance monitoring SAN management



Emulex OneCommand Manager Plug-in



Qlogic QConvergeConsole Plug-in



Brocade Network Advisor Management Plug-in



• VAAI – vStorage API for Array Integration A VMware vendor neutral storage API

• Offloads ESXi storage functions to compliant storage arrays Hardware acceleration of ESXi host storage operations

Reducing CPU, memory and storage fabric bandwidth consumption More ESXi compute power available for running virtual machines

• VNX is compliant for block-based and file-based ESXi storage operations

VNX and VMware VAAI Integration

Block

NFS

APICommands

VAAI



VNX Block-based VAAI Operations


Feature Typical Scenarios Benefits

Array Accelerated Bulk Zero

• VM Provisioning from templates• VMware Cloning• Rapid reprovisioning when older

VMs are being retired

• Background Zeroing• Improved provisioning

performance

Array Accelerated Full Copy • VM provisioning from templates• Storage vMotion

• Improved performance by using internal array Copy command

Array Accelerated Hardware Locking

• Multiple ESXi Servers accessing a LUN containing multiple Virtual Machines

• Improved Performance and Scalability

Thin Provisioning • VM deleted/migrated from Thin provisioned datastore

• Space reclamation on Thin LUN

Stun and Resume• Thin LUN out of space

conditions• Prevents data corruption• Ease of management when

using Thin LUNs


• VASA – VMware Aware Storage API A VMware vendor neutral storage API Out-of-band HTTP communications with storage

• VNX provides storage capabilities to vCenter Storage Processors, LUNs, I/O ports and file systems Monitors VNX health and capacity status

• VNX is compliant for block-based and file-based capability and status monitoring

VNX and VMware VASA Integration

Array capabilities & status

VASA



• Configure Unisphere user for VM Administrator role

• Add Vendor Provider into vCenter A Storage Processor for block Control Station for file

VNX VASA Configuration



• VASA enables VMware Storage Profiles Associates virtual disks to a

specific storage capability.• A Storage Profile used instead

of an actual storage device in vSphere management workflows (e.g. vMotion or Cloning) and the system will: Determine a target device

that matches the profile Highlight the most suitable

target for placement

VASA and Storage Profiles

Flash Drives

Platinum Profile

SAS drives

Gold Profile




During this lesson the following topics were covered:• ESXi system limits and guidelines• ESXi HBA utilities• VMware VAAI Integration• VNX VASA Configuration

Lesson 1: Summary




This lesson covers the following topics:• VNX FC connections to ESXi• VNX FCoE connections to ESXi• VNX iSCSI connections to ESXi

Lesson 2: ESXi FC, FCoE, and iSCSI Connectivity



Viewing Block Storage Ports



Initiator Registration Records: Fibre

Number of initiators is model dependent

• Some HBAs and CNAs have two ports• Each path consumes one initiator record

An initiator is an HBA or CNA port that can access the storage system• Single path• Multipath• Alternate path

Access from a server to an SP in a storage system can be:



Initiator Registration Records Format: Fibre Channel• Hostname• Host IP address• Host HBA WWNs

128 bit number - WWNN + WWPN• VNX port WWNs

128 bit number - WWNN + WWPN• Operating system type

Allows appropriate response to host SCSI commands



Unisphere Host Initiators: Fibre



Initiator Information: Fibre



Viewing SP Fibre Channel Port Properties



ESXi Server HBAs Hardware



FCoE with VMware• As a block level access protocol, currently, there is limited

VMware support for FCoE Integrates with CNAs at the ESXi level No direct pass-through to the guest Operating Systems

CNA interfaces as either a traditional NIC or HBA, depending upon which I/O stack is being utilized.



Initiator Registration Records: iSCSI Names• iSCSI address

Uniquely identifies nodes Two variations

iqn. – iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN) iqn.1992-04.com.emc:cx.fnm00130702376.a5 iqn.1992-04.com.emc:cx.fnm00130702376.b5

eui. – Extended Unique Identifier (EUI) eui.50060162AEA5574E



ESXi Server: iSCSI Hardware



Unisphere Host Initiators: iSCSI



Initiator Information: iSCSI



Viewing iSCSI Front-end Port Properties




During this lesson the following topics were covered:• VNX FC connections to ESXi• VNX FCoE connections to ESXi• VNX iSCSI connections to ESXi

Lesson 2: Summary




This lesson covers the following topics:• Implementing FC connectivity• Implementing iSCSI connectivity

Lesson 3: Implementing ESXi connectivity



ESXi Connectivity Steps

Check and validate all host to VNX connectivity• OCManager Plug-in

(Emulex)• QConvergeConsole Plug-in

(Qlogic)• Network Advisor

Management Plug-in (Brocade)

• Unisphere Initiators

Create a storage group, add LUNs and connect your

ESXi host

Perform a rescan to see the newly provisioned LUNs



Manual Host Registration



ESXi Server: Configure iSCSI Hardware



ESXi Server: Set up SW iSCSI (Vmkernel Setup)• ESXi SW iSCSI support

Supports both send and static targets discovery

Requires only VMkernel port to be in the network configuration

Supports multipathing Supports NIC-teaming Supports ALUA, failover mode

4 for VNX series systems Supports EMC PowerPath/VE



ESXi Server: Set up SW iSCSI (Enable)



ESXi Server: SW iSCSI (Send Targets)



Creating a Storage Group



Adding LUNs to a Storage Group



Adding Hosts to a Storage Group



vSphere Rescan



ESXi Server – Useful Functions and UtilitiesFunction/Utility Definitionvmkfstools Command to create and manipulate virtual

disks, file systems, logical volumes, and physical storage devices on an ESX/ESXi host.

vmware-cmd Command to provide an interface to perform operations on a virtual machine, including to retrieveinformation about the power state, register and unregister the virtual machine, set configuration variables, and manage snapshots.

resxtop Command to retrieve performance statistics. Command is included in vSphere command line interface (CLI) and is part of the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA), which is an equivalent to esxtop that runs only inside an ESX service console.




During this lesson the following topics were covered:• Implementing FC connectivity• Implementing iSCSI connectivity

Lesson 3: Summary



SummaryKey points covered in this module:• Connectivity requirements include:

Supported HBAs, HBA drivers, vendor management software, and proper cabling to the fabric switches.

Fabric switches properly configured and zoned Management station with supported OS, Web Browser, Java, and

network connectivity to the VNX.• Paired with VAAI, VNX provides a hardware acceleration of the

ESXi storage operations. • VASA enables the storage array to provide its storage capabilities

into VMware vCenter.• Steps to implement Linux connectivity in both a Fibre Channel

and iSCSI environment


esxi host installation and integration for block

Documents

vnx storage array

connecting esxi hosts

esxi system limits

emc corporation

esxi hostssupported

storage array environment

vnx storage systemsone

environmentsupported