Add StoreVault S550 as a new host to VMWare

[mrmibadministrator]

Hello

PROBLEM:

I get the following error when attempting to add the newly created StoreVault S550 to VMWare:  Unable to contact the specified host (172.x.x.x).  This might be because the host is not available on the network, there's a network configuration problem, or the management services on the host are not responding.

SETUP:

I have just successfully setup a StoreVault S550 with two LUNs at 2047 GB each.

They are created as VMWare LUNs as the LUN application type.

I have bonded the NIC cards with a virtual NIC.

I have MS2003AD.

I do NOT see a tab under the security window for Windows AD.  All I see is Unix NIS Settings.

I am using StoreVault Manger 3.2.

Any ideas as to why the error above is being shown?

Thanks.

[rweeks]

Have you enabled iSCSI and mapped the LUNs to the right initiator group(s)?

Thanks!

~Randy

[mrmibadministrator]

Randy

I just realized that the tech here who installed the S550 did not connect the SCSI controller since there wasnt on installed on our VM Server.  We are ordering a card for the VM server, we will install it and test it out afterwards (procurment takes a bit so we will prob have it in 2+weeks).

Do explain the initiator group process tho.  I want to make sure I create that correctly.

Thank you

[rweeks · Accepted solution]

Ok so you are ordering a separate iSCSI HBA? You have the capability with VMware to enable iSCSI and utilize your current IP network unless all of your network ports on your host(s) are already used.

As far as the initiator groups, when you create the LUN, you need to create an initiator group with the proper iSCSI iqn name of the hosts you want to connect. Your iSCSI HBA will have it’s own iqn name. If you were to use your current IP network, on your VMware host, you would click on the configuration tab, go to storage adapters then software initiator. Enable that and it will generate a random iqn name. Take that name and plug it into a new igroup in the s550 then associate the two LUNs you create with that igroup. Go back to the vmware host(s), go into the properties of the software initiator, click the dynamic discovery tab, plug in the IP of the s550, do a rescan of the software initiator and you should see your two LUNs appear. From there, I’m going to assume you know how to present that LUNs as VMFS stores.

Does that help? Let me know if you need anything further.

Thanks!

Randy

[mrmibadministrator]

Well we scratched the order for the SCSI adapter.  We configured the iSCSI adapter within VMWare, and did the aforementioned steps you gave us.  VMWare was able to pick up the new stores perfectly and add them.

thank you for your help with this issue!

[rweeks]

No Problem. Glad to hear you got it up and running.

Keep in mind also, you want to make sure your storage traffic (iscsi) is on a separate vlan from your production network.

Thanks!

Randy Weeks

Senior Systems Engineer

Structured Communication Systems, Inc.

[ccanerday]

Randy,

I, too, am trying to add a storevault S500 as storage in VMware. When i go into storage, add storage, and choose disk/LUN and hit next, it doesnt show my LUN. I have created the LUN and tried to configure correctly.  I want to be able to see the 'test' LUN when i go to 'add storage' in vmware. Attached are screen shots of my configuration of iscsi on vmware, and my LUN on the storevault S500.

[A_KR_CHICAGO]

Hi CCanerday,

Were you able to resolve the issue? Im having similiar problems. I upgraded my esx hosts to 4.1 and since then, the esx hosts are not picking up the LUNs. It worked fine when the host was on esx4.0

[ccanerday]

i ended up having to delete the ALUA rule from command prompt:

esxcli nmp satp deleterule --satp VMW_SATP_ALUA --vendor NETAPP --option tpgs_on

but i believe that works on 3.x.  I think we tried deleting the rule on 4.x and werent able to for some reason.  Maybe this is locked down in the 4.x version?

[A_KR_CHICAGO]

Thanks.. We figured out what our problem was.. Somehow the esx servers were seeings the Luns as Linux partitions and not as vmfs. We changed the partition type on the Luns and we are now good to go.