DL 380G6, Netapp, iSCSI, NFS, Network Config

Here is a good ESX config for a DL380-G6 with a Netapp array using NFS and iSCSI for VM placement.

HP DL380 G6 using Intel X5550 processors

I recently purchased some servers to host our ESX environment for a client. We went with the X5550 processors. Be careful of how you purchase the memory cause the more you buy the slower it is.

Basically the server has 3 channels with 1 CPU and 6 channels with 2 CPUs. Each channel has 3 slots for a total of 18 slots with 2 CPUs. If you populate 1 slot per channel you can run at 1333 MHz. If you put in one more memory chip in a channel, you run at 1066. One more and you go down to 800 MHz.

The 8 GB DIMMs do not run at 1333 so basically if you want to run at that speed you can only have 24 GB of memory. Here is the table:

Convert VMFS VMDK to RDM

vmkfstools –i /vmfs/volumes/data1/W2K3standardgoldenmaster/W2K3standardgoldenmaster.vmdk -d rdm:/vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:6:0 /vmfs/volumes/data1/rdmvir/rdmvir.vmdk

Vsphere 4

I am in the middle of designing a virtualization solution and I knew this was coming. I think I may have to step back a bit. Check out the release of the new VMware now called Vsphere 4.

http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid94_gci1354214,00.html

Running VMs in NFS

I am currently working on purchasing a Netapp array for a client along with some VMware. My plan is to run most of the VMs on NFS for various reasons. First of all, I think it is cool and that is always most important. Since the VMs are just chilling on a remote file system, you think of them like you should, just files. Create directory structures, one say for email with all your email servers, one for you file servers, etc.

With the Netapp de-duplication, which is built into their array, you can save a lot of space when running the Vms in NFS. You can do similar when running VMFS on Netapp SAN, but the space doesn't get returned to the file system like it does with NFS.

If you look at the performance numbers, only FC beats it out. iSCSI is dead even. With Netapp you get all of the NAS features with it including snaps, replication, etc.

I will post my results with this client. I have had luck doing this in the past, but never in production. From what I read and hear it works like a charm. Some say it is the best thing to happen in their DCs in a while.

Replicating VMs

When replicating VMs to a remote site
If the LUNs being presented at the remote site are to differnet ESX hosts then you can change the LVM.DisallowSnapshotLun = 0 and then rescan which will allow you to see the LUN without resignaturing it. You can then browse to the vmx and register it.
You could also change the LVM.EnableResignature = 1 which will resignature the LUN and therefore require the UUID in the vmx to be changed before registering it.

Sean