connect VM to iSCSI disk

[DrPerceptron]

Hi peoples,

I'm trying somehow to connect an iSCSI disk to a VM runninng on an ESX server.

But I can't work it out

I can add additional virtual adapters, but these only give me a named option of "Public"... Is it possible to get my VM an adapter to sit on the iSCSI network (it pulls its VHD via iSCSI) somehow?

[Hightower]

Hi peoples,

I'm trying somehow to connect an iSCSI disk to a VM runninng on an ESX server.

But I can't work it out

I can add additional virtual adapters, but these only give me a named option of "Public"... Is it possible to get my VM an adapter to sit on the iSCSI network (it pulls its VHD via iSCSI) somehow?

I think you still need to use the hosts HDD - but after you have OS installed i.e. Server 2003 you can install the Microsoft iSCSI initiator software which should then allow you to connect to the iSCSI.

Going from memory here (from months ago) so may be wrong.

[DrPerceptron]

Without another adapter, wouldn't my iSCSI traffic go over our public VLAN?

[plexer]

with esxi you can add an iscsi target as a datastore and then use that to install your vm's vhd to.

Ben

[Theblacksheep]

I can add additional virtual adapters, but these only give me a named option of "Public"... Is it possible to get my VM an adapter to sit on the iSCSI network (it pulls its VHD via iSCSI) somehow?

You need to add the VMkernal network card (config/networking/add networking and select vmkernal).

Create a vswitch for it to run on. Give it its own vlan (not on the public vlan!)

You can boot from the VM and dont need the hosts disks, except to install ESXi/Vi3... but you can also run this off inbedded flash.

[DrPerceptron]

Given up with iSCSI....

On to NFS! (from what I've read it works a lot better).

Having trouble with that now =D


I've set up a folder, shared it with NFS, created an NFS group which contains the ESX servers and given them RW and Root-Access.

When I add to vmware infrastructure as a Data Store, it says unable to connect to NFS server (used consoles, port mapper service is started and nfs status's are up)

I can't add it to a linux box either, but I don't think the nfs stuff is on those and apt-get is being stupid, so I couldn't be bothered with that.

[DMcCoy]

Given up with iSCSI....

On to NFS! (from what I've read it works a lot better).

Having trouble with that now =D


I've set up a folder, shared it with NFS, created an NFS group which contains the ESX servers and given them RW and Root-Access.

When I add to vmware infrastructure as a Data Store, it says unable to connect to NFS server (used consoles, port mapper service is started and nfs status's are up)

I can't add it to a linux box either, but I don't think the nfs stuff is on those and apt-get is being stupid, so I couldn't be bothered with that.

It's the VMKernel that needs access to the iscsi/nfs shares not the console. If you have authentication when using vmware software iscsi initiator then the vmconsole also needs access to the iscsi target.

You have two options: Connect an existing VM to iscsi within the virtual machine itself (as mentioned above) or connect ESX to the iscsi target so that the VM has no idea about it's existance.

For ESX: Can your ESX console and VMKernel see the iscsi box? (ping and vmkping to find out).
For within VM: Can your virtual machine see the iscsi box using the latest iscsi initiator from MS (if Windows)?


NFS will need to be v4 as ESX will only do nfs over tcp and not udp. Again you will be unable to connect to nfs from ESX unless vmkping indicates the vmkernel can see it.

[DrPerceptron]

hmm, why didn't any link or anything I looked at ever mention the VMK.

going well now so far...

1600 and now it's not :/


I "punched" a whole in the firewall for the NFS client.
I started portmap, nfslock and nfs (in that order) and they all run.
I copied the group and passwd files from /etc to the NFS box and told NFS usermaps to use those, mapped nfsuser to root (same password) and administrator to root (diff passwords)

VMIC states cannot open mount /vmfs/volumes/...

If I do mount on the console of the esx, it connects to it, showmount - e <ip> lists the share as /datast (everyone)
If I try and CD into it, I get Permission Denied