Administrator Guide

Configuring the iSCSI Network
iSCSI networks with a single connection: You must add a virtual port group to the iSCSI vSwitch before
installing the VSA. For instructions on creating a port group, refer to the topic Add a Virtual Machine Port
Group available at the VMware Support website.
iSCSI networks with two subnets: Follow the procedure below.
In a configuration with two subnets, typically one subnet is used on port 1 of each Compellent controller
and the second subnet is used on port 2 of each controller.
In ESXi 5.5, there are two recommended methods of using multiple network adapters between the host
and the iSCSI environment:
• Two vSwitches on separate subnets, each with one vmnic and one vmk port.
• One vSwitch with two vmnics and two vmk ports, with the default switch failover order configured so
that the vmk port on subnet A uses only the vmnic connected to subnet A, and the vmk port on
subnet B uses only the vmnic connected to subnet B.
These configurations are described in detail in the vSphere Storage Guide, Chapter 11, available at the
VMware Support website.
Fluid Cache needs to connect to the iSCSI network through a port group configured to match whichever
method you are using. For instructions on creating a port group, refer to the topic Add a Virtual Machine
Port Group available at the VMware Support website.
Two vSwitches on Separate Subnets with a Single VMNIC
Add a virtual machine port group to each vSwitch, labeling them to identify which subnet they
correspond to.
One vSwitch with Multiple VMNICS
1. Add two virtual machine port groups to the same vSwitch, labeling them to identify which subnet
they correspond to.
2. Edit each port group:
a. In the Hardware area of the Configuration tab, select Networking.
b. Locate the vSwitch and select Properties.
c. Select the first port group, and click Edit.
d. In the NIC Teaming tab, select Override Switch Failover Order.
e. Select one of the vmnics and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to move it to the
Unused Adapters area, leaving only the other vmnic active for the port group.
f. Click OK.
g. Select the second port group, click Edit, and repeat tasks d through f, making the vmnic that was
made inactive previously the only active vmnic for this port group.
Whatever your configuration, make sure the network card configuration you are using on the vmk
ports is replicated on the virtual machine port groups that the Fluid Cache VSAs use. For more
information, refer to the VMware Document Multipathing Configuration for Software iSCSI Using
Port Binding available at the VMware Support website.
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