White Papers

BP1014 Enhancing SQL Server Protection using Dell EqualLogic Snapshot Smart Copies
28
host iSCSI connection path between the SQL database server and the PS6500E backup pool
array.
 Per Microsoft® SQL Server® storage requirements, SQL Server® guest operating system
images must be deployed on physical disk drives separate from physical drives hosting SQL
Server® data. The VMDK files containing the database server OS file systems were stored on
the local disks installed on the R710 ESX host.
 You should configure separate virtual switches for VM network traffic and iSCSI storage traffic
on the ESX hosts.
 Jumbo frames should be enabled on vSwitches handling iSCSI SAN traffic. At least two server
NICs dedicated for iSCSI traffic need to be configured as uplink NICs to the iSCSI vSwitch.
Virtual machine and guest OS configuration
 In order to use the Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft® Edition features, you must setup iSCSI
SAN storage access for Windows based virtual machines to use a direct access path and the
guest OS (Windows) iSCSI initiator, as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
 When using the Windows 2008 Server iSCSI initiator within a virtual machine (guest iSCSI), the
following recommendations apply:
o Create virtual NICs of type vmxnet3 within the guest VM for connection to iSCSI virtual
switches.
o Enable TSO (TCP Segmentation Offload) and LRO (Large Receive Offload) in the guest
VM NICs for iSCSI traffic.
o We recommend you use the EqualLogic MPIO DSM installed as part of the EqualLogic
Host Integration Toolkit (HIT Kit) in the guest OS.