HP 3PAR VMware ESX Implementation Guide

7 Configuring the Host for an iSCSI Connection
This chapter describes the procedures for setting up an ESX software iSCSI configuration with an
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage. Use the instructions in this chapter in conjunction with the VMware
vSphere Storage guide available at VMware.
Setting Up the Switch and iSCSI Initiator
Connect the ESX host iSCSI initiator ports and the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports
to the switches.
If you are using VLANs, make sure that the switch ports that connect to the HP 3PAR StoreServ
Storage iSCSI target ports and iSCSI initiator ports are in the same VLANs and you can route the
iSCSI traffic between the iSCSI initiator ports and the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target
ports. Once the iSCSI initiator and HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports are configured
and connected to the switch, you can use the ping command on the iSCSI initiator host to make
sure it sees the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports.
NOTE: Setting up the switch for VLAN and routing configuration is beyond the scope of this
document. See your switch manufacturer's guide for instructions about setting up VLANs and
routing.
The procedures in this chapter assumes that you have already completed the following tasks:
• Setup and configuration of the host Network Interface Card (NIC) or converged network
adapter (CNA) as an Initiator port that will be used by the iSCSI Initiator software to connect
to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports.
• Installation of the iSCSI initiator software package.
Installing iSCSI on VMware ESX
Software iSCSI drivers for VMware supported NICs are included as part of the ESX OS installation
package supplied by VMware. You can get updates and patches for the software iSCSI drivers
from VMware support.
An example of an ESX iSCSI Software initiator configuration with two servers is shown below:
62 Configuring the Host for an iSCSI Connection