How to setup a 2-node ESXi host with DELL hardware?

Hi Hanccocka,

Appreciate for plenty of articles, let's me browse through...

Hi Hanccocka,

How about the DELL PS6100 part? Do you have any articles to refer to?

These are documents we back to when installing for clients, got one todo today!

if you are only going to read one document, read this one! This has nice pictures of how you cable it with your single Powerconnect switch!

http://en.community.dell.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-3862-00-00-20-09-49-73/Intro_2D00_PC7024_2D00_7048.pdf


All the documents you need to refer to are here

http://www.dellstorage.com/equallogic/ps6100/

http://www.dellstorage.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2412

http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20434601.aspx

http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20434601.aspx

Hi Hanccocka,

Sorry for the delay as I being told there may be a change on SAN storage. Now, confirm that
it is using Dell EqualLogic PS4100XV. BTW, how to setup this SAN?

Hi Piyushranusri,

Thanks for the guidance. I am more keen on the setup and configuration of Dell equsllogic ps4100xv. Such as how to configure volume, etc.

Articles above also refer to any Equallogic.

Please browse this Article to configure new IP address on Storage.

1.https://www.experts-exchange.com/Storage/Storage_Technology/A_12356-Change-EqualLogic-Storage-IP-Address.html

then after connect storage to switch and put the same IP series on your laptop, connect the storage with management IP. and you can create partition here.

then copy the www name of storage and connect to storage adapter. on static and discovery search tab.


for more confirmation, you can log a case with dell support team they will do it for you.



please share the output

Hi Hanccocka and Piyushranusia,

Please allow me to have some times to read through...

Anyway, I will have to start this project in a week to go, good luck to me.

its good that you are preparing your self.
i will suggest you go through with dell site and download the configuration software for your storage...atleast you can take a look that and have feel about tabs and columns.


please share the output

ok,

Hi hanccocka and Piyushranusri,

I just got the hardware list as follows:

   2 x DELL R520, - each with 1 CPU 6-core, 2x300 HDD, 64 G RAm, 4 -NIC
   2 x DELL PowerConnect 6248-48 port, each with 2 SFP tranceiver and fiber optic cables
   1 x DELL EqualLogic PS4100xv, dual-controller, 6 x 600 GB HDDs

Hi all,

To my understanding after read through most of the articles provided, the perfect way is  connecting 2 powerconnect 48-port switches with the PS4100xv array, to achieve full redundancy. Please see my questions:

  q1. Can I use a single switch instead? without losing the full redundancy? Use of vlans?

  q2. Are 4 NICs enough? 2 used for iSCSI, 1 used for vMotion\ESXi 2-node clustering, and 1
        for VMs and ESXi Host Management? Shall i take 2 more NICs?

  q3. In term of the volumes, 2 will be created, and one for each ESXi host. I intend to use 1
        array, which RAID should I use? RAID 50?
        ( 6 HDDs are 600 GB 15Krpm, SAS)

thanks,

if you are using VLAN then keep server in one vlan and storage in different vlan like that


Port                                   Remote       Interface                    Port Settings
                  
GigabitEthernet0/1      ESX1      E1                      Trunk 3,4
GigabitEthernet0/2      ESX1      E2                        Trunk 3,4
GigabitEthernet0/3      ESX1      E3                         VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/4      ESX1      E4                           VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/5      ESX2      E1                        Trunk 3,4
GigabitEthernet0/6      ESX2      E2                         Trunk 3,4
GigabitEthernet0/7      ESX2      E3                         VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/8      ESX2      E4                     VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/16      EQL A      ETHERNET0      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/17      EQL A      ETHERNET1      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/18      EQL A      ETHERNET2      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/19      EQL B      ETHERNET0      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/20      EQL B      ETHERNET1      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/21      EQL B      ETHERNET2      VLAN 4
GigabitEthernet0/13      ESX1      DRAC      VLAN 3
GigabitEthernet0/14      ESX2      DRAC      VLAN 3

and connect all LAN cable to switch.


Q1. yes sure, you can user single switch
q2. 4 is Ok,
q3. raid 50 is perfect


please share the output

Sorry for the delay as busy to do the project onsite.

Now, almost all the jobs done. 2 ESXi 5.5 hypervisor hosts are up and connected to DELL PS4100xv iSCSI storage, via 2 PowerConnect 6248 48-port (stacking).

In term of the network segment, 2 segments are created. First one is storage segment - 172.168.0.0/24, only for iSCSI traffic. Second one is Production/management segement - 172.16.100.0/24, for all VMs and host management.

After that, create 2 volumes (on PS4100), and only allow both hosts to connect. vCenter also setup and running, and join both hosts together. 5 VMs are created and distributed to these 2 hosts. Now is the turn for HA Clustering, and I ran through the wizard to set it up. The cluster is set up, but, there is a yellow triangle on both of the hosts. I click summary, and see the error - The vSphere HA agent could not reach the isolation address: 172.16.0.254.

I was configuring 172.16.0.254 as the default gateway of all NICs, but it is not pingeable, does this the source of problem? How to resolve it? Should i change all default gateway to, such as, the ip of the network switch (with ip: 172.16.0.201)?

Can you ping this IP Address - 172.16.0.254 ?

Do you have a default gateway?

It is the cause of the issue, usually a default gateway is pingable, but if it's not use an IP Address that's always up and reliable.

Hi Hanccocka,

254 does not pingaeble. Suppose now i change the default gateway to 201 - powerconnect switch ip, does this affect the redundancy?

Okay, you need to use an IP Address, which is up 24x7.

The correct way to do this, is to use this feature
Advanced configuration options for VMware High Availability

So the default gateway for your network remains the same, but you override the function correctly use-sing the advanced settings above, to use a new isolation address, which is reachable.

Thanks hanccocka, by setting the default gateway to .201, not more warning sign.

Excellent, very appreciate for the assistance, advises, and patients, and details explanation.
Now, the Infra is up and move to production.

congrts to you..

the main thing you tried to understand and explained the situation in very clean way


have good day

Yes, that will work, but it's a bit of a hack job!

Unless your ESXi Host server needs to use the default gateway this will work!

Hence, why VMware, have created advanced options, to use a different isolation address from the default gateway.