Configuring Storage Switches IP address

will storage switch be configured with IP address? if so how ? would the Nics be teamed ?

Usually you would configure the storage switch with an IP Address for Management Purposes, but that's got nothing to do with VMware vSphere, and does not make any difference if it has a IP Address or not.

As for Teamed, depends on the Storage. If this was NetApp storage, you could create a Teamed Bonded Link to each controller.

Your design should create at least two paths to storage, and should handle a single point of failure in network interfaces in host, and also switches

When it comes to Storage (SANs./NAS) you need to follow their recommendations and guides, there is no, this way for everything....

Andrew
I am sure you have experience connecting   ESX hosts to Network and Storage Switches.

let's talk just about Storage in this thread:
 when you create VmKernel for Storage, you put it in separate subnet from other Vmkernels and VMportgroups.
in the example above the NICs of ESX hosts assigned to VMkernel Storage are Nics7 and 8 on each ESX host.
Those Nics 7 and 8 are connected separately to 2 different Storage switches, for redundancy  sake.
How are you going to configure the port on Storage Switch to be on the same subnet so as to match the subnet of Nics 7 and 8 ?

Yes lots of experience and it depends on the storage

[quote]when you create VmKernel for Storage, you put it in separate subnet from other Vmkernels and VMportgroups.[/quote]

it's recommended to create a storage network. so ideally a non-routable different IP Address scheme.
[quote]
How are you going to configure the port on Storage Switch to be on the same subnet so as to match the subnet of Nics 7 and 8 ?[/quote]

Why do you need to configure anything here ? If I want to run 10.10.1.1 I don't have to configure the switch to run that traffic over the physical switch....

if we want to isolated traffic....we may consider using VLANS, but traffic on 10.10.1.1 and 192.168.1.1 is not going to conflict....but you can contain it in its own pipe - VLAN

We would ensure, that the Storage Switch has VLANS enabled, and those ports on the physical switch are in a specific storage VLAN. but depends if this switch is being used for anything else.

if it was JUST for these, VLANs probably not required.

If you look at ESX host 1 and ESX host 2.
They have Nic 7 and 8 going to 2 different Storage Switches. is this correct wiring ? if so will NIC 7 and 8 be teamed up ?
if you assigned the Vmkernel for storage IP address 10.10.10.100/24 , which IP address will be its default gateway ? will it be the the Storage device itself ?

does not need a default gateway it's not routing traffic and the Storage Switch may not have an IP Address, and only an IP Address for Management.

looks correct follow the paths, when they fail.

It's all really hypothetical because it's not a real configuration

OK will Vmkernel need an IP address ? I believe so
Will Storage Device need an IP address ? I believe so
Nic7 and Nic 8 , one should be Active and the other in Standby ?
cannot we make them Active/Active and teamed up if they are connected to 2 different Storage Switches ?

OK will Vmkernel need an IP address ? I believe so

WHY ?

Will Storage Device need an IP address ? I believe so

WHY ?

Nic7 and Nic 8 , one should be Active and the other in Standby ?

A possible configuration of many. Yes and No, depends on what configuration you are trying to configure for the Storage, you need to understand the storage requirements. e.g. vendor, read the instructions and guides.

cannot we make them Active/Active and teamed up if they are connected to 2 different Storage Switches ?

Again depends on switch support and configuration. e.g. to put this in context, two basic HPE 1810-24G will not supported this, but two HPE 5500 will, in stack mode, and master/secondary.

So difficult to give clear answer on hypothetical switches.

Storage networks are built on the hardware available of

1. storage switches (or switches)
2. vendor SAN

e.g. NetApp will want difference configuration to EMC, Equallogic etc

We have clients with many mixed SAN vendors, and different designs are required for all. One single design does not work for all.

Which means, you have to undersrtand the different requirements for all physical switches, and SANs.

I thought Vmkenel for storage needs to be in a separate subnet  and configured with Default Gateway. Or it Does not ?

Why do you think it requires a default gateway?

What is a default gateway and what does it do?

Why do you think Storage VMKernel needs to be in a separate subnet ?

regarding Nic7 and Nic 8, I am trying to undersand how you can make Vmkernel for storage highly available, if one Nic is down the other Nic will be functional, if one storage switch is down the other will be functional.

you'll understand better if I ask you some questions as your Teacher.

And then in the future be able to apply the knowledge you have learnt.

If I just answer blindly you will not learn.

I think there is some confusion here.

Your last question is fully covered, step by step tutorial with screenshots, in this article I wrote, many years ago for EE but still very valid for 5.5.

HOW TO: Add an iSCSI Software Adaptor and Create an iSCSI Multipath Network in VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.0

in the link above, there is an IP address/DG for :VMkernel iSCSI Portgroup 1

there is indeed.....

is it needed ?

what does a default gateway do ?

and why is it there ?

and why is it greyed out ?

and did I type it in ?

what does a default gateway do ?

in the case the source and destination hosts are in the same subnet. DG is not needed... it is used in case Routing is Needed

However Vmkernel has an IP address and storage device has an IP address.
if they are both in the same subnet, then DG is not needed.

in the case the source and destination hosts are in the same subnet. DG is not needed... it is used in case Routing is Needed

correct

However Vmkernel has an IP address and storage device has an IP address.
if they are both in the same subnet, then DG is not needed.

correct

In fact the IP Address which is filled in grey, is actually added because it's the default IP Address of the Management Network (ESXi quirk).

Generally it's not recommended to route iSCSI Packets, and not a very good idea, to have your iSCSI SAN placed, on a network which it has to be routed to, because of router latency added on to existing network latency, resulting in poor iSCSI performance.

is Vmkernel for Storage the same as Vmkernel for vmotion and Vmkernel for Management ?
I mean you do not need to specify DG , or as you stated it got filled in automatically and greyed out ?

All service ports, special ports required by the Host, are VMKernel Portgroups.

They are different in your enable a VMKernel Portgroup for vMotion or Management by ticking a box.

You only need to specify a Default Gateway if you need one!

You only need to specify a Default Gateway if you need one!

in this case we should already have prepared a specific Vlan on the Switch  just for vmotion. ?and on ESX when we create Vmkernel we assign it an IP address on the same subnet as the Vlan we created ?

Thank you