Create zoning for new BLADE

[Jean Paul Enerst]

Hi Guys,

                  I have received a new blade and installed it into the chassis. Now, it's time to give it access to the SAN. This is new blade is the 7th spread in two chassis... Accurently zoning is done in a N5K switches.... Below is the configuration that i am about to add into the N5K, can you expert have a look at the configuration below and advise.

fcalias name ESX7 vsan 1

    member pwwn 20:00:00:25:b5:b0:00:ff

fcalias name PCVNX_A5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:65:3e:a0:53:19

fcalias name PCVNX_B5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:6d:3e:a0:53:19

    zone name PCVNX_A5_ESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_A5

    member fcalias ESX7

zone name PCVNX_B5_ESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_B5

    member fcalias ESX7

zoneset name PC-VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

    member PCVNX_A5_ESX7

    member PCVNX_B5_ESX7

zoneset activate name PC--VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

My main concern here is when i activate the zoneset will it drop traffic? This is a live production network, i CAN'T affort to drop traffic at all. Should i request a maintenance window? And don't have a lab to test it!

2. Now i want this host to boot from SAN...

fcalias name LUNESX1 vsan 1

member pwwn 20:00:00:25:b5:A0:00:8F >>>> vHBA-A.... Host see the stoare on vHBA-B

zone name PCVNX_A5_LUNESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_A5

    member fcalias LUNESX7

zone name PCVNX_B5_LUNESX1 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_B5

    member fcalias LUNESX7

zoneset name PC--VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

    member PCVNX_A5_ESX7 

    member PCVNX_B5_ESX7

    member PCVNX_A5_LUNESX7 

    member PCVNX_B5_LUNESX7

zoneset activate name PC-VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

And finaly to complete, have the SAN admin to create LUN masking?

Thanks,

[Walter Dey]

My comments/questions inline wdey>>>

fcalias name ESX7 vsan 1

    member pwwn 20:00:00:25:b5:b0:00:ff

wdey>>> I assume, that this is your new server's vhba (created in the SP) ? correct ? I also assume you have 2 separate fabrics, a and b, and therefore also 2 vhba's

fcalias name PCVNX_A5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:65:3e:a0:53:19

fcalias name PCVNX_B5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:6d:3e:a0:53:19

    zone name PCVNX_A5_ESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_A5

    member fcalias ESX7

zone name PCVNX_B5_ESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_B5

    member fcalias ESX7

wdey>>> about zones are new single initator - single target zones ? correct ?

zoneset name PC-VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

    member PCVNX_A5_ESX7

    member PCVNX_B5_ESX7

zoneset activate name PC--VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

My main concern here is when i activate the zoneset will it drop traffic? This is a live production network, i CAN'T affort to drop traffic at all. Should i request a maintenance window? And don't have a lab to test it!

wdey>>> No problem, this is non disruptive for the existing zones, can be done any time !

2. Now i want this host to boot from SAN...

fcalias name LUNESX1 vsan 1

member pwwn 20:00:00:25:b5:A0:00:8F >>>> vHBA-A.... Host see the stoare on vHBA-B

wdey>>> I don't understand this; the above zones 1) should be ok. e.g. zoning of your vhba (initiator) to the controller of the VNX (target); what you have to setup is the bootpolicy, where you specify the vhba over which the boot request is sent, plus the VNX controller pwwn. Then your storage admin has to do lun masking/mapping, based on your vhba's pwwn (=initiator)

[Jean Paul Enerst]

Hi Wdey and thanks for the help.

There are more info....

fcalias name ESX7 vsan 1  >>> Initiator for new blade(wwpn of the vHBA-A)

    member pwwn 20:00:00:25:b5:b0:00:ff

Below are the two targets to the storage aray

fcalias name PCVNX_A5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:65:3e:a0:53:19

fcalias name PCVNX_B5 vsan 1

member pwwn 50:06:01:6d:3e:a0:53:19

And to answer your question about target zones. There are two target, i did not add the second one in the post.

Now regarding the LUNs and SAN boot.

The current zone are for the DATASTORE and they segmented for SAN boot yet. I assume the SAN admin will need to segment them, to add new partition for each host.Now my question, and you may have answer it in the previous post as well:

Since i already provided the host access to the storage(zoning), when the SAN admin segment  and installed ESXi on it, i assume that also need to zone that new partition of the disk so the host can sees it and boot from it??

And that's why i add this ... ONLY for the new partions.

zone name PCVNX_A5_LUNESX7 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_A5

    member fcalias LUNESX7

zone name PCVNX_B5_LUNESX1 vsan 1

    member fcalias PCVNX_B5

    member fcalias LUNESX7

zoneset name PC--VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

    member PCVNX_A5_ESX7 

    member PCVNX_B5_ESX7

    member PCVNX_A5_LUNESX7 

    member PCVNX_B5_LUNESX7

zoneset activate name PC-VSAN1-ZONE1 vsan 1

Thanks

[Walter Dey · Accepted solution]

Hi Jean Paul

I don't understand why you need a zone LUNESX7 ? In the case of a JBOD this was common, but a storage subsystem will hide the pwwn of the HDD behind the controller.

Let me summarize what you need to do for e.g. boot from SAN

1) create a SP with 2 vhba, vhba0 and 1; mapping vhba0 to Fabric a, and vhba1 to Fabric b; create boot policy, see 5)

2) zone pwwn of vhba0/1 and controller port fabric-a/fabric-b of storage subsystem

3) storage admin creates bootlun, and maps/masks bootlun to pwwn of vhba0 resp. vhba1

4) now the installation will see the bootlun, install the OS

5) in the SP, there is a boot policy, which defines over which vhba the boot request goes, and the target pwwn = controller port of the storage subsystem

There is no need to create another zone for the boot process ! what you do in 2) applies to OS installation as well as boot from SAN.

Hope that helps

Walter.