VMware Boot From SAN

[harold.himes]

I understand the concept of BFS, but how do you get the image on the SAN to start with? Can someone point me to the best resource for configuring Boot from SAN.

[David.Jarzynka · Accepted solution]

Harold,

Boot from SAN is very easy. You first ensure you have UCS connected to a fiber fabric with NPIV support enabled. Next, configure a boot-from-SAN boot policy (set you WWPN SAN targets) within UCSM. Then apply that policy to a Service Profile needing to boot from SAN. Once all this is done, gather the WWPN from the Service Profile in question and have the SAN admin zone you a LUN large enough for your NOS installation. Once all this is done, connect your NOS ISO to a KVM session and boot the service profile. If all is correct, the NOS will see the target LUN as a local disk and you can begin the install.  

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/ts/guide/TS_SANBootAndConnect.pdf

I hope this helps,

Dave

[abbharga · Accepted solution]

Hi Harold,

You can get some more information for SAN Boot Install for each OS under the "OS Installation" section on the following page.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10281/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html

./Abhinav

[kg6itcraig]

What kind of SAN are you booting from? Just curious.

We got a Xiotech ISE2, that can rock out like 60,000 IOPS and we can image a server in like 3 minutes.

Be sure to watch your port count. Remember a FC controller port will only handle like 128 logins. So be sure to zone for that and don't overdrive ports.

Craig

[harold.himes]

OK, I got the server(B200 M2) seeing the SAN but it says it is going to delete everything on the LUN when I install VMware ESXi. So this begs the question "do I have to have a seprate LUN for every server that boots from SAN?

[simon.geary]

Yes. You need a separate boot LUN for each server. Make sure you configure your FC zoning such that each server can only access its own boot LUN and not that of any other server.

[harold.himes]

Thanks Simon, that is what I needed to know.