vmware SAN virtualization

[athlon_crazy]

I understand your first 2 points, but this is bad information:

"...to feel real SAN environment"

Fiber HBA's, and specialized iSCSI controllers (hardware) are not emulated by VMWare inside virtual machines. The only thing that the (software) iSCSI initiator inside the VM is getting access to is a shared disk. Without any further software, this is the same thing VMWare can do natively. (Shared disks in VMWare go at least as far back as Workstation version 3.X)

Both of these will give you shared disks in order to use clustering, but neither is an emulation of a "SAN environment."

naaa! you forgot something? do you know multi-path on SAN? It's working on iscsi-target too. Somemore it can be done on Vmware ESX...Believe it coz we done it during my POC stage before the real SAN & NetApps coming..

[Langolier]

Again, it depends on what you're looking for.

If you want to create clusters, yes, VMWare can do this.

If you want to install/configure HBA's, verify the drivers using lsmod, look at /proc/scsi/qla2xxx, configure zoning on fiber switches, etc., then no, VMWare cannot do this.

HTH.

Hello, HRO
I have precisely the same situation as MR Notebook. I need to simulate a SAN with VMWare. The problem is that it seems (VMWare SErver 1.0.4) not to allow a disk to be shared by two vms simultaneously. The second machine won't boot complaining that the file representing the disk is under lock. Could you explain, please how to get around this?

Best,
Oliveiros

[HROAdmin26]

Yes, you can:

A) Google, as there are many discussions and how-to's.

B) read the VMWare Server manual.

[Langolier]

Thank you for your email.HRO,
I've already fixed it.

Actually I googled up and down for a while without finding nothing much useful, this forum was precisely detected in one of that googles.

Maybe I am just needing glasses

Thanks
Oliveiros