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VMware express configuration

This chapter describes how to configure a VMware-based host using the express configuration method.

  • Deciding whether to use this Express method
    The express method for installing your storage array and accessing ThinkSystem System Manager is appropriate for setting up a standalone VMware host to a DE Series storage system. It is designed to get the storage system up and running as quickly as possible with minimal decision points.
  • Understand the workflow
    This workflow guides you through the express method for configuring your storage array and ThinkSystem System Manager to make storage available to a host.
  • Verify the VMware configuration is supported
    To ensure reliable operation, you create an implementation plan and then verify that the entire configuration is supported.
  • Configure management port IP addresses
    Configure the management port for communication between the management station and array controllers.
  • Configure the multipath software
    Multipath software provides a redundant path to the storage array in case one of the physical paths is disrupted. The multipath software presents the operating system with a single virtual device that represents the active physical paths to the storage. The multipath software also manages the failover process that updates the virtual device. For VMware, you use the inbox Native Multipathing Plug-in (NMP).
  • Install ThinkSystem Storage Manager for SMcli and Host Context Agent (HCA)
    When you install the ThinkSystem Storage Manager software on your management station, the command line interface (CLI) is installed to help you manage your array. By also installing the software on the host, the Host Context Agent is installed that helps the host push configuration information to the storage array controllers through the I/O path.
  • Access ThinkSystem System Manager and use the Setup wizard
    You use the Setup wizard in ThinkSystem System Manager to configure your storage array.
  • Perform FC-specific tasks
    For the Fibre Channel protocol, you configure the switches and determine the host port identifiers.
  • Perform iSCSI-specific tasks
    For the iSCSI protocol, you configure the switches and configure networking on the array side and the host side. Then you verify the IP network connections.
  • Perform SAS-specific tasks
    For the SAS protocol, you determine host port addresses and make the settings recommended in the Interoperability Matrix document.
  • Discover storage on the host
    After assigning volumes to the host, you perform a rescan so that the host detects and configures the volumes for multipathing.
  • Configure storage on the host
    You can use the storage assigned to an ESXi host as either a Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) datastore or a raw device mapping (RDM).
  • Verify storage access on the host
    Before you use a volume, you verify that the host can write data to the volume and read it back.
  • Multi-Path setup for VMware