Dell PowerStore 3000T EMC PowerStore Host Configuration Guide - Page 23

Post-Configuration Steps, Disk Formatting, Presenting PowerStore Volumes to the ESXi Host

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For details, refer to VMWare KB articles 1017760 and 2069356 on the VMware weblite (http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1017760/ and http:// kb.vmware.com/kb/2069356/ respectively). Post-Configuration Steps When host configuration is completed, you can use the PowerStore storage from the host. For details on creating, presenting and managing volumes, refer to the PowerStore User Guide that matches the version running on your PowerStore cluster. The Dell EMC Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) version 8.4 and later plug-in can be used in to provision from within Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) datastores and Raw Device Mapping volumes on PowerStore. Furthermore, the Dell EMC VSI Storage Viewer version 8.4 and later plug-in extends the vSphere Client to facilitate the discovery and identification of PowerStore storage devices allocated to VMware ESXi hosts and virtual machines. For further information on using these two vSphere Client plug-ins, refer to the VSI Unified Storage Management Product Guide and the VSI Storage Viewer Product Guide. Disk Formatting When creating volumes in PowerStore for a vSphere ESXi host, the following considerations should be made: • Disk logical block size - The only logical block (LB) size supported by vSphere ESXi for presenting volumes is 512 bytes. NOTE: For details on formatting a newly created volume, refer to the PowerStore User Guide that matches the version running on your PowerStore cluster. • Disk alignment - Unaligned disk partitions may substantially impact I/O to the disk. With vSphere ESXi, datastores and virtual disks are aligned by default as they are created. Therefore, no further action is required to align these in ESXi. With virtual machine disk partitions within the virtual disk, alignment is determined by the guest OS. For virtual machines that are not aligned, consider using tools such as UBERAlign to realign the disk partitions as required. Presenting PowerStore Volumes to the ESXi Host Specify ESXi as the operating system when presenting PowerStore volumes to the ESXi host. NOTE: Using data reduction and /or encryption software on the host side will affect the PowerStore cluster data reduction. NOTE: When using iSCSI software initiator with ESXi and PowerStore storage, it is recommended to use only lower case characters in the IQN to correctly present the PowerStore volumes to ESXi. For more details, refer to VMware KB article 2017582 on the VMware website (http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do? language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2017582). When adding host groups and hosts to allow ESXi hosts to access PowerStore volumes, specify ESXi as the operating system for newlycreated hosts. Creating a File System It is recommended to create the file system using its default block size. NOTE: File system configuration and management is out of the scope of this document. It is recommended to create the file system using its default block size (using a non-default block size may lead to unexpected behavior). Refer to your operating system and file system documentation. VMware Paravirtual SCSI Controllers Configure virtual machines with paravirtual SCSI controllers to achieve higher throughput and lower CPU usage. For optimal resource utilization of virtual machines with PowerStore, it is recommended to configure virtual machines with paravirtualized SCSI controllers. VMware paravirtual SCSI controllers are high performance storage controllers that can provide higher throughput and lower CPU usage. These controllers are best suited for high performance storage environments. Host Configuration for VMware vSphere ESXi 23

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For details, refer to VMWare KB articles 1017760 and 2069356 on the VMware weblite (
and
http://
kb.vmware.com/kb/2069356/
respectively).
Post-Configuration Steps
When host configuration is completed, you can use the PowerStore storage from the host. For details on creating, presenting and
managing volumes, refer to the
PowerStore User Guide
that matches the version running on your PowerStore cluster.
The Dell EMC Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) version 8.4 and later plug-in can be used in to provision from within Virtual Machine File
System (VMFS) datastores and Raw Device Mapping volumes on PowerStore. Furthermore, the Dell EMC VSI Storage Viewer version 8.4
and later plug-in extends the vSphere Client to facilitate the discovery and identification of PowerStore storage devices allocated to
VMware ESXi hosts and virtual machines.
For further information on using these two vSphere Client plug-ins, refer to the
VSI Unified Storage Management Product Guide
and the
VSI Storage Viewer Product Guide
.
Disk Formatting
When creating volumes in PowerStore for a vSphere ESXi host, the following considerations should be made:
•
Disk logical block size - The only logical block (LB) size supported by vSphere ESXi for presenting volumes is 512 bytes.
NOTE:
For details on formatting a newly created volume, refer to the
PowerStore User Guide
that matches the
version running on your PowerStore cluster.
•
Disk alignment - Unaligned disk partitions may substantially impact I/O to the disk.
With vSphere ESXi, datastores and virtual disks are aligned by default as they are created. Therefore, no further action is required to
align these in ESXi.
With virtual machine disk partitions within the virtual disk, alignment is determined by the guest OS. For virtual machines that are not
aligned, consider using tools such as UBERAlign to realign the disk partitions as required.
Presenting PowerStore Volumes to the ESXi Host
Specify ESXi as the operating system when presenting PowerStore volumes to the ESXi host.
NOTE:
Using data reduction and /or encryption software on the host side will affect the PowerStore cluster data
reduction.
NOTE:
When using iSCSI software initiator with ESXi and PowerStore storage, it is recommended to use only lower case
characters in the IQN to correctly present the PowerStore volumes to ESXi. For more details, refer to VMware KB
article 2017582 on the VMware website (
language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2017582
).
When adding host groups and hosts to allow ESXi hosts to access PowerStore volumes, specify
ESXi
as the operating system for newly-
created hosts.
Creating a File System
It is recommended to create the file system using its default block size.
NOTE:
File system configuration and management is out of the scope of this document.
It is recommended to create the file system using its default block size (using a non-default block size may lead to unexpected behavior).
Refer to your operating system and file system documentation.
VMware Paravirtual SCSI Controllers
Configure virtual machines with paravirtual SCSI controllers to achieve higher throughput and lower CPU usage.
For optimal resource utilization of virtual machines with PowerStore, it is recommended to configure virtual machines with paravirtualized
SCSI controllers. VMware paravirtual SCSI controllers are high performance storage controllers that can provide higher throughput and
lower CPU usage. These controllers are best suited for high performance storage environments.
Host Configuration for VMware vSphere ESXi
23