vSAN install on 3 hosts 740xd

[RobsterCraw40]

Trying to configure 3 hosts with vSAN. Can someone point me to the DOCs that tell me step by step how to do this?.....I have followed documentation after video after website and am getting frustrated as well anyway....my basic questions are:

once I have ESXi installed on the hosts the easy part and done at least 15 different times now. what should the base networking setup be on each host prior to installing vCenter? What should the base settings again mainly networking be on the hosts prior to installing the vSAN cluster?

It seems that no matter what I do I blow up the vsan cluster config to where either I lose networking and connectivity to all the hosts or the vsan datastore gets corrupted to the point of having to start over.

So that brings up my next point is there a way to reset a host back to factory fresh install so I can start over without having to reinstall esxi every time?

configs:

3 Dell 740xd each with 4 1gb ports and 4 10gb ports

1gb ports used for mgmt and vmotion

10gb ports used for prod and vsan

Thanks for any help it would be appreciated

[IRIX201110141]

Hmm... we are Dell shop and i have setup a couple of vSANs on PowerEdge, ReadyNodes and VxRAIL. So whats your question?

With 4x10G leave the 1G away because its a waste of time and ressources

• 2x 10G (active, active) for vNetworking like MGMT, PROD and all other LAN separated with VLANs
• 2x10G for vSAN(active,passive) and vMotion (passive, active) separated with VLANs

I only setup the minimum vNetwork on the first Host and as soon as vCenter is available move to the vDS and add the Hosts to the cluster. Settings up vSAN is my "last" step

Regards,
Joerg

[RobsterCraw40]

Thanks for replying irix...you state "I only setup the minimum vNetwork on the first Host and as soon as vCenter is available move to the vDS and add the Hosts to the cluster. Settings up vSAN is my "last" step". but all the document and training I have seen states to run the vsan quickstart and add the hosts there and if your vCenter server is on one of the hosts then it craps it out.  Thats why I am looking for some real world instructions and not the koolaid.

[IRIX201110141 · Accepted solution]

I dont use the Quickstart. IIRC there was also some cosmetic problem that if you change some of the values you have specified during Quickstart they are not updated and you get an anoying error msg all the time because Quickstart doesnt match the current settings any more.

1. First Host
2. Install vCenter and place it on the BOSS or on a temporarily  single disk datastore
3. Create vDS_1 and migrate the Host 1. I create a separate vDS_2 for vSAN only and tell every customer not to touch it
4. Adding all other Hosts
5. Create HA Cluster
6. start creating the vSAN and setup FT and claim the disks
7. Migrate vCenter into vSAN
8. Claim the single disk from step 2

[RobsterCraw40]

Thanks IRIX,

In following you instructions my vshpere license won't let me create the vDS via step 3 I only get vDS when I create the vSAN.

Should I complete all these steps with evaluation license and then assign license when everything complete?

[RobsterCraw40]

Caveats to IRIX for leading me down the correct path...I was kind of surprised that more people didn't state that you can't use vSAN quickstart on a three host cluster. With IRIX assistance and this video Manually Building a vSAN Cluster - YouTube that discusses building vSAN manually on a three host cluster.

Thanks everyone!

[IRIX201110141]

Youre welcome.