Virtual Fibre Channel HBA ?

[ElGarufo]

Hello people,

I have heard something about the posibility of install Command View from HP (manage the array from a virtual machine with Storage Access from an HBA) in a virtual machine, so i can manage the storage array from that. Is it possible ?, i mean, install or configure the virtual machine with a virtual Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter?

Thanks in advanced

[mittim12]

I wonder if it as in reference to NPIV. I have never used it but it allows the setup of LUNS on a per VM basis.

http://www.brocade.com/downloads/documents/white_papers/white_papers_partners/NPIV_ESX4_0_GA-TB-145-...

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[rogard]

Could be..or it might be directpath.

You could pass the HBA through to the VM and then install the required software on that to manage the array.

[RParker]

It's NPIV but you don't need to setup LUN's, it just needs visibility to the SAN from a VM.

So you can either setup RDM for a VM storage or use NPIV for each VM you want to manage the SAN. The trick to NPIV, the Fiber port must support NPIV prior to VM activation, you have to zone the VM separately, and you have to make sure the VM HBA is active on the SAN fiber, otherwise it won't see anything. It sounds simple, but it's just easier to make an RDM.

virtual Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter?

I don't think it's possible to setup a HBA in a VM even if it's shared, since it's in use by the ESX.

[peterjakobs67]

I tried installing HP Command View on a virtual machine, and it's not working.

With NPIV you can get a raw device to your virtual machine, but Command View wants access to the Controller (or Lun0) and you cannot do that with NPIV.

For now you need a physical machine to run Command View

Peter

[RParker]

For now you need a physical machine to run Command View

NPIV may not work, but RDM will. You can still do it from a Virtual Machine.

[RParker]

I have heard something about the posibility of install Command View from HP

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626127713351055428353475&threadId=1427269

[peterjakobs67]

Now that xcs 9.534 is available for download, it's possible and supported to run command view in a virtual machine.

But you don't need npiv or raw devices.

Edit virtual machine settings --> add --> scsi device --> Raid HP

Now you get access to the ccl from the virtual machine and command view will discover your EVA.

Peter