[olug] RDAC or SDD for ESX 3.5?

[Obi-Wan]

> Here's a tricky one for you:  We are testing ESX3.5 and my guy says he
> needs to connect to an old IBM SAN, FAStT200, 1 Gb Fibre (only thing we
> have right away with enough space for him).  Everything is zoned right
> at the switch, but the server doesn't see the LUN.  The switch sees the
> server HBA WWN so it's not a connection issue.  

Is it ESX itself that can't see the LUN, or a VM client running on ESX?
Remember that the Linux environment that you log into on the ESX server
is actually just a service console.  The kernel that you see there is
NOT the VMware kernel that actually uses the hardware and supports all
the guest machines.

Does VMware claim to support your HBA?  Have you called VMware about this?
Their tech support is pretty good.  I certainly hope you didn't shell out
all the cash for ESX and then skimp on a support contract.

> I found an RPM for a 2.4.xx RHEL kernel that installed ok, but
> seemed to have no effect.  Nothing shows up in installed modules (lsmod)
> and I don't know where to go from there on the server.

Installing 3rd party kernel modules on the ESX host is just asking for
trouble.  Don't go there.

If VMware support can't help you, I'd recommend posting on VMware's
official user forums.  The Omaha group is at
   http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmug/us-central/omaha
The world-wide VMware forum for VI3 is
   http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/vi

-- 
Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth                             obiwan at jedi.com
   The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the
     Giver of all good things, so if I stand, let me stand on the
       promise that You will pull me through.  -- Rich Mullins