Configuration of a vSphere 4 multiple ESXi host configuration with open source iSCSI target (lio-target)

Just got my test network setup:

1. HP Proliant ML350 G5 – Running ESXi
2. HP Proliant DL360 G5 – Running ESXi
3. HP Proliant DL360 G5 – Running ESXi
4. Custom Intel Server – Running vSphere (management server)
5. Super Micro Server – Running CentOS 5.5 with lio-target (iSCSI Target)
6. 2 X HP MSA20 – Running Multiple Arrays/Targets connected to Super Micro Server

The HP servers are booting ESXi via USB keys. The Super Micro Server has one single internal drive for OS, and connected to multiple MSA20 arrays acting as iSCSI targets. The custom intel server is running the vSphere vCenter Management software.

I’ve Storage vMotion’ed multiple test VMs to the iSCSI arrays. Currently testing! Speed is AMAZING! And judging from the logs on the Super Micro Server, the iSCSI SCSI persistent reservations ARE being handled properly J

More to come, stay posted!

Update: After testing this for a few days, I noticed that although SCSI reservations were being handled properly (which is great), for some reason the kernel on the storage server would stall. Causing the storage system to crash. I’ve only been able to get it to do this, when two ESXi boxes are concurrently accessing the same datastore. I’ve been trying to re-replicate this in different circumstances (one ESXi initiator, using Windows to test the target, etc… but have been unable). I might test the 4.0 release candidate soon.