iSCSI vmkernel ports, dvUplinks, and Load Based Teaming question

[RESTfulADI]

1:1 is usually recommended, but if I'm using LBT should I assign each iSCSI vmkernel port to both uplinks and let the vDS handle it? Is that even possible? I can't find any literature on this and the article below assumes only one vmkernel port for iSCSI.

http://blogs.vmware.com/networking/...-deployment-with-two-10-gigabit-adapters.html

 

[lopoetve]

Always bind 1:1 if you want failover at the scsi layer, which most people do. They're just using network failover, and imho, I'd never throttle storage at the network layer - always at the scsi layer by iops.

 

[NetJunkie]

What he said. Bind iSCSI 1:1. Don't throttle storage at the network layer...

 

[Vader]

Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't this the reason you would setup 1 nic active and 1 in unused state and vice versa on the other VMkernal port group that you will be using for iSCSI?

 

[lopoetve]

Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't this the reason you would setup 1 nic active and 1 in unused state and vice versa on the other VMkernal port group that you will be using for iSCSI?

correct. otherwise it'll try to fail over at the network layer, which may or not work based on what has actually failed and if the link being unusable is detected or not.

 

[RESTfulADI]

I was wondering why two port groups we being used for iSCSI but now it make sense, you exclude the other nic in the network layer failover list. Good stuff.