Re: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

2012-11-17 Thread Adam Greene 
Interesting thread. We just got an EQL 6100X and 4100E and, like you, we 
are setting up our VMware farm on them. We had wanted to use a gigabit 
Cisco 2960S for the iSCSI transport but Dell told us to use a 3750-X 
instead (more throughput). Actually they suggested PowerConnects, but we 
are addicted to Cisco. Have not purchased the switches yet. Just thought 
I'd share.


On 11/17/2012 1:27 AM, Joseph L. Casale wrote:

Jumbos on <10GBe can actually slow things down, but everybody things
jumbo==sounds good therefor must be. There are a few technical reasons
why it doesn't improve generally at those speeds.

Some switches need certain characteristics disabled for that type of traffic.

Call HP, its free for those switches and ask what they suggest. I don't know
your switch specifically but before I throw the towel in, I'd give it a good 
shot.

jlc

From: Matthew W. Ross [mr...@ephrataschools.org]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 10:49 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

Hey List.

I have our new Dell/Equalogic vSphere cluster up and running, but we have been 
having some issues as of late with latency on switch side of the equation.

When we set up the cluster, we decided to use a pair of HP 2910al-24G switches. 
These were not the switches recommended by our VMWare vendor (They recommended 
a pair of Brocade 6610 switches). Now that we have been having these latency 
issues, we are considering the recommended switches.

So here's my questions:

1) Has anybody used HP switches (2910al-24s or similar) as the iSCSI transport? 
Has anyone seen similar issues, or are there some specific configurations that 
need to be double-checked?

2) Anybody seen any issues with the Brocade switches? (I expect the answer to be 
"no", but it's never too late/early to ask.)


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

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~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

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RE: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

2012-11-16 Thread Joseph L. Casale 
Jumbos on <10GBe can actually slow things down, but everybody things
jumbo==sounds good therefor must be. There are a few technical reasons
why it doesn't improve generally at those speeds.

Some switches need certain characteristics disabled for that type of traffic.

Call HP, its free for those switches and ask what they suggest. I don't know
your switch specifically but before I throw the towel in, I'd give it a good 
shot.

jlc

From: Matthew W. Ross [mr...@ephrataschools.org]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 10:49 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

Hey List.

I have our new Dell/Equalogic vSphere cluster up and running, but we have been 
having some issues as of late with latency on switch side of the equation.

When we set up the cluster, we decided to use a pair of HP 2910al-24G switches. 
These were not the switches recommended by our VMWare vendor (They recommended 
a pair of Brocade 6610 switches). Now that we have been having these latency 
issues, we are considering the recommended switches.

So here's my questions:

1) Has anybody used HP switches (2910al-24s or similar) as the iSCSI transport? 
Has anyone seen similar issues, or are there some specific configurations that 
need to be double-checked?

2) Anybody seen any issues with the Brocade switches? (I expect the answer to 
be "no", but it's never too late/early to ask.)


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

---
To manage subscriptions click here: 
http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/
or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com
with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

---
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RE: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

2012-11-16 Thread Kim Longenbaugh 
Check the QOS settings on the switches.  They should be set to give maximum 
priority to the iSCSI traffic.  Some switches have a "lossless" setting that 
provides the most buffering for your packets.
Also check the frame size, and make sure it matches from end to end.  That is, 
if any device in the chain from VM guest to VM vswitch to HP switch to Dell 
Equallogic array is set to use Jumbo frames, they should all be.
Another thing to look at is to make sure your auto negotiation settings match, 
as in all auto, or all manually configured to the same speed/duplex settings.

-Original Message-
From: Matthew W. Ross [mailto:mr...@ephrataschools.org] 
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 11:49 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

Hey List.

I have our new Dell/Equalogic vSphere cluster up and running, but we have been 
having some issues as of late with latency on switch side of the equation.

When we set up the cluster, we decided to use a pair of HP 2910al-24G switches. 
These were not the switches recommended by our VMWare vendor (They recommended 
a pair of Brocade 6610 switches). Now that we have been having these latency 
issues, we are considering the recommended switches.

So here's my questions:

1) Has anybody used HP switches (2910al-24s or similar) as the iSCSI transport? 
Has anyone seen similar issues, or are there some specific configurations that 
need to be double-checked?

2) Anybody seen any issues with the Brocade switches? (I expect the answer to 
be "no", but it's never too late/early to ask.)


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

---
To manage subscriptions click here: 
http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/
or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com
with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

---
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iSCSI with HP/Brocade switches

2012-11-16 Thread Matthew W. Ross 
Hey List.

I have our new Dell/Equalogic vSphere cluster up and running, but we have been 
having some issues as of late with latency on switch side of the equation.

When we set up the cluster, we decided to use a pair of HP 2910al-24G switches. 
These were not the switches recommended by our VMWare vendor (They recommended 
a pair of Brocade 6610 switches). Now that we have been having these latency 
issues, we are considering the recommended switches.

So here's my questions:

1) Has anybody used HP switches (2910al-24s or similar) as the iSCSI transport? 
Has anyone seen similar issues, or are there some specific configurations that 
need to be double-checked?

2) Anybody seen any issues with the Brocade switches? (I expect the answer to 
be "no", but it's never too late/early to ask.)


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

---
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http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/
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