Open-e and VMware ESX 3.01 certification

Hi,

I would like to create an affordable iSCSI NAS for our development ESX servers (with LUN sharing). However, i find it hard to find a VMware certified combination. Since Open-e is as far as i know not (yet?) certified for the VMware software initiator, i had a look at the Qlogic iSCSI HBA's.
I read VMware certified the Qlogic QLA4050C and QLA4052C for ESX 3.01 but Open-e only certified the Qlogic QLA4010 and QLA4010C.
Is there a Open-e/VMware ESX 3.01 combination that is known to work flawless?

Thanks,

Hans

Since VMWare cert is rather expensive it hasn't been done yet. We're running Open-E with VMWare 3.01 using QLogic 4050 iSCSI HBA's.

So far good, we've been running it for about 3 months now. We use the boot from SAN option that the QLogic cards afford and all our VM Hosts run diskless.

I can't really speak to whether it is 'flawless' as three months isn't particularly extensive but it seems to be working great and I know that there are many from my searching who use the Linux iSCSI target (IET) software and have had good luck with it.

You could always use the software initiator.. Vmware uses the Cisco one currently, and this is supported via Open-E DSS.

We have been using this since the very first release of DSS server last year. Using shared Luns to house VM's works fine, as does having Dedicated Luns for each ESX Host server.

Not iscsi related but see below...

The only part i have not had full success with yet is using the Fibre channel Target support, with qlogic HBA's, this function was introduced with 1.21... When it is working will be a great addition full Fibre san with open-e..

Hope this helps

Paul

We are certified with VMware ESX 3.5 but not 3.01 as we decided it was best to move forward.