ESXi4.1 BFS Slow on BL460G7 with FlexFabric

[chuckk281]

Jack had a BFS question:

********************

I have a simple BFS setup (BL460G7 FW 2011.05.05, FlexFabric FW3.18, OA 3.31, EVA6400) with the Emulex BIOS ver 3.104.281.0/4.02a7.

We are booting ESXi 4.1 from a LUN on the EVA6400. The boot time, counting from the time when ESX load progress bar appears, takes over 7 minutes.

Are there any setup parameters we need to tweak to make it better?

It is interesting that the Emulex BIOS setup screen reports NC552i controller instead of expected NC553i on the BL460G7.

**************************

From Chris:

**********************

Do know that FabricOS 6.4.1a has the Fill Word values already set to Mode 3 by default.

I have noticed that ESXi will take a while to boot itself, Windows and OS installs are pretty fast.  Do know that I have a 3Par F400 array, and not an EVA.

*****************

Chad also chimed in:

******************

You should look at the latest released driver and firmware set for the Emulex CNA. I recall seeing traffic from the VMwareTechCommunity that these versions were released to specifically help with ESX/i issues

NIC Driver: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=4194735&prodNameId=4194638&swEnvOID=4091&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-a81eaee5882141439edfe295a1

NIC Firmware: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=4194735&prodNameId=4194638&swEnvOID=54&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=co-93878-1

**********************

Any other comments or suggestions?

[AndreaCampiotti]

Tried same new drivers and firmware suggested by Chad with ESX 4.1u1 and a 3PAr F200: same slowness.

I'm on a BL620c G7 with FlexFabric and a brocade 8/24 6.2.2d with portcfgfillword set at 3.

At first I was connecting the slow boot time to the disabled zoning (all access); so i zoned the BL620c HBAs with 3PAR controller ports but nothing changed.