Service Console for iSCSI network?

[Amar_Joshi]

I am referring to the VI3 field guide for SAN/iQ page 7

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01750122/c01750122.pdf

It recommends that vSwitch2 should have a service console (required for iSCSI authentication). I need to understand, in what scenarios this service console will be accessed? Or should not create it at all?

[teledata · Accepted solution]

In ESX 3.x the iSCSI connections used the service console to authenticate to the storage system. In vSphere 4.x it is done with the VMkernel and the service console is not REQUIRED for iSCSI volume authentication.

You may still wish to have a service console on this network for the sake of a redundant service console, or secondary SC from your iSCSI network, but it is not needed for authentication.

If you are still using ESX 3.x then you still need the SC for ESX to authenticate your iSCSI LUNs. It is ONLY used when authenticating the volume, and once connected all iSCSI traffic occurs over the VMkernel and NOT over the SC.

[Amar_Joshi]

Thanks TD.