VMWARE's ESX server and theNC373i Multi Function Gigabit Card on Proliant DL380 G5

[John Rubinstein]

We've just purchased 5 DL380 G5 servers for deployment as VMWARE's ESX 3.0.1 servers.

VMWARE's HCL matrix shows that the NC373i is supported as a NIC but not as an iscsi hardware adapter.

I can see from HP's website that LINUX drivers have been developed for this card for SUSE and REDHAT.

I was wondering how close HP is to releasing drivers to implement NC373i as an iscsi hardware-based solution for VMWARE's ESX 3.0/3.0.1 servers.

John Rubinstein

[Rob Buxton]

I would guess the driver would be delivered via VMware, not HP.
ESX tends to be maintained as a whole. I see the same thing with the QLogic HBA's, some drivers are available on the QLogic site, but the advice is use the ones already installed as part of ESX.

[John Rubinstein]

Rob

Thanks for that. I'll definitely pursue this with VMWARE.

However, FYI, I did come across a discussion thread in VMWARE's own forums where a similar question was put: when is the NC373i going to be supported in the ESX environment.

The answer from one of the guys was that he felt that HP would be bound to provide support in the near future. Go figure... :)

Thanks again.
John

[Christian Herzyk]

Hi John,

I hope this is not too late, but here is what I can say in thsi matter:

VMware only supports 2 Qlogic adapters for (physical) iSCSI. As far as I learnt the HP ones will not be supported.

Christian

[john rubinstein_1]

Christina

We've actually decided that, for the moment connectivity will be fiber channel over fibre and not over ip.

But we do have plans to implement iscsi in the future and (just not right now) and your information is indeed useful.

Thank you for taking the trouble to update this call for assistance.

John