Minimum SnapDrive requirements for VMware ESX Guest OS

Each VMware guest OS host in a SnapDrive for Windows configuration must meet minimum software and controller requirements.

In addition to the software requirements detailed below, you should have the following information ready before beginning a SnapDrive installation:

ESX server root credentials and IP address
ESX vCenter credentials (if vCenter is installed)

Software requirements

Note: For the latest requirement updates, see the SnapDrive for Windows pages on the NOW site at now.netapp.com/.

Component	Requirement
VMware ESX server	Version 3.5 Update 5 or later, or 4.0 Update 1 or later.
Windows guest OS	Windows Server 2003 SP2 or Windows Server 2008, x86 or x64, with the hotfixes specified in the SnapDrive host requirements .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or later
FC HBA	FC HBA in the ESX server with the FC ESX Host Utilities 5.1. See the Interoperability Matrix at now.netapp.com/NOW/products/interoperability/ now.netapp.com/NOW/products/interoperability/for the latest supported FC HBAs.
iSCSI initiator	Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator in the guest OS For the latest supported version of the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator, see the iSCSI Host Utilities (Support Kits) for Windows in the software download section at now.netapp.com/. ESX iSCSI initiator
Storport Miniport Driver LSI Logic SCSI Controller	Required if you are using RAW-device mapped LUNs; if you are connecting LUNs using the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator, you do not need the Storport Miniport Driver. The SCSIPort Miniport Driver is the default LSI Logic SCSI Controller included when Windows Server 2003 SP2 is installed as the Guest OS in ESX server. For proper SnapDrive operations with RAW-device mapped LUNs, the LSI Logic SCSI Controller must be updated with the Storport Miniport Driver. You can download the x86 or x64 version of this driver from http://www.lsi.com by searching for "LSI Logic Fusion-MPT SCSI Driver (StorPort)." Note: Windows Server 2008 includes the Storport Miniport Driver and does not need to be updated. For more recent updates on the controller requirements, see the SnapDrive Release Notes.
SCSI controllers	To support more than fifteen LUNs, the virtual machine must be preconfigured with four SCSI controllers creating a total of 60 LUNs. However, one RDM LUN or VMDK is assigned to each SCSI controller leaving 56 LUNs available for SnapDrive provisioning. Note: When you add a new SCSI controller to a virtual machine when using ESX 4.0, you must restart the SnapDrive service for SnapDrive to recognize the new controller.
VMware Tools	VMware Tools must be installed before beginning the SnapDrive installation in the guest OS.