White Papers

7 BP1043 | Configuring Windows Server 2008 R2 for iSCSI SAN Boot with EqualLogic Storage
1.1 Objective
The goal of this whitepaper is to:
• Provide guidelines and best practices for configuring Dell PowerEdge servers and supported
network adapters for iSCSI SAN boot from EqualLogic arrays.
• Provide a lab tested and validated SAN architecture to support high availability by implementing
multi-path I/O and redundant components.
• Provide reference architectures for 1Gb and 10Gb Ethernet iSCSI boot from SAN environments with
Dell supported network adapters from Qlogic™, Intel™, and Broadcom™.
1.1.1 Audience
This whitepaper is intended for server and storage administrators that are involved in the design or
implementation of servers that boot from an EqualLogic iSCSI SAN volume. This white paper establishes
best practices for Dell PowerEdge servers, Dell EqualLogic storage arrays, and several supported network
interface cards. Readers should be familiar with EqualLogic iSCSI storage and Dell PowerEdge servers with
Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as general concepts around SAN storage and Ethernet networks.
1.1.2 Scope
The configuration process for boot from SAN environments can vary considerably based on the
components used in the solution. This document focuses on the steps required to configure the following
components for iSCSI boot from SAN.
Note: Data Center Bridging (DCB) test or configuration for iSCSI boot from SAN is not included in the
scope of this paper.
Table 1 Components covered by this document
Component Component details
OS
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
Servers
Dell PowerEdge Servers (11G and 12G Family)
Network Adapters Broadcom NetXtreme II 5709c Gigabit Ethernet NIC (11G)
Intel 10GbE x520 Server Adapter (11G and 12G)
Intel 10GbE x540 Server Adapter (11G and 12G )
Intel 1GbE i350 Server Adapter (12G)
Intel Pro 1000 Server Adapter (11G)
Qlogic QLE8262 Converged Network Adapter (11G and 12G)
Storage Array
Dell EqualLogic 1Gigabit and 10Gigabit PS Series with firmware 6.0.1 or higher.