WHAT IS SYNOLOGY NAS?

Synology NAS is a multi-functional Network-Attached Storage server, serving as a file-sharing center within an organizations’s intranet. Moreover, it is specially designed for a variety of purposes, allowing users to perform the following tasks with the web-based Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM):

• Store and Share Files over the Internet
• Scan Settings with Security Advisor
• Manage Files with Web-Based File Station
• Transfer Files via FTP
• Sync Files with Cloud Station
• Share Storage Capacity as iSCSI LUNs
• Back Up Files on Computer and Server
• Offer Entertainment Content on the Server
• Organize Videos with Video Station
• Manage Personal Photos
• Organize Professional Photos with Photo Station
• Enjoy Music Anytime and Anywhere
• Host Websites
• Record Videos with IP Cameras
• Manage Multiple Synology NAS Devices
• Discover More Apps with Package Center
• Set up Print Server

What do you use Synology NAS for?

The Synology NAS is particularly useful for

1. centralising and storing data.
2. backing up data.
3. backing up work stations.
4. sharing files.
5. collaborating on documents.
6. syncing files between devices.
7. video surveillance.
8. creating a media centre.

WHAT IS VMWARE?

VMware Workstation

Description

VMware Workstation Pro is a hosted hypervisor that runs on x64 versions of Windows and Linux operating systems; it enables users to set up virtual machines on a single physical machine and use them simultaneously along with the host machine.

Mware was established in 1998 and has produced many products for virtualization. VMware Workstation was launched by VMware in 2001.

VMware Workstation allows for the installation of multiple instances of different operating systems, including client and server operating systems. It helps the network or system administrators to check, test and verify the client server environment. Administrator can also switch between different virtual machines at same time.

VMware Workstation has its limitations, including hardware support, operating system issues, and network protocols hurdles.

What is VMware Workstation use for?

VMware Workstation is a line of Desktop Hypervisor products which lets users run virtual machines, containers and Kubernetes clusters.

How To Set Up Synology Nas As Vmware Server Datastore

Overview

A datastore is an independent storage space for centralizing virtual machine’s physical data. By using Synology NAS as the VMware datastore, you can consolidate and share storage space to maximize storage utilization and simplify management with better flexibility.

This article will guide you through the process of using your Synology NAS as the datastore in your VMware environment.

 Before you start

Before you start to share data within the netowrk, make sure you have completed the following tasks:

• Set up Synology NAS
• Installed Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM, web-based operating system of Synology NAS)
• Created an iSCSI LUN and its Target
• Installed VMware vSphere Client on your PC
• Set up a VMware ESXi host

Note:

• We recommend creating an iSCSI LUN with advanced LUN features, which provides VMware VAAI hardware acceleration support, LUN snapshot, LUN clone, and dynamic capacity management with Thin Provisioning.
• This tutorial is based on VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5.

Refer to Hardware Installation Guide for more information about hardware and software installation. You can also see Synology NAS User’s Guide (available at Synology’s Download Center) for a general idea about related topics.

2. Configure VMkernel NIC

In this section, we will teach you how to set up a VMkernel so that you can connect to your Synology NAS through the iSCSI protocol.

If your host has only one physical network adapter, you can skip the step of creating a vSwitch.

1. Log in to your VMware ESXi via vSphere Client
2. Click Networking > Virtual switches > Add standard virtual switch.
3. Specify the vSwitch name, set an MTU value, and choose an uplink for this vSwitch. Then click Add.
4. The MTU value depends on your network environment. In general, an MTU of 1500 is set for a 1GbE network and 9000 is set for a 10GbE network.
5. Click VMkernel NICs > Add VMkernel NIC.
6. Set a new port group name, the virtual switch and the MTU for the VMkernel NIC. Please set the MTU according to the virtual switch.
7. Set your IP from DHCP automatically or set a static IP manually. Then click Create.
8. The IP must be able to connect to your Synology NAS.
9. Now you have a VMkernel NIC ready for connecting to your Synology NAS through an iSCSI adapter.

3. Mount iSCSI Targets on VMware ESXi

In this section, we will teach you how to mount iSCSI Targets on your Synology NAS to the VMware ESXi Hypervisor.

1. Log in to your VMware ESXi via a browser.
2. To mount iSCSI Targets, go to the Storage menu > Adapters. Click Configure iSCSI.
3. Enable the iSCSI initiator.
4. Once the iSCSI initiator has been enabled, click Add port binding to add your VMkernel NIC used to connect your Synology NAS.
5. Fill in the IP address of your Synology NAS at the Dynamic targets section. Then click Save configuration.
6. Click Devices and then click Refresh. Confirm there are new disks scanned by the iSCSI adapter.
7. You can modify the optional settings below to make your iSCSI service more stable:
   • LoginTimeout: Change the value from 5 to 60
   • NoopTimeout: Change the value from 10 to 30
   • DelayedAck: Untick the checkbox to turn it off

4. Set up iSCSI LUN as VMware datastore

In this section, we will teach you how to set up iSCSI LUN as a VMware datastore.

1. Log in to your VMware ESXi via vSphere Client.
2. Click Datastores > New datastore.
3. Select Create new VMFS datastore and click Next to continue.
4. Fill up the datastore name and select one LUN, and click Next.
5. Check the current disk layout and click Next.
6. If you wish to mount the datastore on a host with vSphere ESXi 6.0 in the future, you must select VMFS 5.
7. Click Finish to confirm the settings.
8. The new datastore has been added and is ready to use.

5. Troubleshooting

There are some suggestions from the VMWare knowledge base. You can follow these steps to troubleshoot the following problems.

• ESXi host loses connectivity to a VMFS3 and VMFS5 datastore (refer to this article)
  1. Connect to your ESXi host throught SSH
  2. Execute the following command:
     esxcli system settings advanced set -i 0 -o /VMFS3/UseATSForHBOnVMFS5
• ESXi host is unable to detect local HDDs greater than 2TB (refer to this article)
  1. Connect to your ESXi host throught SSH
  2. Execute the following commands:
     esxcfg-advcfg -g /Scsi/SCSIEnableDescToFixedConv
     esxcfg-advcfg -s 1 /Scsi/SCSIEnableDescToFixedConv

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