When configuring a VMAX for ‘VMware ESX’ connectivity, I will always firstly

consult the ‘EMC Simple Support Matrix – EMC Symmetrix VMAX Series
Director Bit Settings’ found here for the latest listing of port settings required.
Below I will list the relevant VMware flags to be enabled on the Director FA ports
which have ESX Host’s zoned:

♦ ACLX – Allows Initiator Group/Access Logix function on the port.

♦ Common Serial Number (C) – When enabled, this flag causes the serial
number of a specific volume to be the same regardless of the port on which it is
visible and also allows multi-path configurations.
♦ Unique WWN (UWN) – When enabled, ensures unique World Wide Names
(WWNs) within the fibre environment by incorporating Symmetrix serial numbers
and port numbers for each WWN. Enabled by default for all environment
configuration changes and new environments.
♦ Init Point to Point (PP) – Specifies a point-to-point (direct or switched)
topology.
♦ Enable Auto Negotiate (EAN) – With EAN enabled this allows the FA port to
Auto Negotiate the port speed with the switch port it is connected to.
♦ SCSI-3 Interface (SC3) – SC3 provides SCSI-3 (Full range of SCSI-3
commands) support for the ESX hosts. Also note that SC3 is required for Linux
VM’s with RDM’s attached.
♦ SCSI Support1 (OS2007) – OS2007 enables automatic discovery of newly
created LUNs/Paths. When Enabled, this flag provides a stricter compliance with
SCSI standards for managing device identifiers, multi-port targets, unit attention
reports, and the absence of a device at LUN 0. If using VPLEX 5.2 and higher,
the OS2007 flag MUST be enabled.
♦ SCSI Primary Commands (SPC2) – This Flag is required in order for the FA
port to conform to industry standards resulting in an NAA identifier being used
for the LUNs presented to the ESX hosts. To change the status the Port must be
offline.

Note: These Flags may already be enabled by default for the associated Director
Ports and no additional configuration change is required. Consulting the ESM for
default settings will verify this.