You must activate your software iSCSI adapter so that your host can use it to access iSCSI storage.
You can activate only one software iSCSI adapter.
Chapter 10 Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
NOTE If you boot from iSCSI using the software iSCSI adapter, the adapter is enabled and the network configuration is created at the first boot. If you disable the adapter, it is reenabled each time you boot the host.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Storage.
3 Click Storage Adapters, and click Add.
4 Select Software iSCSI Adapter and confirm that you want to add the adapter.
The software iSCSI adapter (vmhba#) is enabled and appears on the list of storage adapters. After enabling the adapter, the host assigns the default iSCSI name to it. If you need to change the default name, follow iSCSI naming conventions.
What to do next
Select the adapter and use the Adapter Details section to complete configuration.
Modify General Properties for iSCSI Adapters
You can change the default iSCSI name and alias assigned to your iSCSI adapters. For the for independent hardware iSCSI adapters, you can also change the default IP settings.
IMPORTANT When you modify any default properties for your iSCSI adapters, make sure to correctly format their names and IP addresses.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Host .Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Storage.
3 Click Storage Adapters, and select the adapter (vmhba#) to configure.
4 Under Adapter Details, click the Properties tab and click Edit in the General panel.
5 To change the default iSCSI name for your adapter, enter the new name.
Make sure the name you enter is worldwide unique and properly formatted or some storage devices might not recognize the iSCSI adapter.
6 (Optional) Enter the iSCSI alias.
The alias is a name that you use to identify the iSCSI adapter.
If you change the iSCSI name, it will be used for new iSCSI sessions. For existing sessions, new settings will not be used until logout and re-login.
Create Network Connections for iSCSI
Configure connections for the traffic between the software or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters and the physical network adapters.
The following tasks discuss the iSCSI network configuration with a vSphere standard switch.
If you use a vSphere distributed switch with multiple uplink ports, for port binding, create a separate distributed port group per each physical NIC. Then set the team policy so that each distributed port group has only one active uplink port. For detailed information on vSphere distributed switches, see the vSphere Networking documentation.
Procedure
1 Create a Single VMkernel Adapter for iSCSI on page 83
Connect the VMkernel, which runs services for iSCSI storage, to a physical network adapter.
2 Create Additional VMkernel Adapters for iSCSI on page 84
Use this task if you have two or more physical network adapters for iSCSI and you want to connect all of your physical adapters to a single vSphere standard switch. In this task, you add the physical adapters and VMkernel adapters to an existing vSphere standard switch.
3 Change Network Policy for iSCSI on page 85
If you use a single vSphere standard switch to connect multiple VMkernel adapters to multiple network adapters, set up network policy so that only one physical network adapter is active for each VMkernel adapter.
4 Bind iSCSI and VMkernel Adapters on page 85 Bind an iSCSI adapter with a VMkernel adapter.
5 Review Port Binding Details on page 86
Review networking details of the VMkernel adapter that is bound to the iSCSI adapter.
Create a Single VMkernel Adapter for iSCSI
Connect the VMkernel, which runs services for iSCSI storage, to a physical network adapter.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click Actions > Add Networking.
3 Select VMkernel Network Adapter, and click Next.
4 Select New standard switch to create a vSphere standard switch.
5 Click the Add adapters icon, and select the network adapter (vmnic#) to use for iSCSI.
Make sure to assign the adapter to Active Adapters.
IMPORTANT If you are creating a VMkernel adapter for dependent hardware iSCSI, select the network adapter that corresponds to the iSCSI component. See “Determine Association Between iSCSI and Network Adapters,” on page 76.
6 Enter a network label.
A network label is a friendly name that identifies the VMkernel adapter that you are creating, for example, iSCSI.
7 Specify the IP settings.
8 Review the information and click Finish.
Chapter 10 Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage
What to do next
If your host has one physical network adapter for iSCSI traffic, you must bind the virtual adapter that you created to the iSCSI adapter.
If you have multiple network adapters, create additional VMkernel adapters and then perform iSCSI binding. The number of virtual adapters must correspond to the number of physical adapters on the host.
Create Additional VMkernel Adapters for iSCSI
Use this task if you have two or more physical network adapters for iSCSI and you want to connect all of your physical adapters to a single vSphere standard switch. In this task, you add the physical adapters and VMkernel adapters to an existing vSphere standard switch.
Prerequisites
Create a vSphere standard switch that maps an iSCSI VMkernel adapter to a single physical network adapter designated for iSCSI traffic.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Networking.
3 Click Virtual Switches, and select the vSphere switch that you want to modify from the list.
4 Connect additional network adapters to the switch.
a Click the Add host networking icon.
b Select Physical Network Adapters, and click Next.
c Make sure that you are using the existing switch, and click Next.
d Click the Add adapters icon, and select one or more network adapters (vmnic#) to use for iSCSI.
With dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, select only those NICs that have a corresponding iSCSI component.
e Complete configuration, and click Finish.
5 Create iSCSI VMkernel adapters for all physical network adapters that you added.
The number of VMkernel interfaces must correspond to the number of physical network adapters on the vSphere standard switch.
a Click the Add host networking icon.
b Select VMkernel Network Adapter, and click Next.
c Make sure that you are using the existing switch, and click Next.
d Complete configuration, and click Finish.
What to do next
Change the network policy for all VMkernel adapters, so that only one physical network adapter is active for each VMkernel adapter. You can then bind the iSCSI VMkernel adapters to the software iSCSI or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters.
Change Network Policy for iSCSI
If you use a single vSphere standard switch to connect multiple VMkernel adapters to multiple network adapters, set up network policy so that only one physical network adapter is active for each VMkernel adapter.
By default, for each VMkernel adapter on the vSphere standard switch, all network adapters appear as active. You must override this setup, so that each VMkernel adapter maps to only one corresponding active physical. For example, vmk1 maps to vmnic1, vmk2 maps to vmnic2, and so on.
Prerequisites
Create a vSphere standard switch that connects VMkernel with physical network adapters designated for iSCSI traffic. The number of VMkernel adapters must correspond to the number of physical adapters on the vSphere standard switch.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Networking.
3 Click Virtual Switches, and select the vSphere switch that you want to modify from the list.
4 On the vSwitch diagram, select the VMkernel adapter and click the Edit Settings icon.
5 On the Edit Settings wizard, click Teaming and Failover and click Override under Failover Order.
6 Designate only one physical adapter as active and move all remaining adapters to the Unused Adapters category.
7 Repeat Step 4 through Step 6 for each iSCSI VMkernel interface on the vSphere standard switch.
Example: iSCSI Network Policy
The following table illustrates the proper iSCSI mapping where only one physical network adapter is active for each VMkernel adapter.
VMkernel Adapter (vmk#) Physical Network Adapter (vmnic#)
vmk1 Active Adapters
vmnic1
Unused Adapters vmnic2
vmk2 Active Adapters
vmnic2
Unused Adapters vmnic1
What to do next
After you perform this task, bind the virtual VMkernel adapters to the software iSCSI or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters.
Bind iSCSI and VMkernel Adapters
Bind an iSCSI adapter with a VMkernel adapter.
Prerequisites
Create a virtual VMkernel adapter for each physical network adapter on your host. If you use multiple VMkernel adapters, set up the correct network policy.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Chapter 10 Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Storage.
3 Click Storage Adapters and select the software or dependent iSCSI adapter to configure from the list.
4 Under Adapter Details, click the Network Port Binding tab and click Add.
5 Select a VMkernel adapter to bind with the iSCSI adapter.
NOTE Make sure that the network policy for the VMkernel adapter is compliant with the binding requirements.
You can bind the software iSCSI adapter to one or more VMkernel adapters. For a dependent hardware iSCSI adapter, only one VMkernel adapter associated with the correct physical NIC is available.
6 Click OK.
The network connection appears on the list of VMkernel port bindings for the iSCSI adapter.
Review Port Binding Details
Review networking details of the VMkernel adapter that is bound to the iSCSI adapter.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Storage.
3 Click Storage Adapters and select the software or dependent iSCSI adapter from the list.
4 Under Adapter Details, click the Network Port Binding tab and click View Details.
5 Review the VMkernel adapter information by switching between available tabs.
Set Up Dynamic or Static Discovery for iSCSI
With dynamic discovery, each time the initiator contacts a specified iSCSI storage system, it sends the SendTargets request to the system. The iSCSI system responds by supplying a list of available targets to the initiator. In addition to the dynamic discovery method, you can use static discovery and manually enter information for the targets.
When you set up static or dynamic discovery, you can only add new iSCSI targets. You cannot change any parameters of an existing target. To make changes, remove the existing target and add a new one.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2 Click the Manage tab, and click Storage.
3 Click Storage Adapters and select the iSCSI adapter to configure from the list.
4 Under Adapter Details, click the Targets tab.
5 Configure the discovery method.
Option Description
Dynamic Discovery a Click Dynamic Discovery and click Add.
b Type the IP address or DNS name of the storage system and click OK.
c Rescan the iSCSI adapter.
After establishing the SendTargets session with the iSCSI system, you host populates the Static Discovery list with all newly discovered targets.
Static Discovery a Click Static Discovery and click Add.
b Enter the target’s information and click OK c Rescan the iSCSI adapter.