HOW TO: Add an iSCSI Software Adaptor and Create an iSCSI Multipath Network in VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 4.1

Using a software based iSCSI solution, there is no requirement to purchase an hardware iSCSI initiator or TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) interface card. A standard network interface card, can be used to connect and existing ESXi server to a remote iSCSI target or iSCSI SAN on the TCP/IP storage network. The iSCSI Software Adapter built into the VMKenerl interface, completes the communication between the network interface card and the host server network stack.

This tutorial can be used to add an iSCSI Software Adapter and create an iSCSI Multipath Network in VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 4.1.

1. Connect to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 4.1) Server

Using the VMware vSphere Client, login and connect to the ESXi 4.1 server, using IP address or hostname of the ESXi 4.1 server, using root username and password credentials. If you have a VMware vSphere vCenter server, you could also specify IP address or hostname of the vCenter server which manages your vSphere 4 ESXi 4.1 server.

2. Select and Configure the Storage Adapters for the ESXi server

When connected to the ESXi server, select the Host Server, Configuration tab, and select Storage Adapters. Please note, if you do not have any persistent storage connected to the ESXi server, a yellow warning configuration box will appear. This example server used in this tutorial does not have any local SAS or SATA storage connected. Once the iSCSI Software Adapter has been added, iSCSI storage can be added, and this yellow warning configuration box will disappear.


the procedure for adding and configuring the iSCSI Software Adapter is slightly different, depending upon which version of the vSphere Client (version 4.1.0 or version 5.0.0) you have installed, if the iSCSI Software Adapter is not visible as shown in the following screenshot, it's likely you have connected using the vSphere Client version 5.0.0. Skip Step 3 and proceed to Step 4.

3. Configuring the iSCSI Software Adapter using the vSphere Client version 4.1.0

Scroll down, and select iSCSI Software Adapter, and Select Properties

 
The iSCSI Initiator (iSCSI Software Adapter) Properties dialogue page will appear. Please note the status of the current Software Initiator is Disabled.

Select Configure

 
The General Properties diaglogue box, will appear, select, click and ensure a Tick is present next to Enabled, to Enable the iSCSI Software Adapter and Click OK.


The iSCSI Initiator (vmba33) Properties will appear. Note that Software Initiator Properties should have changed to Enabled, and the iSCSI Properties Name is populated with an iSCSI Initiator Name.

 
In this example the iSCSI initiator name is

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esxdev007-2e9c906d

The iSCSI initiator adapter name is vmba33.

Please record both the iSCSI Initiator Name and the adapter name, these will be important for you in the future, it will be needed when you assign storage to this initiator. The adapter name is required later in this procedure to complete VMKernel bindings.

Click Close to proceed. Skip Step 4, and Proceed to Step 5.

4. (Adding) and Configuring the iSCSI Software Adapter using the vSphere Client version 5.0.0

Click Add in Storage Adapters


Select Add Software iSCSI Adapter and Click OK. The following prompt will be displayed.


Scroll down, and select iSCSI Software Adapter, and Select Properties

 
The iSCSI Initiator (iSCSI Software Adapter) Properties dialogue page will appear. Please note the status of the current Software Initiator is Disabled.

Select Configure

 
The General Properties diaglogue box, will appear, select, click and ensure a Tick is present next to Enabled, to Enable the iSCSI Software Adapter and Click OK.


The iSCSI Initiator (vmba33) Properties will appear. Note that Software Initiator Properties should have changed to Enabled, and the iSCSI Properties Name is populated with an iSCSI Initiator Name.

 
In this example the iSCSI initiator name is

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esxdev007-2e9c906d

The iSCSI initiator adapter name is vmba33.

Please record both the iSCSI Initiator Name and the adapter name, these will be important for you in the future, it will be needed when you assign storage to this initiator. The adapter name is required later in this procedure to complete VMKernel bindings.

Click Close to proceed. .

5. Create a new vSwitch (virtual switch) and add VMKernel Portgroups

The VMKernel TCP/IP stack Portgroup handles traffic for the following ESXi services iSCSI, NFS, VMware vMotion and host management. To create a multipath iSCSI network at least two VMKernel TCP/IP stack Portgroups needed to be created on a virtual switch.

Select the Host Server, Configuration tab, and select Networking.


Select Add Networking to add a new vSwitch (virtual switch). Select VMKernel followed by Next


Create a new virtual switch with at least two physical network interfaces connections for use with multipath. I've selected vmnic2 and vmnic3, followed by Next.


Enter a network friendly network label for the VMkernel iSCSI Portgroup 1 - VMkernel iSCSI Network 1, followed by Next


Enter an IP address for the first VMkernel iSCSI Portgroup 1, followed by Next


Review the vSwitch configuration is correct and click Finish


Review the vSwitch created

   

Select Properties of the vSwitch and Click Add


Add another VMkernel Portgroup, Select VMKernel followed by Next


Enter a network friendly network label for the VMkernel iSCSI Portgroup 2 - VMkernel iSCSI Network 2, followed by Next

 
Enter an IP address for the first VMkernel iSCSI Portgroup 2, followed by Next

 
Review the vSwitch configuration is correct and click Finish and Close.

 
Review the Final vSwitch created, with two VMkernel Portgroups


The two VMkernel portgroups have been added, and the vSwitch configuration is almost complete.

6. VMkernel Portgroup - Override vSwitch failover order

In this section we need to override the switch failover order for each VMkernel portgroup as follows

VMkernel iSCSI Network 1 - Active Network interface vmnic2 - Unused Network Interface vmnic3

VMkernel iSCSI Network 2 - Active Network interface vmnic3 - Unused Network Interface vmnic2

Select Properties of the vSwitch created in Step 5.

 
vSwitch1 properties will be displayed. Select the VMkernel iSCSI Network 1 portgroup to edit

 
Select NIC Teaming

 
Select and put a tick in Override vSwitch Failover order and select the network interface e.g. vmnic3 to move down to Unused adapters


This is how override vSwitch failover should look for VMkernel iSCSI Network 1


Click OK. We now need to repeat the same steps for VMkernel iSCSI Network 2 Select the VMkernel iSCSI Network 2 portgroup to edit


Select NIC Teaming


Select and put a tick in Override vSwitch Failover order and select the network interface e.g. vmnic2 to move down to Unused adapters


This is how override vSwitch failover should look for VMkernel iSCSI Network 2


Click OK, followed by close, override vSwitch failover has been completed for the vSwitch. VMKernels are now bound to specific network interfaces, as follows

VMkernel iSCSI Network 1 - Active Network interface vmnic2 - Unused Network Interface vmnic3

VMkernel iSCSI Network 2 - Active Network interface vmnic3 - Unused Network Interface vmnic2

The final and remaining step is to bind these with the software iSCSI iniatiator (adapter). The The iSCSI Initiator adapter name is vmba33. (from Step 3).
.

7. Bind physical network interfaces (pNIC) to the iSCSI VMKernel

This step is often forgotten, and requires login at the console or remotely via SSH to the ESXi server. The VMware vSphere CLI can also be used with the esxcli.exe command to set the bindings if you prefer to use the vSphere CLI.

Using PuTTY a free telnet and SSH client or another SSH client Login and Connect to the VMware Hypervisor ESXi server, using IP address or hostname of the VMware Hypervisor ESXi server, using root username and password credentials.

 
 
at the console or SSH session type the following commands

esxcli swiscsi nic add -n vmk1 -d vmhba33

esxcli swiscsi nic add -n vmk2 -d vmhba33

No syntax is output if the commands are correct


You have added an iSCSI Software Adapter and Created an iSCSI Multipath network for your iSCSI storage.



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