iSCSI Express Setup

  1. Verify the Linux configuration is supported
    To ensure reliable operation, you create an implementation plan and then verify that the entire configuration is supported.
  2. Configure management port IP addresses
    Configure the management port for communication between the management station and array controllers.
  3. Install ThinkSystem Storage Manager for SMcli and Host Context Agent (HCA)
    When you install the ThinkSystem Storage Manager software on your management station, the command line interface (CLI) is installed to help you manage your array. By also installing the software on the host, the Host Context Agent is installed that helps the host push configuration information to the storage array controllers through the I/O path.
  4. Access ThinkSystem System Manager and use the Setup wizard
    You use the Setup wizard in ThinkSystem System Manager to configure your storage array.
  5. Configure the multipath software
    Multipath software provides a redundant path to the storage array in case one of the physical paths is disrupted. The multipath software presents the operating system with a single virtual device that represents the active physical paths to the storage. The multipath software also manages the failover process that updates the virtual device. You use the device mapper multipath (DM-MP) tool for Linux installations.
  6. Setting up the multipath.conf file
    The multipath.conf file is the configuration file for the multipath daemon, multipathd. The multipath.conf file overrides the built-in configuration table for multipathd. Any line in the file whose first non-white-space character is # is considered a comment line. Empty lines are ignored.
  7. Configure the switches
    You configure the switches according to the vendor’s recommendations for iSCSI. These recommendations might include both configuration directives as well as code updates.
  8. Configure networking
    You can set up your iSCSI network in many ways, depending on your data storage requirements.
  9. Configure array-side networking
    You use the ThinkSystem Storage Manager GUI to configure iSCSI networking on the array side.
  10. Configure host-side networking
    You configure iSCSI networking on the host side by setting the number of node sessions per physical path, turning on the appropriate iSCSI services, configuring the network for the iSCSI ports, creating iSCSI face bindings, and establishing the iSCSI sessions between initiators and targets.
  11. Verify IP network connections
    You verify Internet Protocol (IP) network connections by using ping tests to ensure the host and array are able to communicate.
  12. Create partitions and filesystems
    A new LUN has no partition or file system when the Linux host first discovers it. You must format the LUN before it can be used. Optionally, you can create a file system on the LUN.
  13. Verify storage access on the host
    Before using the volume, you verify that the host can write data to the volume and read it back.
  14. Record iSCSI-specific information for Linux
    Select the iSCSI worksheet to record your protocol-specific storage configuration information. You need this information to perform provisioning tasks.
Parent topic: Linux express configuration