ONTAP® 9

iSCSI Configuration for ESXi® using

VSC Express Guide

August 2019 | 215-11181_2019-08_en-us

[email protected]

Updated for ONTAP 9.5

 Table of Contents | 3

Contents
Deciding whether to use this guide ............................................................. 4
iSCSI configuration workflow ..................................................................... 5
Verifying that the iSCSI configuration is supported ................................................... 5
Completing the iSCSI configuration worksheet .......................................................... 6
Installing Virtual Storage Console .............................................................................. 8
Adding the storage cluster or SVM to VSC for VMware vSphere ............................. 8
Configuring your network for best performance ......................................................... 9
Configuring host iSCSI ports and vSwitches .............................................................. 9
Enabling the iSCSI software adapter ........................................................................ 10
Binding iSCSI ports to the iSCSI software adapter .................................................. 10
Configuring the ESXi host best practice settings ...................................................... 10
Creating an aggregate ................................................................................................ 11
Deciding where to provision the volume .................................................................. 11
Verifying that the iSCSI service is running on an existing SVM .................. 12
Configuring iSCSI on an existing SVM ........................................................ 13
Creating a new SVM ..................................................................................... 13
Testing iSCSI paths from the host to the storage cluster ........................................... 15
Provisioning a datastore and creating its containing LUN and volume .................... 15
Verifying that the host can write to and read from the LUN ..................................... 16
Where to find additional information ....................................................... 18
Copyright .................................................................................................... 19
Trademark .................................................................................................. 20
How to send comments about documentation and receive update
notifications ............................................................................................ 21
4

Deciding whether to use the iSCSI Configuration

for ESX Express Guide
This guide describes how to quickly set up the iSCSI service on a storage virtual machine (SVM),
provision a LUN, and make the LUN available using an iSCSI initiator on an ESX host computer.
This guide is based on the following assumptions:

• You want to use best practices, not explore every available option.

• You do not want to read a lot of conceptual background.

• You want to use OnCommand System Manager, not the ONTAP command-line interface or an
automated scripting tool.
Cluster management using System Manager
• You are using the native ESX iSCSI software initiator on ESXi 5.x.

• You are not using CHAP authentication for iSCSI.

• You are using a supported version of Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere to configure
storage settings for your ESX host.

• Your network uses IPv4 addressing.

• You want to assign addresses to logical interfaces using any of the following methods:

◦ Automatically from a subnet you define

◦ Manually, using an address selected from an existing subnet

◦ Manually, using an address that will be added to an existing subnet

• You have at least two high-speed Ethernet ports (1 GbE minimum, 10 GbE recommended)
available on each node in the cluster.
Onboard UTA2 (also called “CNA”) ports are configurable. You configure those ports in the
ONTAP CLI; that process is not covered in this guide.
You should see the ONTAP 9 Network Management Guide for using the CLI to configure
Ethernet port flow control.
Network and LIF management
• You are not configuring iSCSI SAN boot.

• You are providing storage to VMs through the ESX hypervisor and not running an iSCSI initiator
within the VM.

If these assumptions are not correct for your situation, you should see the following resources:

• SAN administration
• SAN configuration
• Virtual Storage Console, VASA Provider, and Storage Replication Adapter for VMware vSphere
Administration Guide for 7.2 release
• VMware vSphere Storage for your version of ESX 5 (available from VMware)
• NetApp Documentation: OnCommand Workflow Automation (current releases)
OnCommand Workflow Automation enables you to run prepackaged workflows that automate
management tasks such as the workflows described in Express Guides.
 5

iSCSI configuration workflow

When you make storage available to an ESX host using iSCSI, you provision a volume and LUN on
the storage virtual machine (SVM) using Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere, and then
connect to the LUN from the host.

Verifying that the iSCSI configuration is supported

For reliable operation, you must verify that the entire iSCSI configuration is supported.

Steps

1. Go to the Interoperability Matrix to verify that you have a supported combination of the following
components:
6 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

• ONTAP software

• Host computer CPU architecture (for standard rack servers)

• Specific processor blade model (for blade servers)

• Storage protocol (iSCSI)

• ESXi operating system version

• Guest operating system type and version

• Virtual Storage Console (VSC) for VMware vSphere software

• Windows Server version to run VSC

2. Click the configuration name for the selected configuration.

Details for that configuration are displayed in the Configuration Details window.

3. Review the information in the following tabs:

• Notes
Lists important alerts and information that are specific to your configuration.

• Policies and Guidelines

Provides general guidelines for all SAN configurations.

Completing the iSCSI configuration worksheet

You require network addresses and storage configuration information to perform iSCSI configuration
tasks.

Target network addresses

The storage virtual machine (SVM) is the iSCSI target.
You require a subnet with two IP addresses for iSCSI data LIFs for each node in the cluster. There
should be two separate networks for high availability. The specific IP addresses are assigned by
ONTAP when you create the LIFs as part of creating the SVM.
If possible, separate iSCSI traffic on separate physical networks or on VLANs.

Subnet for LIFs: _______________________

 iSCSI configuration workflow | 7

Node or LIF IP address Network mask Gateway VLAN ID Home

with port to port
switch
Node 1 / LIF to
switch 1
Node 2 / LIF to
switch 1
Node 3 / LIF to
switch 1
Node 4 / LIF to
switch 1
Node 1 / LIF to
switch 2
Node 2 / LIF to
switch 2
Node 3 / LIF to
switch 2
Node 4 / LIF to
switch 2

Storage configuration
If the aggregate and SVM are already created, record their names here; otherwise, you can create
them as required:

Node to own LUN

Aggregate name
SVM name

LUN information
LUN size
LUN name (optional)
LUN description (optional)

SVM information
If you are not using an existing SVM, you require the following information to create a new one:

SVM name
SVM IPspace
Aggregate for SVM root volume
SVM user name (optional)
SVM password (optional)
8 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

SVM management LIF (optional) Subnet:

IP address:
Network mask:
Gateway:
Home node:
Home port:

Installing Virtual Storage Console

Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere automates many of the configuration and provisioning
tasks required to use NetApp iSCSI storage with an ESXi host. Virtual Storage Console is a plug-in
to vCenter Server.

Before you begin

You must have administrator credentials on the vCenter Server used to manage the ESXi host.

About this task

• Virtual Storage Console is installed as a virtual appliance that includes Virtual Storage Console,
vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) Provider, and Storage Replication Adapter (SRA)
for VMware vSphere capabilities.

Steps

1. Download the version of Virtual Storage Console that is supported for your configuration, as
shown in the Interoperability Matrix tool.
NetApp Support
2. Deploy the virtual appliance and configure it following the steps in the Deployment and Setup
Guide.

Adding the storage cluster or SVM to VSC for VMware

vSphere
Before you can provision the first datastore to an ESXi host in your Datacenter, you must add the
cluster or a specific storage virtual machine (SVM) to Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere.
Adding the cluster enables you to provision storage on any SVM in the cluster.

Before you begin

You must have administrator credentials for the storage cluster or the SVM that is being added.

About this task

Depending on your configuration, the cluster might have been discovered automatically, or might
have already been added.

Steps

1. Log in to the vSphere Web Client.

 iSCSI configuration workflow | 9

2. Select Virtual Storage Console.

3. Select Storage Systems and then click the Add icon.

4. In the Add Storage System dialog box, enter the host name and administrator credentials for the
storage cluster or SVM and then click OK.

Configuring your network for best performance

Ethernet networks vary greatly in performance. You can maximize the performance of the network
used for iSCSI by selecting specific configuration values.

Steps

1. Connect the host and storage ports to the same network.

It is best to connect to the same switches. Routing should never be used.

2. Select the highest speed ports available, and dedicate them to iSCSI.
10 GbE ports are best. 1 GbE ports are the minimum.

3. Disable Ethernet flow control for all ports.

You should see the ONTAP 9 Network Management Guide for using the CLI to configure
Ethernet port flow control.
Network and LIF management
4. Enable jumbo frames (typically MTU of 9000).
All devices in the data path, including initiators, targets, and switches, must support jumbo
frames. Otherwise, enabling jumbo frames actually reduces network performance substantially.

Configuring host iSCSI ports and vSwitches

The ESXi host requires network ports for the iSCSI connections to the storage cluster.

About this task

It is recommended that you use IP Hash as the NIC teaming policy, which requires a single
VMkernel port on a single vSwitch.
The host ports and storage cluster ports used for iSCSI must have IP addresses in the same subnet.
This task lists the high-level steps for configuring the ESXi host. If you require more detailed
instructions, see the VMware publication VMware vSphere Storage for your version of ESXi.
VMware

Steps

1. Log in to the vSphere Client, and then select the ESXi host from the inventory pane.

2. On the Manage tab, click Networking.

3. Click Add Networking, and then select VMkernel and Create a vSphere standard switch to
create the VMkernel port and vSwitch.

4. Configure jumbo frames for the vSwitch (MTU size of 9000, if used).

5. Repeat the previous step to create a second VMkernel port and vSwitch.
10 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

Enabling the iSCSI software adapter

The iSCSI software adapter creates the iSCSI connection on the ESX host. It is built into the
operating system, but must be enabled before it can be used.

Before you begin

You must have a VMware vSphere Client installed on your workstation or you must have access to a
vSphere Web Client.

Steps

1. Log in to the vSphere Client.

2. Select the ESX host from the inventory pane.

3. Click Configuration > Storage Adapters.

4. Select the iSCSI software adapter and click Properties > Configure.

5. Select Enabled and then click OK.

Binding iSCSI ports to the iSCSI software adapter

The ports you created for iSCSI must be associated with the iSCSI software adapter to support
multipathing.

Before you begin

• The iSCSI VMkernel ports must be created.

• The iSCSI software adapter must be enabled on the ESX host.

About this task

You can bind the iSCSI ports using the vSphere Client.
For detailed instructions, see VMware vSphere Storage for your version of ESXi 5 from.
VMware

Steps

1. Bind the first iSCSI port to the iSCSI software adapter by using the Network Port Binding tab of
the iSCSI software adapter Adapter Details dialog box in the vSphere Client.

2. Bind the second iSCSI port to the iSCSI software adapter.

Configuring the ESXi host best practice settings

You must ensure that the host multipathing and best practice settings are correct so that the ESXi host
can correctly manage the loss of an iSCSI connection or a storage failover event.

Steps

1. From the VMware vSphere Web Client Home page, click vCenter > Hosts.
 iSCSI configuration workflow | 11

2. Right-click the host, and then select Actions > NetApp VSC > Set Recommended Values.

3. In the NetApp Recommended Settings dialog box, ensure that all of the options are selected,
and then click OK.
The vCenter Web Client displays the task progress.

Creating an aggregate
If you do not want to use an existing aggregate, you can create a new aggregate to provide physical
storage to the volume which you are provisioning.

Steps

1. Enter the URL https://IP-address-of-cluster-management-LIF in a web browser and

log in to System Manager using your cluster administrator credential.

2. Navigate to the Aggregates window.

3. Click Create.

4. Follow the instructions on the screen to create the aggregate using the default RAID-DP
configuration, and then click Create.

Result
The aggregate is created with the specified configuration and added to the list of aggregates in the
Aggregates window.

Deciding where to provision the volume

Before you provision a volume to contain your LUNs, you need to decide whether to add the volume
to an existing storage virtual machine (SVM) or to create a new SVM for the volume. You might also
need to configure iSCSI on an existing SVM.

About this task

If an existing SVM is already configured with the needed protocols and has LIFs that can be accessed
from the host, it is easier to use the existing SVM.
You can create a new SVM to separate data or administration from other users of the storage cluster.
There is no advantage to using separate SVMs just to separate different protocols.
12 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

Choices

• If you want to provision volumes on an SVM that is already configured for iSCSI, you must
verify that the iSCSI service is running.
Verifying that the iSCSI service is running on an existing SVM
• If you want to provision volumes on an existing SVM that has iSCSI enabled but not configured,
configure iSCSI on the existing SVM.
Configuring iSCSI on an existing SVM
This is the case when you followed another Express Guide to create the SVM while configuring a
different protocol.

• If you want to provision volumes on a new SVM, create the SVM.

Creating a new SVM

Verifying that the iSCSI service is running on an existing SVM

If you choose to use an existing storage virtual machine (SVM), you must verify that the iSCSI
service is running on the SVM.

Before you begin

You must have selected an existing SVM on which you plan to create a new LUN.

Steps

1. Navigate to the SVMs window.

2. Click the SVM Settings tab.

3. In the Protocols pane, click iSCSI.

4. Verify that the iSCSI service is running.

5. Record the iSCSI interfaces listed for the SVM.

After you finish

If the iSCSI service is not running, start the iSCSI service or create a new SVM.
If there are fewer than two iSCSI interfaces per node, update the iSCSI configuration on the SVM or
create a new SVM for iSCSI.
 iSCSI configuration workflow | 13

Configuring iSCSI on an existing SVM

You can configure iSCSI on an existing storage virtual machine (SVM). The iSCSI protocol must
already be enabled but not configured on the SVM. This information is intended for SVMs for which
you are configuring multiple protocols, but have not yet configured iSCSI.

Before you begin

You must have enough network addresses available to create two LIFs for each node.

Steps

1. Navigate to the SVMs window.

2. Select the SVM that you want to configure.

3. In the SVM Details pane, verify that iSCSI is displayed with a gray background, which indicates
that the protocol is enabled but not fully configured.
If iSCSI is displayed with a green background, the SVM is already configured.

4. Click the iSCSI protocol link with the gray background.

The Configure iSCSI Protocol window is displayed.

5. Configure the iSCSI service and LIFs from the Configure iSCSI protocol page:

a. Optional: Enter a target alias name.

b. Enter 2 in the LIFs per node field.

Two LIFs are required for each node to ensure availability and data mobility.

c. Assign IP addresses for the LIFs either with a subnet or without a subnet.

d. Ignore the optional Provision a LUN for iSCSI storage area, because the LUN is provisioned
by Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere in a later step.

e. Click Submit & Close.

6. Review the Summary page, record the LIF information, and then click OK.

Creating a new SVM

The storage virtual machine (SVM) provides the iSCSI target through which a host accesses LUNs.
When you create the SVM, you also create logical interfaces (LIFs) that provide paths to the LUN.
You can create an SVM to separate the data and administration functions of a user from those of the
other users in a cluster.

Before you begin

• You must have enough network addresses available to create two LIFs for each node.

Steps

1. Navigate to the SVMs window.

14 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

2. Click Create.

3. In the Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) Setup window, create the SVM:

a. Specify a unique name for the SVM.

The name must either be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or follow another convention
that ensures unique names across a cluster.

b. Select the IPspace that the SVM will belong to.

If the cluster does not use multiple IPspaces, the “Default” IPspace is used.
c. Keep the default volume type selection.
Only FlexVol volumes are supported with SAN protocols.

d. Select all of the protocols that you have licenses for and that you might use on the SVM, even
if you do not want to configure all of the protocols immediately.
Selecting both NFS and CIFS when you create the SVM enables these two protocols to share
the same LIFs. Adding these protocols later does not allow them to share LIFs.
If CIFS is one of the protocols you selected, then the security style is set to NTFS. Otherwise,
the security style is set to UNIX.
e. Keep the default language setting C.UTF-8.

f. Select the desired root aggregate to contain the SVM root volume.
The aggregate for the data volume is selected separately in a later step.

g. Click Submit & Continue.

The SVM is created, but protocols are not yet configured.

4. If the Configure CIFS/NFS protocol page appears because you enabled CIFS or NFS, click
Skip and then configure CIFS or NFS later.

5. Configure the iSCSI service and create LIFs from the Configure iSCSI protocol page:

a. Optional: Enter a target alias name.

b. Assign IP address for the LIFs either by using a subnet or without a subnet.

c. Enter 2 in the LIFs per node field.

Two LIFs are required for each node to ensure availability and data mobility.

d. Skip the optional Provision a LUN for iSCSI storage area because the LUN is provisioned
by Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere in a later step.

e. Click Submit & Continue.

6. If the Configure FC/FCoE protocol page appears because you enabled FC, click Skip and then
configure FC later.

7. When the SVM Administration appears, configure or defer configuring a separate administrator
for this SVM:

• Click Skip and configure an administrator later if desired.

• Enter the requested information, and then click Submit & Continue.

8. Review the Summary page, record the LIF information, and then click OK.
 iSCSI configuration workflow | 15

Testing iSCSI paths from the host to the storage cluster

To ensure successful storage failover and data mobility, you need to ensure that you have two paths
from the host to every node in the storage cluster. Because the number of paths advertised by the
iSCSI target is limited, you need to ping the storage cluster ports from the host.

Before you begin

You must know the IP address or host name of all of the logical interfaces (LIFs) to be used for iSCSI
paths.

About this task

LUNs are mapped to a subset of the initiators in the igroup to limit the number of paths from the host
to the LUN.

• By default, only paths from the host to the node containing the storage virtual machine (SVM)
where the LUN was created, and paths to the HA partner of that node, are visible to the host.

• You still must create and test paths from the host to every node in the cluster, but the host can
access only those paths on the owning node and its HA partner.
• You should use the default LUN mapping behavior.
Only add nodes in other HA pairs to the LUN map in preparation for moving the LUN to a
different node.

Steps

1. From the ESX host, use the ping command to verify the path to the first LIF.
The ping command is available from the ESX service console.

2. Repeat the ping command to verify connectivity to each iSCSI LIF on each node in the cluster.

Related information
VMware KB article 1003486: Testing network connectivity with the ping command

Provisioning a datastore and creating its containing LUN

and volume
A datastore contains virtual machines and their VMDKs on the ESXi host. The datastore on the ESXi
host is provisioned on a LUN on the storage cluster.

Before you begin

Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere (VSC) must be installed and registered with the
vCenter Server that manages the ESXi host.
VSC must have sufficient cluster or storage virtual machine (SVM) credentials to create the LUN and
volume.

About this task

VSC automates the datastore provisioning, including creating a LUN and volume on the specified
SVM.
16 | iSCSI Configuration for ESXi using VSC Express Guide

Steps

1. From the vSphere Web Client Home page, click Hosts and Clusters.

2. In the navigation pane, expand the datacenter where you want to provision the datastore.

3. Right-click the ESXi host, and then select NetApp VSC > Provision Datastore.
Alternatively, you can right-click the cluster when provisioning to make the datastore available to
all hosts in the cluster.

4. Provide the required information in the wizard:

• Select VMFS as the datastore type.

• Select iSCSI as the VMFS protocol.

• Select None as the Storage Capability Profile.

• Ensure that the Thin provision check box is not selected.

• Select the Create new volume check box.

Verifying that the host can write to and read from the LUN
Before using the LUN, you should verify that the host can write data to the LUN and read it back.

About this task

If the cluster node on which the LUN is created can be failed over to its partner node, you should
verify reading the data while the node is failed over. This test might not be possible if the cluster is in
production use.

Steps

1. On the vSphere Web Client Home page, click Hosts and Clusters.

2. In the navigation pane, click the Storage tab.

3. Expand the datacenter, and then select the new datastore.

4. In the center pane, click Manage > Files.

The contents of the datastore are displayed.
 iSCSI configuration workflow | 17

5. Create a new folder in the datastore and upload a file to the new folder.
You might need to install the Client Integration Plug-in.

6. Verify that you can access the file you just wrote.

7. Optional: Fail over the cluster node containing the LUN and verify that you can still write and
read a file.
If any of the tests fail, verify that the iSCSI service is running on the storage cluster and check the
iSCSI paths to the LUN.

8. Optional: If you failed over the cluster node, be sure to give back the node and return all LIFs to
their home ports.

9. For an ESXi cluster, view the datastore from each ESXi host in the cluster and verify that the file
you uploaded is displayed.

Related information
High-availability configuration
18

Where to find additional information

There are additional documents to help you learn more about iSCSI configuration .
All of the following documentation is available:

• SAN configuration
Describes supported FC, iSCSI, and FCoE topologies for connecting host computers to storage
controllers in clusters.

• SAN administration
Describes how to configure and manage the iSCSI, FCoE, and FC protocols for clustered SAN
environments, including configuration of LUNs, igroups, and targets.

VMware documentation
Documentation about iSCSI for ESXi servers is available directly from VMware.
VMware
• vSphere Storage
This VMware guide describes FC and iSCSI configuration for ESXi 5.x.

• Multipathing Configuration for Software iSCSI Using Port Binding

Technical White Paper describes MPIO setup for ESXi servers.
 19

Copyright
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20

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 21

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