Host Configuration


Determining the configuration

You can connect your DS300 to the host using a generic NIC or an HBA. If a NIC is used, software initiators are required. For the HBA, the drivers and management tools that are supplied with the adapter should be used.

Software Initiators

 Microsoft , Linux

HBA

 iSCSI HBA (QLA4010)

 

Microsoft iSCSI SW Initiator

If you use a generic NIC, the Microsoft iSCSI SW initiator provides the connection and session establishment interface to the DS300 controller.

In order to gather information about the session, you can view the Microsoft Initiator properties by right clicking the “My Computer Icon” on Windows 2000 or 2003 desktop and select:

Manageŕ Device ManagerŕSCSI and RAID ControllersŕMicrosoft iSCSI Initiator

Select the Host tab to view information pertinent to your session. See Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Session information

Click the Get Connection Information button to get the details about the connection. See Figure 2.

Figure 2 - Connection Information

 

Linux iSCSI Software Initiator

 

The Linux iSCSI Software Initiator can be downloaded from http://linux-iscsi.sourceforge.net/. A very good guide to assist you in the installation and configuration of the initiator can be found at http://www.cuddletech.com/articles/iscsi.

iSCSI HBAs

If the host has an IBM iSCSI server adapter, IBM Option PN 73P3601 (QLA4010C), use SANSurfer to determine what iSCSI host adapters are present and where they are in the systems, as well as what RAID controllers are attached. Alternately, you can view the 4010 properties by accessing the Microsoft Management Console by right clicking the My Computer icon on the Windows 2000 or 2003 desktop. From the Properties dialog you may ping devices that are on the same subnet as the HBA.:

Figure 3 shows the SANSurfer window for a configuration with two QLA4010 host adapters.

Figure 3. SANSurfer - Two QLA 4010 host adapters

The HBAs are shown by their iqn names. Beneath the host adapters, the target portals that the HBAs were connected to in a previous session are shown. These portals represent the DS300 controller ports. At this time, no LUNs are available.

Once a connection to a Target portal has been established, the session information is displayed. See Figure 4. The LUNs are now shown beneath their respective targets’ iqn name.

Figure 4 – Session established

Note: The No Connection Active state shown for 191.1.9.3 is the sendtargets connection status.  After the sendtargets discovery is finished (shown as Session Active), this connection is closed.

 

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