iSCSI iSER - Without iSCSI Software Adapter??

[Mythfx]

Anyone got this working successfully WITHOUT using the inherent (and slow) iSCSI Software Adapter?

I have a pair of Mellanox SN2700 connecting my esx hosts to iscsi block.

I have installed the iSER driver (v1.0.0.1) and it loads.

My HBA are ConnectX-4 25Gb.

I can configure the Network Port Bindings. The host can see targets. but that is where it stops. No devices or paths become active.

--

Moving to the inherent iSCSI Software Adapter. Add the Targets and all devices and paths are active and I have access to data stores.

Am I wrong to think this should work without the vmware iSCSI Software Adapter?

Cheers!

-O

[hussainbte]

I dont see a driver for ConnectX-4 25Gb

http://www.mellanox.com/page/vmware_matrix

The driver 2.4.0 is only compatible with 6.0 and ConnectX-3.

seems to be a driver issue

[Mythfx]

Drivers located here, check the ESXi + iSER tab>?  http://www.mellanox.com/page/products_dyn?product_family=29

[peetz]

Hi Ollie,

I agree, this should work. Here is a blog post of someone who got it working with Mellanox ConnectX-4 cards:

Testing Mellanox iSER driver in ESXi environment.

Can you please read through it and check if you may have missed any of the necessary steps?

What iSCSI device or target software are you trying to connect to? Make sure that it is configured correctly to allow connections from the iqn's and IP addresses used by the iSER adapters. Is there anything in the log files of the iSCSI server?

Andreas

[Mythfx]

Thanks for that link, I had not read that page. Let me check my driver version, I am pretty sure it is up to date (enough).

The iSCSI block is an Oracle ZS Appliance. It's configured to allow both the iSCSI Software iqn and the iSER HBA iqn also.

One works the other does not. Let me check the driver version, like I said, and go through that page.

Cheers!

[Mythfx]

Went through this: Testing Mellanox iSER driver in ESXi environment.

Seems I have all that done.

----

After digging a bit, i think it might be a driver firmware mismatch.

I am running

Driver Info:

         Bus Info: 0000:01:00:0

         Driver: nmlx5_core

         Firmware Version: 14.17.2052

         Version: 4.16.10.3

This page says that for that driver I should be running firmware v. 14.20.1010

VMware Compatibility Guide - I/O Device Search

- Pic attached.

Now I just need to figure out how to upgrade the firmware, but by the looks of it, there are 2x newer driver versions too: 4.16.12.12 and 4.16.13.5.

So I might as well upgrade the driver + firmware.

Any thoughts?

Ollie