multiple iSCSI software initiators

[rainerhahnekamp]

Hello there,

I haven't heard that somebody is doing that, so just to make sure: Is it possible to connect two or more SANs to one ESX host? As far as I understood each SAN would require its own iSCSI initiator but I only know how to active the default initiator and not add multiple ones.

Thanks for your answer,

-Rainer

[woodwarp]

Yes it is possible to connect multiple iSCSI targets to the iSCSI software intiator.

Create multiple VMkernel ports an bind them to the iSCSI intiator.

• Connect vmhba34 to vmk1: esxcli swiscsi nic add -n vmk1 -d vmhba33

• Connect vmhba34 to vmk2: esxcli swiscsi nic add -n vmk2 -d vmhba33

• Verify vmhba34 configuration: esxcli swiscsi nic list -d vmhba33

• Both vmk1 and vmk2 should be listed.

This is normally used to provide multiple active paths to iSCSI storage.

You can also create additional VMkernel ports for more than one iSCSI SAN.

[rainerhahnekamp]

Hello woodwarp, thanks for your answer but I'm afraid I don't understand how that should work. The steps you described where exactly the same I did when adding different paths to one SAN. What I have is a second SAN which should also be added to that host. The second SAN has another IQN and also another CHAP authentication so I see no way to use the initiator with vmhba33.

Would you please be so kind and explain your solution a little bit more detailled?

[woodwarp]

With CHAP auth it will need to be the same for both targets or you will need to emove the CHAP auth altogether.

Depeding how you define your targets,the easyist would be to define them as additional static tagets for the iscsi intiator.

If the second SANs targets are on other subnet you must config another vmkernel on that subnet and bind it to the iscsi intiator.

Then add the software intiator to the second SAN host access for the luns.

Hope this helps

[Exwork]

That's not entirely accurate - you can define different CHAP authentication secrets for different targets.

If you are adding a new target, hit the CHAP button, and deselect the 'Inherit from parent' checkbox.

If that target already exists, edit it, and do the same thing.

[rainerhahnekamp]

Thanks, that worked for me.

[TimPhillips]

You do can:

http://www.starwindsoftware.com/iscsi-san-for-vmware-esx-and-esxi-data-sheet