Hosts
Hosts
A host (also called an initiator) represents a server or client that connects to StorONE block storage — over iSCSI, Fibre Channel, or NVMeOF — so that a volume can be mapped to it. Creating a host registers the identifiers StorONE uses to recognize that server when it connects: its Fibre Channel WWPNs, its iSCSI IQN, or its NVMe NQN, depending on which protocol it uses.
A host only needs the identifier(s) for the protocol(s) it actually uses — you don't need to fill in all three. For related host management — grouping several hosts together, and pairing a host with its counterpart on a remote system for replication — see Host Groups and Pairing.
Creating a host
Using the web interface
- Open Application Volumes > Hosts and choose Create.
- Under Name and IP, enter the host's name and, optionally, its IP address or DNS name.
- Under Identifiers, enter whichever of WWPNs (Fibre Channel), IQN (iSCSI), or NQN (NVMeOF) match how this host connects.
- If using iSCSI, optionally set a CHAP secret under iSCSI CHAP Settings.
- Confirm to create the host.
Using the CLI
hosts create <name> [--ip=<name>] (--wwpns=<wwn...>| (--iqn=<iqn> [--chapSecret=<chapSecret>]) | --nqn=<nqn>)
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
<name> |
The name of the new initiator/host. |
--ip=<name> |
The IP address or DNS name of the initiator/host. |
--wwpns=<wwn...> |
List of Fibre Channel world wide port names. |
--iqn=<iqn> |
iSCSI qualified name. |
--chapSecret=<chapSecret> |
iSCSI CHAP secret. |
--nqn=<nqn> |
NVMe qualified name. |
Examples
Create a Fibre Channel host with two WWPNs:
hosts create db-server1 --wwpns 21:00:00:24:ff:5a:1b:2c 21:00:00:24:ff:5a:1b:2d
Create an iSCSI host with a CHAP secret:
hosts create app-server1 --ip 10.20.1.15 --iqn iqn.1998-01.com.example:app-server1 --chapSecret "a-strong-chap-secret"
Create an NVMeOF host:
hosts create nvme-server1 --nqn nqn.2014-08.com.example:nvme:app1
Editing a host
You can also use this command to edit a host group by giving the group's name — in that case, only its membership (--groupedHosts) can be changed; the identifier fields don't apply to a group and are ignored.
Using the web interface
- Open Application Volumes > Hosts, select the host (or host group), and choose Edit.
- For a single host, update the fields you need under Name and IP and Identifiers (and iSCSI CHAP Settings for iSCSI).
- For a host group, update its membership under Grouped Hosts.
- Confirm the change.
Using the CLI
hosts edit <name> [--newname=<name>] [--ip=<name>] [--wwpns=<wwn...>| (--iqn=<iqn> [--chapSecret=<chapSecret>]) | --nqn=<nqn>] [--groupedHosts=<name...>] [--force]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
<name> |
The name of the initiator/host or host group to edit. |
--newname=<name> |
New name for the initiator/host. |
--ip=<name> |
New IP address or DNS name. |
--wwpns=<wwn...> |
New list of Fibre Channel world wide port names. |
--iqn=<iqn> |
New iSCSI qualified name. |
--chapSecret=<chapSecret> |
iSCSI CHAP secret. |
--nqn=<nqn> |
New NVMe qualified name. |
--groupedHosts=<name...> |
Host-group edits only: the names of the initiators/hosts belonging to the host group. |
--force |
Skip the confirmation prompt. |
Examples
Rename a host:
hosts edit db-server1 --newname db-server1-old
Update a host's IQN after re-imaging it:
hosts edit app-server1 --iqn iqn.1998-01.com.example:app-server1-new
Change a host group's membership:
hosts edit db-cluster --groupedHosts db-server1 db-server2 db-server3
Deleting a host
A host can't be deleted while any volumes are still mapped to it, or while it's still a member of a host group — remove those first.
Using the web interface
- Open Application Volumes > Hosts, select the host, and choose Delete.
- Confirm the deletion.
Using the CLI
hosts delete <name> [--force]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
<name> |
The name of the initiator/host to delete. |
--force |
Skip the confirmation prompt. |
Example
hosts delete db-server1-old
Listing hosts
Using the web interface
Open Application Volumes > Hosts. Use the toolbar to show each host's IP address and/or the volumes mapped to it.
Using the CLI
hosts list [<name>] [--mapping] [--ip]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
<name> |
Filter by host name. |
--mapping |
Show volumes that are mapped to those hosts. |
--ip |
Show the IP of the hosts. |
Examples
List every host:
hosts list
List a specific host along with its IP and mapped volumes:
hosts list db-server1 --ip --mapping
Adding or removing WWPNs (CLI only)
A quick way to add or remove Fibre Channel WWPNs on an existing host without replacing its whole identifier list via hosts edit.
Using the CLI
hosts wwpn add <name> --wwpns=<wwn...>
hosts wwpn delete <name> --wwpns=<wwn...>
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
<name> |
The name of the initiator. |
--wwpns=<wwn...> |
List of Fibre Channel world wide port names to add or remove. |
Examples
Add a WWPN to a host that just had a new HBA port installed:
hosts wwpn add db-server1 --wwpns 21:00:00:24:ff:5a:1b:2e
Remove a decommissioned WWPN:
hosts wwpn delete db-server1 --wwpns 21:00:00:24:ff:5a:1b:2c
Next: Host Groups and Pairing — grouping hosts together and pairing them with a remote system for replication.