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Configuring Windows Server iSCSI initiator and the StorONE Array

Summary

Using Powershell to connect a windows server to the StorONE array via iSCSI.

Requirements

StorOne array enabled for iSCSI

Windows server with powershell

Windows server with at least one NIC configured for an iSCSI data network.

Steps

  1. install and enable Multipath software (MPIO) for Windows server
  2. Verify and enable windows iSCSI initiator service
  3. Configure StorOne array for iSCSI
  4. Configure MS iSCSI Initiator to connect to the StorONE array
  5. iSCSI LUN discovery and LUN connection

Install Multipathing (MPIO) for Windows server

To verify Multipathing (MPIO) is installed for Windows server:

  1. Enter start menu
  2. Launch Server Manager
  3. Select Tools
  4. If MPIO is present, open MPIO
  5. Complete role and feature installation wizard

To install and configure Multipathing for Windows server

  1. Enter start menu
  2. Launch Server Manager
  3. Select Dashboard -> Add roles and features
  4. Verify feature MPIO, if not installed mark box to install
  5. Complete role and feature installation wizard

NOTE: Reboot of the server may be required to complete MPIO installation

MPIO will be configured later on in the guide, we just need to have it installed before proceeding.

Verifying and enabling iSCSI service for Windows Server

Start Powershell as an administrator

From Powershell get the Microsoft iSCSI initiator service status:

Get-Service -Name MSiSCSI


If the service is disabled, it can be started:

Start-Service -Name MSiSCSI


The iSCSI service should be set to automatically start as data LUNS are dependent on the iSCSI initiator connecting to the array.

Set-Service -Name MSiSCSI -StartupType Automatic


If the service was already running, we should check for any existing iSCSI configuration in use.

To check for existing iSCSI configured targets:

Get-IscsiTarget


If iSCSI is already in use on this server then there will be configured targets. If there are no configured targets, then iSCIS is not in use on this host.

To get the host IQN for creating a LUN map on the array:

Configuring the StorOne array for iSCSI

From the CLI use the following commands to verify and configure iSCSI data service for the array.

To verify iSCSI is configured on the array:

resources network iscsi list


This will display the IPs for which iSCSI data service is configured. If there is nothing returned when running the command, then iSCSI is not configured for the array

To configure iSCSI traffic for data interface (NON Floating IP Addresses) IP address:

resources network iscsi add <node1-data-ip> <node2-data-ip>

NOTE: Static IP addresses should be used for iSCSI traffic. iSCSI traffic is not recommended for tagged VLANs, or floating IPs

To create a host entry for iSCSI access on the array:

hosts create <host name> --ip <dns-host-ip> --iqn <host-iqn>


When adding a host to the array, the iSCSI initiator addresses should not be used when adding the host to the array, the ip address used should resolve in DNS.

Example:

hosts create win-host1 --ip 192.168.50.96 --iqn iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:win-tim3kbf0a35


To create a host lun map on the array:

applications mappings add --application <application-name> --volumes <volume-name> --lunIds <Lun-ID --hosts <host-name>


Example:

applications mappings add --application iscsi-test --volumes iscsi-lun-[1-2] --lunIds [1-2] --hosts win-host1


To get the StorONE array iscsi IP addresses:

resources network iscsi list


To get the array node target IQNs:

nodes list --gateway


Configure MS iSCSI Initiator to connect to the StorONE array

Adding the StorONE array iSCSI addresses as MS iSCSI targets portals:

NOTE: the field -InitiatorInstanceName is the same for all windows hosts however this is required to be specified otherwise the “default” connection will be used which can cause issues

New-IscsiTargetPortal -TargetPortalAddress "<array-node1-iscsi-address>" -InitiatorInstanceName “ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0” -InitiatorPortalAddress <host-iscsi-initiator-address1>


If the array is High availability, then both nodes will need to be added as target portals

Example:

New-IscsiTargetPortal -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.90" -InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.239"

New-IscsiTargetPortal -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.91" -InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.249"

To verify the iscsi targets added to the Windows server:

Get-IscsiTarget


To connect to the iSCSI targets after adding the discovery portals. The command below will do all of the following:

Connect to target, enable multipathing, add the target as a persistent target to be connected on every start or reboot of the host server. This does not add the drive letter as a favorite target, this will be addressed later on.

Connect-IscsiTarget -InitiatorPortalAddress "host-iscsi-initiator-address" -TargetPortalAddress "array-iscsi-node-address" -InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -NodeAddress "array-node-iqn" -IsMultipathEnabled $true -IsPersistent $true


Example:

Host IP 1: 10.10.50.239

Host IP 2: 10.10.50.239

Array IP Node 1: 10.10.50.90

Array IP Node 2: 10.10.50.91

Connect-IscsiTarget -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.239" -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.90"-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -NodeAddress "iqn.2012-01.com.storone:5882e5a-0002-0001" -IsMultipathEnabled $true -IsPersistent $true

To create a full mesh connection, we will need to issue three more commands to complete our connections

Connect-IscsiTarget -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.239" -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.91"-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -NodeAddress "iqn.2012-01.com.storone:5882e5a-0002-0002" -IsMultipathEnabled $true -IsPersistent $true

Connect-IscsiTarget -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.249" -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.90"-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -NodeAddress "iqn.2012-01.com.storone:5882e5a-0002-0001" -IsMultipathEnabled $true -IsPersistent $true

Connect-IscsiTarget -InitiatorPortalAddress "10.10.50.249" -TargetPortalAddress "10.10.50.91"-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0" -NodeAddress "iqn.2012-01.com.storone:5882e5a-0002-0002" -IsMultipathEnabled $true -IsPersistent $true

Now that the connections are completed, MPIO can now be configured.

Configure MPIO with iSCSI devices connected

To enable MPIO for iSCSI:

  1. Enter start menu
  2. Launch server manager
  3. Select tools -> MPIO
  4. Select Discover Multi-Paths tab
  5. Select the StorONE device ID
  6. Click the box for “Add support for iSCSI devices”
  7. Click the “Add” button

To verify MPIO has been enabled for iSCSI devices

  1. Enter start menu
  2. Launch server manager
  3. Select tools -> MPIO
  4. The MPIO devices tab will show the StorONE S1 device

iSCSI connections are now completed for our host.

All LUNs masked to the host IQNs on the array will be visible as a unique disk under Computer Management.

Each disk will need to be formatted, and given drive letters or mount points. Only one device should be visible per LUN. If multiple devices appear to be related to the same disk, then the MPIO software is not installed or correctly configured.

With the volumes formatted and assigned drive letters or mount points for use on the host. To ensure that the same mount points or drive letters are consistently used for each host boot:

  1. Enter start menu
  2. Select the Microsoft iSCSI initiator application
  3. Select the Volumes and devices tab
  4. Click the “Auto Configure” button.
  5. Click “OK”

Adding newLUNs only requires creation and LUN masking on the array a refresh from the iSCSI initiator app, disk initialization and formatting, assigning drive letters or mount points and to auto configure them as needed to survive a reboot of the host.

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