Nexus 1000v Config for UCS with iSCSI Boot - Help Needed

[Kris Krogstad]

We have deployed a UCS Domain, with ESX 5.0, Update1, with dual iSCSI Boot NICs to a NetApp Filer.  No issues.  From the ESXi hosts, we can ping and vmkping the iSCSI address.  I added two hosts in Maintenance Mode to the Nexus 1000v.  All communications work as advertised, EXCEPT the iSCSI communication.  Below are my port-profiles. The hosts work fine on iSCSI when moved back to a standard vSwitch.  Also, something interesting is  the iSCSI Path Status shows as not used when looking at the Nexus 1000v iSCSI Initiator settings.  I'm sure it's something stupid, but any help would be great.  I have tickets opened with VMWare and Cisco.

port-profile iSCSI-166

type: Vethernet

description:

status: enabled

max-ports: 32

min-ports: 1

inherit:

config attributes:

  switchport mode access

  switchport access vlan 166

  capability iscsi-multipath

  no shutdown

evaluated config attributes:

  switchport mode access

  switchport access vlan 166

  capability iscsi-multipath

  no shutdown

assigned interfaces:

port-group: iSCSI-166

system vlans: 166

capability l3control: no

capability iscsi-multipath: yes

capability vxlan: no

capability l3-vn-service: no

port-profile role: none

port-binding: static

port-profile iSCSI-uplink-166

type: Ethernet

description:

status: enabled

max-ports: 32

min-ports: 1

inherit:

config attributes:

  switchport mode trunk

  switchport trunk allowed vlan 166

  channel-group auto mode on mac-pinning

  no shutdown

evaluated config attributes:

  switchport mode trunk

  switchport trunk allowed vlan 166

  channel-group auto mode on mac-pinning

  no shutdown

assigned interfaces:

  port-channel6

  port-channel12

  Ethernet3/1

port-group: iSCSI-uplink-166

system vlans: 166

capability l3control: no

capability iscsi-multipath: no

capability vxlan: no

capability l3-vn-service: no

port-profile role: none

port-binding: static

[Robert Burns]

Kris,

Please private message me the TAC SR # so I can investigate.

Regards,

Robert

[Kris Krogstad · Accepted solution]

SOLVED:

Inside UCS, all VLANs are trunked and not native, EXCEPT the iSCSI VLAN;

The iSCSI NICs needed to be set as the Native VLAN to allow the hardware to boot from the iSCSI devices, since there was no OS to allow us to assign a specific VLAN until after boot;

Inside the Standard vSwitches that carried the iSCSI traffic, the VLANs were not assigned, since they were the Native VLANs already assigned to the Hardware NICs;

Inside all Cisco Devices, the Native VLAN is always 1, if not specifically assigned inside the Port-Group.  Once we set VLAN 166 to Native on the Uplink Port-Profile, the connectivity commenced.  Originally, the Uplink Port Profile was set the same as all other Uplinks, with a VLAN assigned, but not denoted as “Native”.

port-profile type ethernet iSCSI-uplink-166

  vmware port-group

  switchport mode trunk

  switchport trunk allowed vlan 166

  switchport trunk native vlan 166

  channel-group auto mode on mac-pinning

no shutdown

  system vlan 166

  state enabled