How to configure UCS C22 M3 for boot from SAN

[samtech]

I am trying to setup my C22 M3 for boot from SAN. It has Qlogic QLE2462 4Gbps 2 port FC HBA and is connected to Cisco MDS 9148. How do I make it talk to MDS switch and configure boot LUN on VNX 5300 storage? Any pointers please

[Walter Dey]

Is this a standalone server, or managed via UCS ? I assume it is standalone ?

Cisco C-Series CIMC SAN Boot Configuration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aQKGm_LVsE

or

https://www.jpaul.me/2015/12/cisco-c240-m3-boot-from-san-how-to/

[samtech]

Hi Walter. Thanks for the references. Honestly, I am new to Boot from SAN and stuck with pity things.

Bit-more details on the server specifications:

A) 1 Qlogic Fiber channel adapter QLE2462

B) 1 LSI megaRAID-8i SAS controller card

     Also there are 2 local SAS drives 300GB each (not configured yet)

c) Boot order

    - UEFI : Built-In EFI shell

    - IBA GE Slot 0700 v1533

    - IBA GE Slot 0701 v1533

After connecting my C22M3 server to the MDS switch, it shows up on one of the ports on the MDS.

Then, I tried to add this host as initiator on VNX5300 and it's asking for HostName and IP address. But, my confusion is that it is not configured yet. So how do we provide this information to VNX?

Should the next step be to add this server as initiator in VNX, create storage group and allocate a LUN to this server? or am I missing something here??

Appreciate your response.

[Walter Dey · Accepted solution]

Hi

First you have to configure the MDS !

- do you have 2 separate MDS (physical fabrics) ? and connect your server dual homed ?

- anyway, you have to create VSAN's (don't use VSAN 1 !!)

- then move the port connecting the server resp. disk Array to this VSAN

- do the zoning ! it's done per VSAN ! 

- if the server and storage are connected, they should do flogi (show flogi database vsan x); then would create a zone with the pwwn you see in the flogi database

see e.g. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/4_1/configuration/guides/fm_4_1/fmguide/zone.pdf

- if you have 2 fabrics (MDS), please use different VSAN's, eg. 10 for fabric A, 11 for fabric B.