iSCSi IP-Pool problem

[ADAman]

                   I configured it correcly I believe. The strange thing is that there is only one iSCSi initiator pool. See attachment.

so when we configure iSCSi Boot Parameters, there is just ONE IP Address Policy. I think this may be the reason things got messed up in my setup.

Both my two blades are connected SP through FI-A.

The problem is that :

Blade1:

iSCSi-vNIC-A gets initiator IP from FI-B VLAN (the second pool in the attachment) and this is wrong. Should be from FI-A vlan.

iSCS-VNIC-B getsinitiator  IP in the FI-B vlan and that is correct.

Fo rBlade 2 something similar happened:

iSCSi-vNIC-A: initiator  IP is  on FI-A vlan and this is how it should be.

iSCSi-vNIC-B: Wrong initiator IP (FI-A vlan).

All target IPs are correct as I set them to be.

[ADAman]

Forgot to say that I create the Service Profiles from an updating template. I just deleted the service profiles and created new service Profiles. Again it becomes wrong immediately. I create 2 profiles in one go from the same template.

[Robert Burns]

Atle,

You're not creating multiple pools, you're creating multiple "blocks" of IPs.  These all belong to the same pool and you can't dictate which are used.  The system uses an algorithm to assign these automatically.

All initiator IPs must be in the same subnet.  You can't have two different subnets for initiators.

Regards,

Robert

[ADAman]

ok, I thought the storage controlelr is set up with one  interface or interface range assigned to Fabric-A vlan and one interface or interface range assigned to Fabric-B Vlan. Can you explain more or do you have a good read on iSCSi setup?

I am following a Netapp document "VMware vSphere Built on Flexpod with IP-Based Shared Storage".

[ADAman]

I see from that document that the target subnet interfaces are different. I therefore assumed that the source initiator IPs were corresponding. see page 90-91

[Robert Burns]

The doc is misleading.  When you select from an iscsi initiator pool there's only one option - "Pool".  No where can you select alternate pools.  Additionally you can't create multiple iscsi IP Pools.

If you want to use separate VLANs for your iscsi inititiators then you'd need to use "Static" manual entries.  Ensure the required iscsi VLAN is set as the Native VLAN on each respective overlay vNIC.

Target Initiators can be in different subnets.

I'll ask to have this doc updated to detail the correct procedure if you want dual initiators in separate VLANs.

Robert

[ADAman]

This is vey confusing, yes.

Is this correct:

iSCSi traffic on Fabric-A and Fabric-B should be on different VLANs? I created one VLANfor each FI fabric. I thought this was the norm?

Then the initiator-pool for all host initiators come from the same subnet (and VLAN?).

and the target IP's are set to the appropriate IP depending on which VLAN the interface is on.

[Robert Burns]

If you want to use the automated pools for initiator IPs, they all must be in the same VLAN.  This may be changed in a future SW release. 

Target IPs can be in the same or different subnets, assuming you have the appropriate routing in place if initiators needs to cross into a different subnet to reach them.

Robert

[ADAman]

in other words I should use the same vlan id for traffic in both Fabric-A and Fabric-B to make this simbler and clearer? Is this common?

[Robert Burns]

Yes to both.