Configuring NetApp E-Series storage systems

The system supports iSCSI connections to NetApp E-Series storage systems.

The graphic describes the connection between the system and a NetApp storage system. In this diagram, the system is composed of two I/O groups with two nodes in each I/O group. Each node has a maximum of four initiator ports with two configured through two switches to the target ports on the storage systems. The other two ports on each node are not configured. The first ports (orange) on each initiator and target nodes are connected through Ethernet switch 1. The second ports (green) on each initiator and target nodes are connected through Ethernet switch 2. NetApp storage systems use a single, common iSCSI qualified name (IQN) and all volumes are accessible through all target nodes. Connectivity from the initiator system must be established to two target nodes for redundancy.

Figure 1. NetApp E-Series iSCSI configuration example
This figure shows an example of a NetApp E-series iSCSI configuration

In the figure, IPA represents the initiator port 1 that is configured to the first target port on target node 1 (IP1) through Ethernet switch 1. The second port (IPB) is configured to the second target port on the target node 2 (IP4) through Ethernet switch 2. When you define source port connections, the configuration applies to all the ports on the system. For example, the target port on the storage systems (IP1) is the target port for source ports IPA, IPE, IPI, and IPM. The target port on the storage systems (IP4) is the target port for source ports IPB, IPF, IPJ, and IPN.

In the example configuration, extra ports remain unconfigured but can be connected to increase throughput. In the graphic, the initiator nodes each support four ports, and target nodes each support two ports. Initiator ports IPC, IPD, IPG, IPH, IPK, IPL, IPO, and IPP remain unconfigured. On the target, if the node supports more than two ports, the remaining initiator ports can be used to connect with these additional ports to increase throughput, which creates another path between the source and the target node.

Using the command-line interface (CLI)

Enter the following commands to discover and configure target ports on NetApp E-Series storage systems. These examples use the port numbers that are included in the figure. If you use CHAP to secure iSCSI connections on the system, enter the current CHAP secret. Also, determine whether to specify I/O group or system-wide discovery and session establishment.

Specify the cfgportip command to configure Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) addresses on the source port (-storage_6 set to yes):
```
cfgportip -node node_name -ip_6 ipv6addr -prefix_6 prefix -gw_6 ipv6gw
 -storage_6 yes port_id
```
In this example, the port IDs are IPA, IPB, IPE, IPF, IPI, IPJ, IPM, and IPN.
Specify the cfgportip command to configure Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses on the source port (-storage set to yes):
```
cfgportip -node node_name -ip ipv4addr -gw ipv4gw -mask subnet_mask
 -storage yes port_id
```
In this example, the port IDs are IPA, IPB, IPE, IPF, IPI, IPJ, IPM, and IPN.
Enter the following command to manually discover the iSCSI target with the provided IP and CHAP secret (provide CHAP secret if configured):
```
svctask detectiscsistorageportcandidate -targetip IP1
 -srcportid 1 -chapsecret password
```
(-srcportid 1 is shown as IPA, IPE, IPI, and IPM in the figure).
Enter the svcinfo lsiscsistorageportcandidate command to list the status of the most recently discovered target.
After the discovery is successful, you can add sessions to the target by using the following command:
```
svctask addiscsistorageport -chapsecret password 0
```
where 0 is the row ID of the lsiscsistorageportcandidate command in step #svc_configiscsisnetappeseries/lsiscsistorageportcan. Specify a CHAP secret if it is configured on the storage system.
Enter the lsiscsistorageport command to list the status of the initiator and target for each session in separate rows.
Enter the lsiscistorageport row_id command to list the detailed status of source node connectivity via the respective ports to the target. The row ID is taken from lsiscsistorageport command.
Repeat this sequence for each target IP (IP1, IP2, IP3, and IP4).