Configuring Toyou NCS disk arrays

The system supports adding Toyou NCS disk array as external storage through iSCSI connections.

The graphic describes the connection between the system and a Toyou NCS disk array. In this diagram, the system is composed of two I/O groups with two nodes. 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 (blue) on each initiator and target nodes are connected through Ethernet switch 2. Each target node on the storage system has one iSCSI qualified name (IQN) that represents all the LUNs on that node.

Figure 1. Toyou NCS Disk Array iSCSI configuration example
This figure shows an example of Toyou NCS Disk Array iSCSI configuration.

In the figure, IPA represents the initiator port 1 that is configured to the first target port on target node 1 (IP1) and the first target port on target node 2 (IP5) through Ethernet switch 1. The second port (IPB) is configured to the second target port on the target 1 node 1 (IP2) and target node 2 (IP6) through Ethernet switch 2. When you define source port connections, the configuration applies to all the ports on the system. For example, target ports on each of the storage systems (IP1 and IP5) are the target ports for source ports IPA, IPE, IPI, and IPM. The target ports on each of the storage systems (IP2 and IP6) are the target ports 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 and target nodes each support four ports. Initiator ports IPC, IPD, IPG, IPH, IPK, IPL, IPO, and IPP remain unconfigured. On the target nodes, ports IP3, IP4, IP7, IP8 are also unconfigured. To increase throughput, initiator ports IPC, IPG, IPK, and IPO can be connected through Ethernet switch 1 to target ports IP3 and IP7, which would create another path between the source and target nodes.

Using the management GUI

To add a Toyou NCS disk array as an external storage system, complete these steps:

  1. In the management GUI, select Pools > External Storage > Add External iSCSI Storage.
  2. Select Toyou NCS Disk Array for the type of external storage.
  3. Enter the following values to define the connection between the source ports and the target ports on the external storage:
    CHAP username
    Enter the user name to associate with this connection. If the target storage system uses Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) to authenticate connections, you must enter a user name. If you specify a user name, you must specify a CHAP secret. If you do not use CHAP, this value is not required.
    CHAP secret
    If CHAP is used to secure iSCSI connections on the system, enter the current CHAP secret. This field is not required.
    Select source port 1
    Select the source port ID that is used as the initiator for the iSCSI connection between the node and the storage system. For example, source port 1 is IPA in the graphic. While the graphic shows source ports 1 and 2 being used as the source port, it is not mandatory to use port in any order. Any or all ports can be used. Similarly, there is no requirement that source port 1 should be connected to target port 1 and source port 2 should be connected to target port 2. The source and target ports can be selected in any order based on how traffic from different ports needs to be isolated.
    Target port on remote storage 1
    Enter the IP address for the target port on the first external storage.
    Target port on remote storage 2
    Enter the IP address for the target port on the second external storage.
    Site
    Specify the site that this storage system is associated with.
    Note: The storage system must be associated with a site in systems with HyperSwap configurations.
    Site
    Specify the site that this storage system is associated with. Site definitions are only required on systems that are configured with multiple-site topologies, which are used for high availability and disaster recovery. The storage system must be associated with a site in systems with these configurations.
    Select source port 2
    Select the source port ID that is used as the source for the iSCSI connection between the node and the storage system. For example, source port 2 is IPB in the graphic. While the graphic shows source ports 1 and 2 being used as the source port, it is not mandatory to use port in any order. Any or all ports can be used. Similarly, there is no requirement that source port 1 should be connected to target port 1 and source port 2 should be connected to target port 2. The source and target ports can be selected in any order based on how traffic from different ports needs to be isolated.
    Target port on remote storage 1
    Enter the IP address for the target port on the first external storage.
    Target port on remote storage 2
    Enter the IP address for the target port on the second external storage.
    Site
    Specify the site that this storage system is associated with.
  4. Click Finish.

Using the command-line interface

Enter the following commands to discover and configure target ports on Toyou NCS disk arrays. 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. A CHAP secret is not required. Also, determine whether to specify I/O group or system-wide discovery and session establishment.
  1. To configure IPs on the source with -storage/-storage_6 as yes, enter the following command:
    cfgportip -node node_name -ip_6 ipv6addr -prefix_6 prefix
 -gw_6 ipv6gw -storage_6 yes port_id
    where the port ID is IPA, IPB, IPE, and IPF.
  2. To configure an IPv4 address, enter the following command:
    cfgportip -node node_name -ip ipv4addr -gw ipv4gw
 -mask subnet_mask -storage yes  port_id
    where the port ID is IPA, IPB, IPE, and IPF.
  3. Enter the following command to manually discover the iSCSI target with the provided IP and CHAP secret (if configured):
    svctask detectiscsistorageportcandidate -targetip IP1
 -srcportid 1 -chapsecret password
    (-srcportid 1 is shown as IPA and IPE in the figure.)
  4. Enter the lsiscsistorageportcandidate command to list the status of the most recently discovered target.
  5. 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_configiscsistoragetoyou/d26457e168.
  6. Enter the lsiscsistorageport command to list the status of the initiator and target for each session in separate rows.
  7. 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.
  8. Repeat this sequence for each target IP (IP1, IP2, IP5, and IP6).
Parent topic: External storage system configuration with iSCSI connections