Configuring VLAN for external storage systems

Before you configure a specific storage system through an iSCSI connection, you can optionally configure and use VLAN tagging.

Using the management GUI

Complete these steps to configure VLAN tags on iSCSI attached storage systems:

On the storage systems, configure VLAN on the ports that are used for iSCSI connections. Consult appropriate storage documentation to complete this step.
On all intervening switches, configure the switches with the VLAN tags per port connectivity. Consult appropriate switch documentation to complete this step.
Verify that the port on which you are configuring VLAN tags is used for storage system attachment. In the management GUI, select Settings > Network > Ethernet Ports. Ensure that Enabled is displayed in the Storage Port column for the selected port. If Disabled is displayed, right-click the port and select Modify Storage Ports to enable the port for iSCSI connections to storage systems.
Configure ports on the system with appropriate VLAN tags by completing these steps:
1. Right-click the node port that is configured for external storage connections and select Modify VLAN. Select to enable VLAN for IP connections.
2. Enter the VLAN tag and select whether to use the same VLAN tag for the failover port. If the failover port does not have the same VLAN tag, a host can lose access to the volumes. To prevent a loss of access, select to use the same VLAN tag for the failover port.
3. Click Modify.
For iSCSI-attached hosts only, you can use priority flow control (PFC) on the switch. If you are using PFC with this VLAN configuration, complete the following steps on the PFC-supported switch:
1. On the switch, set the priority tag for iSCSI.
2. On the switch, enable the PFC for iSCSI priority tag.
3. On the switch, enable Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBx). DCBx enables switch and adapter ports to exchange parameters that describe traffic classes and PFC capabilities. For these steps, consult your switch documentation for details.

Using the command-line interface (CLI)

The cfgportip command is used to assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to each node Ethernet port for internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) input/output (I/O). This command assigns either an IPv4 or IPv6 address to a specified Ethernet port of a node. The following CLI examples show how to change the iSCSI ports to enable VLAN.

On the storage systems, configure VLAN on the ports that are used for iSCSI connections. Consult appropriate storage documentation to complete this step.
On all intervening switches, configure the switches with the VLAN tags per port connectivity. Consult appropriate switch documentation to complete this step.
If you are using priority flow control (PFC) with this VLAN configuration, complete the following steps on the PFC-supported switch:
1. On the switch, set the priority tag for iSCSI.
2. On the switch, enable the PFC for iSCSI priority tag.
3. On the switch, enable Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBx). DCBx enables switch and adapter ports to exchange parameters that describe traffic classes and PFC capabilities. For these steps, consult your switch documentation for details.
To configure VLAN along with IPv4 type IP, enter the following command:
```
svctask cfgportip -node 1 -ip 192.168.48.145 -gw 192.168.48.1
 -mask 255.255.255.0 -vlan 100 1
```
where IP is configured on VLAN 100 on port 1 of node 1.
To configure VLAN along with IPv6 type IP, enter the following command:
```
cfgportip -node 1 -ip_6 2001:db8::1:0:0:101 -prefix_6 64 -gw_6
 2001:db8::1:0:0:1 -vlan_6 1063 1
```
where IPv6 is configured on VLAN 1063 of node 1 port 1.
To configure or change VLAN on an already configured IPv4 IP, enter the following command:
```
cfgportip -node 1 -vlan 120 1
```
To configure or chang VLAN on an already configured IPv6 IP, enter the following command:
```
cfgportip -node 1 -vlan_6 160 1
```
To remove VLAN from a configured IPv4 IP, enter the following command:
```
cfgportip -node 1 -novlan 1
```
To remove VLAN from a configured IPv6 IP, enter the following command:
```
cfgportip -node 1 -novlan_6 1
```