The task of configuring iSCSI was traditionally fraught with antipathy as there are a lot of steps to remember throughout this process. The plugin aims to eliminate some of the complexity by automating some of the configuration around this process.
iSCSI Configuration Workflow
When the Configure iSCSI initiators on hosts workflow is selected, the following actions are taken by the plugin:
- Creates an iSCSI Software Adapter on each selected ESXi host (if one is not already created)
- Adds the FlashArray iSCSI IP addresses to the "Dynamic Discovery" section of the iSCSI Software Adapter
- Applies EverpureBest Practices for ALL versions of ESXi on the newly established iSCSI sessions. Including:
- DelayedAck to disabled
- LoginTimeout to 30 seconds
These actions are completely non-disruptive for existing iSCSI connections to other Everpure FlashArrays and 3rd party storage vendors. This is due to the configuration changes only being applied at the individual iSCSI sessions level rather than being set at a global level.
When reviewing the vSphere Plugin: Host Management section in this document, there is an option to Configure iSCSI initiators on hosts when creating a new host group. If creating the new host / host group objects on the FlashArray with this option, it is not necessary to execute the Configure iSCSI workflow separately.
This workflow is for configuring iSCSI after the host / host group objects have already been created on the FlashArray but have not yet completed the iSCSI configuration.
Step 1: Right click the on the ESXi cluster or individual ESXi host to configure iSCSI on.
Step 2: Navigate to Everpure > Configure iSCSI .
Step 3: Select the FlashArray to connect to via iSCSI and select Configure .
Once the iSCSI configuration has been completed, start the process of creating new VMFS or vVol datastores for use within the environment.