Dell PowerVault MD3260i Series Operating instructions

Troubleshooting the
Dell PowerVault MD-Series iSCSI
Storage Array
Configuring the iSCSI Host Ports

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interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
June 2012

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Contents
About this Document .....................................................................................................4
iSCSI Communication Between the Storage Array and Host Server...............................................5
How are iSCSI Sessions Established?.................................................................................5
Enabling IPv4 or IPv6...................................................................................................5
Should I Set Up iSCSI Sessions Automatically or Manually?......................................................5
Setting Up iSCSI Automatically: Using the Dell MD Configuration Utility.....................................5
Setting Up iSCSI Manually: Using the MD Storage Manager......................................................6
Troubleshooting the iSCSI Host Ports ...............................................................................9
Default IP Addresses (iSCSI Host and Management Ports).......................................................9
Recognizing Issues Involving the iSCSI Host Port................................................................ 10
Basics: Cabling, Power and Network Switches .................................................................. 10
Troubleshooting Physical Connectivity Problems............................................................... 12
Troubleshooting iSCSI Host Port IP Addressing and Configuration........................................... 15
Other Device Discovery or iSCSI Session Problems ............................................................. 18
Using Mixed IPv4 and IPv6 Configurations..................................................................... 18
Virtual Disk Not On Preferred Path (VNOP)................................................................... 18
Verifying Device Discovery....................................................................................... 18
Basic Best Practices: iSCSI Host Port Setup and Configuration.................................................. 19

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About this Document
To understand the scope and organization of this document, refer to the following table.
Topic Description
What does this document
contain? An overview of the iSCSI data protocol between DellPowerVault MD3200i-series and MD3600i-series storage
arrays and host servers
Recommended iSCSI host port setup guidelines
Potential issues that occur when the storage array'siSCSI host ports are incorrectly configured, including
steps on how to resolve
A brief description of iSCSI host port setup and
configuration best practices (including VMware-specific
information)
Other troubleshooting information relating to the MD-series iSCSI storage arrays
What is the intended
audience? Users experiencing problems setting up iSCSI communication between their storage array and host
server
Anyone wanting to know more about how the storage
array establishes iSCSI sessions
How is information
categorized? This document is divided into three broad sections:
Understanding and/or resolving physical connectivity
issues between the iSCSI storage array and host server
recognizing and resolving iSCSI host port configuration
problems
Solving common iSCSI device discovery errors
For more information See the following:
MD-series user documentation at
support.dell.com/manuals
MD-series video series at www.del.ly/PowerVaultMD

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iSCSI Communication Between the Storage Array and Host Server
All MD-series iSCSI storage arrays have either two or four iSCSI host ports per RAID controller module
(see Figures 4 and 5). These host ports are used to establish iSCSI sessions between the storage array
and host server. To be able to write data to the storage array, the host server must be able to establish
a successful iSCSI session with at least one port per RAID controller module.
How are iSCSI Sessions Established?
A basic overview of how an iSCSI session is set up between the iSCSI host ports on your storage array
and the host server is below:
Step 1: The iSCSI initiator on the host server sends a discovery session command to the storage
array.
Step 2: The MD storage array responds with a list of available iSCSI host ports.
Step 3: Depending on how the iSCSI initiator is configured (the iSCSI initiator can be configured to
connect to all storage array ports or a specific set of ports), the host server attempts to log in to
available iSCSI ports on the storage array.
Step 4: A successful log in by the host server to a storage array port establishes an iSCSI session.
Enabling IPv4 or IPv6
IPv4 and IPv6 are both supported protocols on the MD-series iSCSI storage arrays. Whichever one you
use, be aware of the following with either protocol:
It is possible to enable both IPv6 and IPv4 on your host server. However, Dell recommends that
you disable the one you are not using before setting up your storage array. Having both
enabled may cause miscommunication between the storage array and host server.
Make sure that the protocol you choose is enabled on both the storage array and host server.
Mixing protocols (for example, enabling IPv4 on the storage array and IPv6 on the host server)
will cause session interrupts and possible loss of data.
Should I Set Up iSCSI Sessions Automatically or Manually?
NOTE: In most cases, Dell recommends that you set up iSCSI communication between your host
server and storage array automatically using the Dell MD Configuration Utility (MDCU)
supplied on the installation DVD. However, since this document focuses mostly on
troubleshooting problems that occur during iSCSI host port setup, the process of setting up
iSCSI manually using MD Storage Manager is emphasized. For information on using MDCU, see
the Help link in the utility itself.
Setting Up iSCSI Automatically: Using the Dell MD Configuration Utility
Using the Dell MD Configuration Utility is the easiest way to set up iSCSI communication between your
storage array and host server.

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You can start MDCU in any of the following ways:
On Windows-based systems:
- During MD Storage Manager installation from the DVD shipped with your storage array, select
the option to automatically start MDCU following reboot
or
- Once you have installed the management software and utilities from the DVD, choose
Start>Programs>Dell>MD Storage Software>Modular Disk Configuration Utility.
On Linux-based systems:
- Once you have installed the management software and utilities from the DVD, launch MDCU
or
- Go to /opt/dell/mdstoragesoftware/mdconfigurationutility and run the executable
Whichever way you launch MDCU, the window shown in Figure 1 is displayed.
Figure 1. Dell MD Configuration Utility for iSCSI
Setting Up iSCSI Manually: Using the MD Storage Manager
To manually set up iSCSI communication between your host server and storage array, perform the
following steps:
Launch MD Storage Manager
From the Setup tab, choose Manually Identify Host
Using the MD Storage Manager wizard, enter the host and management information for each iSCSI host
used.

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Figure 2. MD Storage Manager Summary View

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Figure 3. MD Storage Manager Physical View
Once the storage array is successfully added to MD Storage Manager, all physical and logical
components of your storage array are manageable using the menu-based interface. For more
information on installing and using MD Storage Manager, see the Getting Started Guide that shipped
with your storage array and the Help option from the main window.

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Troubleshooting the iSCSI Host Ports
There are two different RAID controller module host port layouts on the MD-series iSCSI storage arrays,
depending on model type:
Figure 4. Four-port MD3200i-series 1GB iSCSI storage array
Figure 5. Two-port MD3600i-series 10Gb iSCSI storage array
Default iSCSI Host and Management Port IP Addresses
Each port on the storage array is assigned a default, factory-set IP address. However, in the case of the
iSCSI host ports, these default addresses may not appear initially since DHCP is not enabled by default
at the factory.
Table 1. Default IP Addresses on MD-series storage array (all models)
Port ID Controller 0 Controller 1 Subnet mask
iSCSI port 0 192.168.130.101 192.168.130.102 255.255.255.0
iSCSI port 1 192.168.131.101 192.168.131.102 255.255.255.0
iSCSI port 2 *192.168.132.101 192.168.132.102 255.255.255.0

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iSCSI port 3 *192.168.133.101 192.168.133.102 255.255.255.0
Ethernet
management port 192.168.128.101 192.168.128.102 255.255.255.0
* Port 2 and 3 are available on 1Gb iSCSI MD3200i-series storage arrays only
Recognizing iSCSI Host Port Problems
Problems occurring due to misconfigured or nonfunctional iSCSI host ports on your storage array's RAID
controller modules can appear in a number of different ways. However, typical iSCSI host port issues
may include:
−Status LEDs on iSCSI ports not lit or indicating fault (refer to Table 2 for LED values)
−Unable to ping an iSCSI port from the host server on the same subnet
−Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is unable to assign an IP address for one or more
of your RAID controller modules
−Duplicate IP addresses appear (either manually set or set incorrectly in factory)
Basics: Cabling, Power and Network Switches
Simple issues, such as an improperly seated iSCSI cable or a defective and/or powered-down hardware
component, are often the root cause of a number of problems. If a physical link error occurs or you are
unable to connect to a storage array in MD Storage Manager, it is always useful to perform a simple,
standard troubleshooting protocol:
1. Verify you have a solid, well-seated connection between the RAID controller module's iSCSI host
port(s) and your host server and/or network switch.
2. If you are using a network switch, verify the following:
- All active link and link status LEDs are lit (an unlit activity LED is not necessarily a
problem)
- The Ethernet switch you are using matches the speed of your RAID controller module
(for example, do not use a 1GB switch on a 10Gb iSCSI storage array)
- Do not connect an Ethernet switch with a speed of less than 1Gb to the storage array
- Your switch speed settings in MD Storage Manager match settings on your host server
(see Using Ethernet Jumbo Frames)
3. Verify that MD-series storage array enclosures and RAID controller modules are powered on and
show the proper LED status configurations. (See Table 2.)
4. Ensure that all cabling and connectors are functional. If uncertain, swap current cables with
known good cables and determine whether the problem resolves.

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Figure 6. Enclosure Status LEDs (Front)
Table 2. Enclosure Status LED Values
LED
Function
Enclosure status
Solid blue: Normal operation
Blinking blue: Host identifying
Solid amber: Enclosure rebooting or being reset
Blinking amber: Enclosure fault or host not using
preferred path to virtual disks
Enclosure power
Solid green: At least one power supply active
Figure 7. Enclosure/RAID Controller Module Status LEDs (Back)

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Table 3. Enclosure/RAID Controller Status LED Values
LED
Function
DC Power
Solid green: DC output voltage within limit
Off: DC output voltage not within limit
Power supply/fan fault
Solid amber: DC output voltage not within limit or fan fault
detected
Off: No fault condition
AC power
Solid green: AC input voltage within limit
Off: No power or AC input voltage is not within limit
Controller power
Solid green: Controller powered on
Off: Controller powered off
Controller fault
Solid amber: Controller fault detected
Off: Controller operating normally
iSCSI port link
Solid green: 10Gbps Ethernet connection established
Solid amber: 1Gbps Ethernet connection established
Off:No link
iSCSI port activity
Solid green: No activity/connection.
Blinking green: Port active, connection
Off: No link
Management port speed
Solid green: 1Gbps Ethernet connection established
Blinking amber: 100Mbps Ethernet connection established
Off: No link or 10Mbps connection established
Management port activity
Solid green: Port active/connection
Off: No activity

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Troubleshooting Physical Connectivity Problems
When experiencing problems with iSCSI host ports, always first check for simple connectivity issues (see
Basic Cabling, Power and Switch Issues). If problems persist, refer to the following table:
Table 4. Diagnosing iSCSI Host Port Connectivity
Issue/Problem
Recommendation
Experiencing
physical link errors or
unable to successfully establish iSCSI
sessions
Verify that a
supported cable is connected from the
iSCSI
host port(s) of the RAID controller module to
either
:
(1) an industry-standard network switch
or
(2)
directly to the iSCSI initiator on the host server
Recommended
Cable
Maximum Speed
CAT 6A or better
10Gbps (MD3600i-series)
CAT 5E or better
1Gbps (MD3200i-series)
Suspected bad cable
Replace the suspected bad cable with a known good
cable. If problems persist, cable is probably OK.
No link LEDs visible on RAID
controller (rear)
If
you are using a network switch, verify that it is
powered on and Ethernet ports on both the network
switch and RAID controller
module are active. Also,
make sure the storage array enclosure is powered
on.
NOTE
: For any iSCSI host port shown in MDSM, verify its
connection state as either Connected or
Disconnected in the Configure iSCSI Host Ports
window.
Do
es the network switch and iSCSI
host port speed match?
Network switch and iSCSI host port speeds must
match
(or at least not exceed the capability of the
switch).
NOTE:
iSCSI host ports can only auto-negotiate to port
speeds set in MD Storage Manager. Additionally,
the storage array will not downward auto-
negotiate (for example, will not automatically
auto-negotiate a 10Gb port setting down to a 1Gb
speed if a 1Gb switch is connected).
Any down-speed link setting/component in a
network configuration will impact throughout,
regardless of the speed of other components.

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Reduced throughput
If you have connectivity but are experiencing
reduced throughout, make sure your iSCSI port is not
connecting to the host server through a slower
-than-
expected speed. For example, a 10Gb port can
connect using a 1Gb network switch, but the slower
switch wi
ll impact throughput.

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Troubleshooting iSCSI Host Port IP Addressing and Configuration
If you experience problems setting up the iSCSI host port on your storage array, refer to the following
table:
Table 5. Diagnosing iSCSI Host Port Configuration Problems
Issue/Problem
Recommendation
What are the
iSCSI host port IP
addresses?
Default values for RAID controller module iSCSI host
ports are determined by static addressing. On IPv4-
enabled configurations, default addresses are:
Default iSCSI Host Port IP Addresses
Controller 0 Controller 1 Subnet
mask
Port 0 192.168.130.101 192.168.130.102 255.255.255.0
Port 1 192.168.131.101 192.168.131.102 255.255.255.0
Port 2 *192.168.132.101 192.168.132.102 255.255.255.0
Port 3 *192.168.133.101 192.168.133.102 255.255.255.0
* Port 2 and 3 are avalable on 1Gb iSCSI MD3200i-series storage
arrays only
NOTES:
- IP addresses for the iSCSI host ports are visible in
the MD Storage Manager
Configure iSCSI Host Ports
window, even if the ports are disconnected
- On IPv6-enabled configurations, iSCSI ports on the
MD storage array will always be accessible using the
IPv6 link local address determined from the MAC
address of the port (unless IPv6 is disabled).
- Dell recommends that you do not configure more
than one NIC per host on the same subnet.
Multiple
NICs on the same subnet can cause IP address
confusion, especially in direct-attached
configurations.
- Dell does not recommend using standard DHCP on
the host server to connect to the iSCSI hosts ports.
However, you can use static DHCP (or mapped
DHCP) to make sure that the host server specifies
the same IP address each time it attempts to
establish an iSCSI session

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Using more than
one NIC on the
same subnet
Check that you can ping all iSCSI host ports from the
attached host server. Multiple NICs configured on the
same subnet cannot complete a ping command
because the default NIC originating the ping command
may not have a path to the target IP address being
pinged.
On Windows-based hosts, use the -S parameter to
specify the source and target IP addresses on the RAID
controller:
ping 192.168.130.101 –S 192.168.130.102
On Linux-based hosts, use the -I parameter to specify
the target IP address from the eth0 interface:
ping –I eth0 192.168.130.101
NOTES:
- You should be able to successfully ping
multiple NICs on different
subnets. However, if
each NIC is on the same subnet, you must map
each iSCSI port manually via the host server
iSCSI initiator.
- Make sure Enable ICMP PING responses is
selected in the MD Storage Manager Configure
iSCSI Host Ports window
- Check your firewall settings to make sure that
ICMP ping packets are not blocked internally
U
sing Ethernet Jumbo frames
(larger than 1500 bytes)
If you are using Ethernet frames with a maximum
transmission unit (MTU) of more than 1500 bytes, they
are considered Jumbo frames. The MD-series storage
array supports MTU sizes of up to 9000 bytes.
However, you should tune your maximum MTU size
based on the application and drivers used in your
configuration. Smaller MTU sizes may yield better
overall data throughput.
1. Verify that Jumbo frames are set to Enabled
for all network components (switches, NICs
and the storage array).
2. Ensure that the same MTU size is set on all
components. If unequal sizes are set on host
and target, the smallest setting will be used.
The switch may fragment any frame that is
larger than its set MTU size.
3. After setting the proper sizes, verify network

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packet transmission.
On Windows-based hosts, send a 9000-byte
packet to 192.168.130.101 using the following
command:
ping –l 9000 192.168.130.101
On Linux-based hosts, use this command to
perform the same function:
ping –s 9000 192.168.130.101
If the ping is successful, the packet
transmission has completed. If ping does not
work, the packet was dropped.
NOTE
: Make sure that all components along the data path
support the MTU size you are specifying.
U
sing VLAN tagging Verify that the VLAN ID of the iSCSI host ports are set
to the same values you are using for VLAN tagging. All
tag values must be the same for the host server,
switch and server array.

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Other Device Discovery or iSCSI Session Problems
Before starting the discovery process, verify that your host server can ping all iSCSI target ports.
Using Mixed IPv4 and IPv6 Configurations
When you initially set up your iSCSI storage array, the discovery process returns all accessible network
portals on the storage array. If both IPv4 and IPv6 are enabled and there are multiple storage arrays on
the same subnet, duplicate iSCSI sessions may be established. While both are supported, there is no
performance advantage to having multiple sessions established.
Virtual Disk Not On Preferred Path (VNOP)
If an error message is displayed indicating that a virtual disk is not on a preferred path, verify that your
iSCSI session topology is configured in accordance with all information in this document. To establish a
virtual disk on a preferred path, the following minimal connectivity is required:
- At least one active iSCSI session to each RAID controller module must be established.
- Each iSCSI session must have disk ownership.
- There must be a data path between the RAID controller owning the virtual disk and the host
server(s).
Verifying Device Discovery
There are several ways to verify that you have successfully created an iSCSI session. First, check that
your host server appears in the Mappings tab of MD Storage Manager Array Management Window.
Second, right-click on a LUN and compare the information with that shown in the iSCSI initiator on the
host sever.
If necessary, define a new host in the Setup tab of the Array Management Window using the Manually
Define Hosts option.

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Basic Best Practices: iSCSI Host Port Setup and Configuration
Tables 3 and 4 provide high-level descriptions of basic Dell-recommended best practices for iSCSI host
port configuration. For a more detailed discussion, see the Dell IP SAN Best Practices whitepaper at
http://www.dell.com/us/enterprise/p/d/campaigns/powervault-resources.aspx and the iSCSI Best
Practices video at http://del.ly.PowerVaultMD.
Table 6. Basic iSCSI Host Port Best Practices
Best Practice Description
Each iSCSI port on a RAID controller
module should be a different subnet Separating subnets prevents accidental
misconfiguration. Additionally, some operating
systems (ESX and some Linux versions) require
multiple subnets for different NICs on single host
servers.
When using Jumbo frames, enable
them on all network components
(NICs, network switches and storage
arrays)
If you use Jumbo frames, a common mistake is to
enable them on only one network component.
Jumbo frames must be enabled on each
component, including NICs, network switches and
storage arrays.
Also, the MTU size of a Jumbo frame packet must
be adjusted based on the requirements of the
component. Verify MTU settings recommended by
the manufacturer on each component.
Always separate Ethernet
management and iSCSI data traffic Management and data traffic on the same physical
network will result in lower performance and data
throughout. (See Recommended Management
Configuration on MD-Series Storage Arrays.)
Enable IEEE 802.3x flow control on
iSCSI networks Always enable IEEE flow control (sending and
receiving) on iSCSI initiators and any network
switch that carries iSCSI traffic.
Avoid routing (Layer 3) iSCSI data Avoiding the use of a router for iSCSI data reduces
the number of hops, improves throughput and
lessens complexity of the configuration.
Disable Unicast broadcast
If using network switches, always disable Storm
control on switch switch ports that are connected
to the iSCSI initiator(s) or targets.
Enable PortFast mode Always enable PortFast mode for the spanning
tree protocol (STP) on all network switch ports
connected to iSCSI initiator(s) or targets.
Always separate management and iSCSI
network traffic on a different vSwitch Dell strongly recommends that you separate your
management network from your iSCSI traffic
network. Each should be on different virtual

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switches with different subnet address, as well as
physically separate network switches. Setting up
management and iSCSI traffic on the same
networks may result in network congestion and
performance loss.
ESX-based host servers will not fail back
LUNs automatically when a VNOP error is
encountered
You must redistribute the virtual disks in MD
Storage Manager
Map each VMkernel port to only one
active adapter By default, each VMkernel port on the vSwitch
shows all network adapters as active. You must
manually override this setting so that each port
maps to only one corresponding active adapter.
(For example, VMkernel port vmk1 should map to
active adapter vmnic1, VMkernel port vmk2 should
map to vmnic2, etc.)
To perform this manual override:
1. Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host
server.
2. From the Ports tab, select a VMkernel port and
click Edit.
3. Click the NIC Teaming tab and select Override
vSwitch failover order.
4. Designate only one adapter as active and move all
remaining adapters to the Unused Adapters
category.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for each VMkernal port.