VERITAS NetBackup 5240 User manual

Veritas NetBackup™
Appliance iSCSI Guide

Veritas NetBackup™ Appliance iSCSI Guide
Documentation version: 3.0
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Technical Support ............................................................................................ 4
Chapter 1 Overview ................................................................................ 9
About iSCSI .................................................................................. 9
About iSCSI initiator and targets ...................................................... 10
Supported iSCSI features ............................................................... 10
Overview of the iSCSI topology ....................................................... 11
About the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN) .............................................. 12
Chapter 2 Understanding the NetBackup 5240 appliance
configuration H ............................................................. 13
NetBackup 5240 Appliance configuration H ....................................... 13
QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI capable card with SFP+
modules .............................................................................. 14
Chapter 3 Understanding NetBackup for VMware ...................... 16
About NetBackup for VMware ......................................................... 16
Overview of the VMware backup process .......................................... 17
Transport modes options (VMware) .................................................. 17
Chapter 4 Configuring iSCSI .............................................................. 19
Configuring the appliance for iSCSI .................................................. 19
Setting the IQN for the initiator ........................................................ 20
Viewing the interface properties ....................................................... 21
Configuring the interface properties .................................................. 21
Removing and resetting the interface properties ................................. 24
About CHAP authentication ............................................................ 25
Discovering targets by using the portal address .................................. 26
About iSNS ................................................................................. 27
Discovering targets by using iSNS ................................................... 28
Connecting to a target ................................................................... 30
Disconnecting the sessions with a target ........................................... 31
Viewing the targets ....................................................................... 32
Contents

Chapter 5 Troubleshooting iSCSI issues and some best
practices ......................................................................... 34
Gathering device logs with the DataCollect command .......................... 34
About syslogd messages .............................................................. 35
About iSCSI alerts ........................................................................ 36
Best Practices ............................................................................. 37
Index .................................................................................................................... 38
8Contents

Overview
This chapter includes the following topics:
■About iSCSI
■About iSCSI initiator and targets
■Supported iSCSI features
■Overview of the iSCSI topology
■About the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN)
About iSCSI
iSCSI is a way of connecting storage devices over a network by using TCP/IP.
iSCSI was developed to enable transmission of SCSI commands over the existing
Internet Protocol (IP) network by using the TCP/IP protocol. iSCSI offers the
possibility of delivering both messaging traffic and block-based storage over IP
networks without installing a separate Fibre Channel network. With release 3.0,
iSCSI supports VMware backups on configuration H of the NetBackup 5240
appliance.
The protocol allows clients (called initiators) to send SCSI commands to SCSI
storage devices (targets) on remote servers. Configuration H of the NetBackup
5240 appliance functions as an initiator.
A target is a storage resource located on an iSCSI server (more generally, one of
the potentially many instances of iSCSI storage nodes running on that server). To
communicate with each other, iSCSI initiators and targets establish iSCSI sessions
1
Chapter

About iSCSI initiator and targets
iSCSI is a way to share storage over a network and works at the block device level.
For iSCSI communication, the following components talk with each other:
■Initiator
■Target
The clients which access the iSCSI storage are called initiators. This iSCSI Initiator
can connect to a server (the iSCSI target). In doing so, the iSCSI Initiator sends
SCSI commands to the iSCSI target. These SCSI commands are packaged in IP
packets for this purpose.
An iSCSI target device receives iSCSI commands and shares the storage. The
storage can be a physical disk, or an area representing multiple disks or a portion
of a physical disk. A storage array is a typical iSCSI target.
Supported iSCSI features
See the following pointers to understand how iSCSI is supported with NetBackup
appliances:
■iSCSI is supported only on configuration H of the 5240 appliance.
■Configuration H of the NetBackup 5240 appliance always functions as an initiator.
See “NetBackup 5240 Appliance configuration H” on page 13.
■iSCSI supports VMware backups only. It supports the NetBackup for VMware
feature.
See “About NetBackup for VMware” on page 16.
■For this release, the iSCSI functionality (commands) are available on the
NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu only.
■iSCSI supports IPv4 addresses only. iSCSI connections over IPv6 are not
supported.
In addition, the initiator and the target must be on the same Layer 2 network
(L2).
■iSCSI supports Dynamic Multi-Pathing (DMP). You can connect via multiple
paths to the same target. The backups or restores over iSCSI can continue as
long as one path is available.
■A VLAN can be configured on either the network interface or the iSCSI interface.
If VLAN is configured on both the network and iSCSI interface, the VLAN for
the network interface is effective on both the interfaces. Note that when VLAN
10Overview
About iSCSI initiator and targets

is configured on both the network and iSCSI interface on different subnets, the
configuration is not supported.
DescriptioniSCSI InterfaceNetwork Interface
VLANIPVLANIP
SupportedNoneSubnet XNoneSubnet X
SupportedVLAN ASubnet YNoneSubnet X
SupportedVLAN BSubnet XVLAN BSubnet X
Not SupportedVLAN BSubnet YVLAN BSubnet X
■Using an iSNS server (Internet Storage Name Service) for discovering targets
is supported.
See “About iSNS” on page 27.
■Only a QLogic Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP+) module is supported in the
10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI card. You will receive an alert if an unsupported SFP
module is detected in the 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI card (if alerts are configured).
For the latest NetBackup Appliance compatibility information, refer to the Hardware
Compatibility List on the following website:
www.netbackup.com/compatibility
Overview of the iSCSI topology
The appliance can operate as the VMware backup host and take VMware backups
by using iSCSI. In this topology, the appliance functions as an initiator and is
connected to a storage array (target) on a TCP/IP network. The storage array can
be connected to an ESX host over FC/LAN etc.
11Overview
Overview of the iSCSI topology

Figure 1-1 iSCSI topology
ESX
servers
Virtual machines
VM VM VM
VM VM VM
Target (iSCSI supported
storage array)
Appliance as the backup
host uses NetBackup client
software to back up virtual
machines
SCSI commands
Data Transfer over
TCP/IP
Initiator (Configuration H
of the NetBackup 5240
appliance)
The virtual machines are backed up on the appliance over iSCSI.
About the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN)
In an iSCSI network, each iSCSI element that uses the network has a unique iSCSI
name and is assigned an address for access. Each iSCSI element, whether an
initiator or target, is identified by a unique iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN). The IQN is
a logical name that is not linked to an IP address.
The IQN has the following properties:
■It is unique. No two initiators or targets can have the same name.
■It can be up to 255 characters long.
■It can only contain numbers (0-9), letters (A-Z and a-z), colons (:), hyphens (-),
and periods (.).
A sample IQN format is iqn.yyyy-mm.naming-authority:unique name where:
■yyyy-mm is the year and month when the naming authority was established.
■naming-authority is usually reverse syntax of the Internet domain name of the
naming authority.
■Unique name is any name you want to use, for example, the name of your host.
The naming authority must make sure that any names assigned following the
colon are unique.
Example: iqn.1999-06.com.veritas:abc
12Overview
About the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN)

Understanding the
NetBackup 5240 appliance
configuration H
This chapter includes the following topics:
■NetBackup 5240 Appliance configuration H
■QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI capable card with SFP+ modules
NetBackup 5240 Appliance configuration H
The rear panel of the NetBackup 5240 Appliance contains three PCIe riser card
assemblies. PCIe riser card assemblies 1 and 2 each support three standard PCIe
cards, while PCIe riser card assembly 3 supports two low profile PCIe cards. The
slots are labeled 1 to 8. Slots 1, 2, and 3 are located in PCIe riser card assembly
2. Slots 4, 5, and 6 are located in PCIe riser card assembly 1, while slots 7 and 8
are located in PCIe riser card assembly 3.
Figure 2-1 Rear panel riser assembly locations and PCIe slot assignments
for configuration H
7
3
2
8
4
5
6
Riser
Assembly 3
Riser
Assembly 2
Riser
Assembly 1
1
2
Chapter

The NetBackup 5240 Appliance supports multiple PCIe-based I/O configuration
options. The following table shows the configuration H option that has the iSCSI
card in slot 2.
Table 2-1 NetBackup 5240 Appliance configuration H
Slot
8
Slot
7 **
Slot
6
Slot
5
Slot
4
Slot
3
Slot
2
Slot
1 *
I/O
configuration
option
--8 Gb FC
HBA 3
8 Gb FC
HBA 3
-10 GbE
NIC 1, 3
10 GbE
NIC 1, 3
(iSCSI)
-H
* Slot 1 contains a factory installed PCIe RAID 6 controller when at least one NetBackup
5240 Storage Shelf is purchased with the NetBackup 5240 Appliance. Otherwise, slot 1 is
not populated.
** Slot 7 contains the NetBackup 5240 Appliance's internal PCIe raid controller. This RAID
controller is used to create the RAID 1 Array for the disk drives on which the appliance
operating system is installed. The operating system drives are located in slots 0 and 1 of
the front panel.
PCIe card cable connection types:
1Direct-Attach copper cable (also called a Twinaxial cable or Twinax)
2Standard copper cable
3Fiber optic cable
See the NetBackup Appliance Product Description Guide for more details.
QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI capable
card with SFP+ modules
The QLE8442 is a dual-port 10GbE network interface card. It supports simultaneous
LAN (TCP/IP) and SAN (Fibre Channel over Ethernet [FCoE] and iSCSI) traffic at
10Gbps Ethernet (GbE) line rate speeds. The QLE8442 also provides very low host
CPU usage by enabling full hardware offloads.
Table 2-2 QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet card specifications
SpecificationItem
Full heightBracket height
9.65 watts (nominal)Power consumption
14Understanding the NetBackup 5240 appliance configuration H
QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI capable card with SFP+ modules

Table 2-2 QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet card specifications (continued)
SpecificationItem
PCIe v3.0System interface
type
8.0 GT/s, 8-laneSpeed and slot width
iSCSIStorage over
Ethernet
LINK/ACTIVITY
Off = No link (cable disconnected)
Continuously illuminated = Line on
Blinking = Network activity
LED indicators
FCC A, ICES A, UL, CE, VCCI, CISPR, KCCCertifications
0 to 55 C (32 TO 131 f)Operating
temperature
-40 to 65 C (-40 to 149 F)Storage temperature
7% to 93% @ 55 COperational humidity
93% maximum at 65 CStorage humidity
100 LFM @ 55 CAir flow
15Understanding the NetBackup 5240 appliance configuration H
QLE8442 dual-port 10Gb Ethernet/iSCSI capable card with SFP+ modules

Understanding NetBackup
for VMware
This chapter includes the following topics:
■About NetBackup for VMware
■Overview of the VMware backup process
■Transport modes options (VMware)
About NetBackup for VMware
NetBackup for VMware provides backup and restore of the VMware virtual machines
that run on VMware ESX servers. NetBackup for VMware takes advantage of
VMware vStorage APIs for data protection. The backup process is off-loaded from
the ESX server to a VMware backup host.
NetBackup for VMware does the following:
■Performs off-host backup of virtual machines (NetBackup client software is not
required on the virtual machine). Off-host backup reduces the backup processing
load on the VMware host.
■Increases the backup speed as compared to standard file-order backup methods,
if the virtual machine is heavily populated with small files.
■Automatically creates quiesced snapshots using VSS (Windows only). Creates
quiesced snapshots on Linux if snapshot quiesce is enabled in the Linux guest
OS.
■Uses snapshot technology to keep virtual machines 100% available to users.
■Supports VMware vSphere and vCloud Director.
3
Chapter

■Performs full backups and incremental backups, including block-level
incrementals.
■Backs up the full virtual machine.
■Backs up the virtual machines even when they are turned off.
■Can restore selected files from the backup.
Overview of the VMware backup process
The following table describes the phases in the NetBackup backup process.
Table 3-1 NetBackup backup process
DescriptionPhase
The NetBackup master server initiates the backup.Phase 1
The NetBackup client on the VMware backup host initiates a VMware
snapshot on the virtual machine.
Phase 2
Windows: VSS synchronizes the file system on the virtual machine.
Linux: If snapshot quiesce is enabled in the Linux guest OS, the file system
is synchronized on the virtual machine. (Contact your operating system
vendor and VMware for additional information on how to enable snapshot
quiesce.)
Phase 3
The VMware server creates a snapshot on the virtual disk datastore.Phase 4
The NetBackup client reads the snapshot from the datastores and writes
the data to the NetBackup storage unit.
Phase 5
Transport modes options (VMware)
The transport modes determine how the snapshot data travels from the VMware
datastore to the VMware backup host. The appropriate mode depends in part on
the type of network that connects the VMware datastore to the VMware backup
host.
By default, all modes are selected. NetBackup tries each transport mode in order,
from top to bottom. It uses the first mode that succeeds for all disks in the virtual
machine.
17Understanding NetBackup for VMware
Overview of the VMware backup process

Table 3-2 Transport Modes
DescriptionMode
For unencrypted transfer over Fibre Channel (SAN) or iSCSI.
Note: On NetBackup appliances, the VMware backups happening over iSCSI use the
san transport mode.
Note: This mode is not supported for the virtual machines that use VMware Virtual
Volumes (VVols).
san
Lets you run the VMware backup host in a virtual machine.
Note: For the virtual machines that use VVols, the virtual machine and the backup host
(hotadd) virtual machine must reside on same VVol datastore.
For instructions on this transport mode and on installing the backup host in a VMware
virtual machine, refer to your VMware documentation.
hotadd
For unencrypted transfer over a local network that uses the Network Block Device (NBD)
driver protocol. This mode of transfer is usually slower than Fibre Channel.
nbd
For encrypted transfer (SSL) over a local network that uses the Network Block Device
(NBD) driver protocol. This mode of transfer is usually slower than Fibre Channel.
nbdssl
18Understanding NetBackup for VMware
Transport modes options (VMware)

Configuring iSCSI
This chapter includes the following topics:
■Configuring the appliance for iSCSI
■Setting the IQN for the initiator
■Viewing the interface properties
■Configuring the interface properties
■Removing and resetting the interface properties
■About CHAP authentication
■Discovering targets by using the portal address
■About iSNS
■Discovering targets by using iSNS
■Connecting to a target
■Disconnecting the sessions with a target
■Viewing the targets
Configuring the appliance for iSCSI
Before configuring your appliance for iSCSI, ensure that the iSCSI targets are
configured in your environment. Check the documentation provided by the target
vendor for more reference.
Table 4-1 provides instructions to configure and set up iSCSI on the appliance.
4
Chapter

Table 4-1 Configuring iSCSI on the appliance
ReferenceDescriptionStep No.
See “Setting the IQN for the
initiator” on page 20.
Configure IQN for the initiator1.
See “Configuring the interface
properties” on page 21.
Configure the iSCSI interface. The IP
address must be configured. You may
optionally configure other interface
properties like Netmask, gateway etc.
2.
See “Discovering targets by using
the portal address” on page 26.
See “Discovering targets by using
iSNS” on page 28.
Discover the targets by using the portal
address or the iSNS server.
3.
See “Connecting to a target”
on page 30.
Connect to the target4.
Setting the IQN for the initiator
This section explains how you can set the IQN for the NetBackup Appliance
(initiator).
To set the IQN
1Open a Secure Shell (SSH) session to log on to the appliance as an
administrator.
2Navigate to the Main_Menu > Settings > iSCSI menu.
3Type the command Initiator Set IQN and enter the IQN as a parameter.
Note the following about IQN:
■The IQN must be up to 255 characters long.
■The IQN can only contain numbers (0-9), letters (A-Z and a-z), colons (:),
hyphens (-), and periods (.).
Example: iqn.1999-06.com.veritas:abc
4The following message is displayed:
iSCSI> Initiator Set IQN iqn.veritas.abc
- [Info] The IQN has been updated to iqn.veritas.abc.
20Configuring iSCSI
Setting the IQN for the initiator