This implementation guide provides information for establishing communications between an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and
a VMware ESX host. General information is also provided on the basic steps required to allocate storage on the HP 3PAR
StoreServ Storage that can then be accessed by the ESX host.
HP Part Number: QL226-97063
Published: September 2013
Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial
Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under
vendor's standard commercial license.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express
warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall
not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Acknowledgments
Java and Oracle are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Windows® is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
This implementation guide provides information for establishing communications between an
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and a VMware ESX host. General information is also provided on the
basic steps required to allocate storage on the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage that can then be accessed
by the ESX host.
The information contained in this implementation guide is the outcome of careful testing of the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage with as many representative hardware and software configurations
as possible.
Required
For predictable performance and results with your HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, you must use the
information in this guide in concert with the documentation set provided by HP 3PAR for the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and the documentation provided by the vendor for their respective
products.
Supported Configurations
The following types of host connections are supported between the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
and hosts running a VMware ESX OS:
Fibre Channel connections are supported between the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and the ESX
host in both a fabric-attached and direct-connect topology.
For information about supported hardware and software platforms, see the HP Single Point of
Connectivity Knowledge (HP SPOCK) website:
http://www.hp.com/storage/spock
For more information about HP 3PAR storage products, follow the links in “HP 3PAR Storage
All installation steps should be performed in the order described in this implementation guide.
6Introduction
HP 3PAR OS Upgrade Considerations
For information about planning an online HP 3PAR Operating System (HP 3PAR OS) upgrade, see
the HP 3PAR Operating System Upgrade Pre-Planning Guide, which is available on the HP Business
Support Center (BSC) website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
For complete details about supported host configurations and interoperability, consult the HP
SPOCK website:
http://www.hp.com/storage/spock
Audience
This implementation guide is intended for system and storage administrators who perform and
manage the system configurations and resource allocation for the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage.
This guide provides basic information that is required to establish communications between the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and the VMware ESX host and to allocate the required storage for a
given configuration. However, the appropriate HP documentation must be consulted in conjunction
with the ESX host and host bus adapter (HBA) vendor documentation for specific details and
procedures.
NOTE:This implementation guide is not intended to reproduce or replace any third-party product
documentation. For details about devices such as hosts, HBAs, fabric switches, and non-HP 3PAR
software management tools, consult the appropriate third-party documentation.
HP 3PAR OS Upgrade Considerations7
2 Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre
Channel
This chapter explains how to establish a Fibre Channel connection between the HP 3PAR StoreServ
Storage and a VMware ESX host and covers HP 3PAR OS 3.1.x, OS 2.3.x, and 2.2.x versions.
For information on setting up the physical connection for a particular HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage,
see the appropriate HP 3PAR installation manual.
Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR OS 3.1.x
or OS 2.3.x
This section describes how to connect the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to an ESX host over a Fibre
Channel network when running HP 3PAR OS 3.1.x or OS 2.3.x.
By default, the QLogic, Emulex, and Brocade drivers for the VMware ESX host support failover.
For failover support using the QLogic, Emulex, or Brocade driver, virtual volumes should be
simultaneously exported down multiple paths to the host. To do this, create a host definition on the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage that includes the WWNs of multiple HBA ports on the host and then
export the VLUNs to that host definition. If each ESX host within a cluster has its own host definition,
the VLUNs must be exported to multiple host definitions.
Required
The following setup must be completed before connecting the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port to
a device.
NOTE:When deploying HP Virtual Connect direct-attach FC storage for HP 3PAR storage systems,
where the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports are cabled directly to the uplink ports on the HP Virtual
Connect FlexFabric 10 Gb/24-port Module for c-Class BladeSystem, follow the steps for configuring
the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports for a fabric connection.
For more information about HP Virtual Connect, HP Virtual Connect interconnect modules, and the
HP Virtual Connect direct-attach feature, see HP Virtual Connect documentation and the HP SANDesign Reference Guide. This documentation is available on the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
Setting Up the Ports
Before connecting the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to a host, the connection type and mode must
be specified. To set up the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports for a direct or fabric connection,
complete the following steps for each port.
1.To determine if a port has already been configured in host mode, issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI
showport -par command. A host port is essentially a target mode port where the initiator
or host can log in to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage.
# showport -par
N:S:P Connmode ConnType CfgRate MaxRate Class2 UniqNodeWwn VCN IntCoal
2:0:1 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
2:0:2 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
2:4:1 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
2:4:2 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
3:0:1 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
3:0:2 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
3:4:1 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
3:4:2 disk loop auto 4Gbps disabled disabled disabled enabled
8Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre Channel
2.If the port has not been configured, take the port offline before configuring it for the ESX host
by issuing the following HP 3PAR OS CLI command:
controlport offline [node:slot:port]
CAUTION:Before taking a port offline in preparation for a direct or fabric connection, you
should verify that the port has not been previously defined and that it is not already connected
to a host as this would interrupt the existing host connection.
If an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port is already configured for a direct or fabric connection,
you can ignore this step, as you do not have to take the port offline.
3.To configure the port for the host, issue the following command, with the appropriate option
For a direct connection:
Use the -ct loop parameter to specify a direct connection.
For a fabric connection:
Use the -ct point parameter to specify a fabric connection.
4.Issue the controlport rst command to reset and register the new port definitions.
The following example shows how to set up a fabric connected port.
Before connecting the ESX host to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, a host definition needs to be
created that specifies a valid host persona for each HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port that is to be
connected to a host HBA port through a fabric or direct connection. ESX/ESXi uses the generic
legacy host persona of 6 for HP 3PAR OS 3.1.1 or earlier.
As of HP 3PAR OS 3.1.2, a second host persona 11 (VMware), which enables asymmetric logical
unit access (ALUA) is available. Host persona 11 (VMware) is recommended for new ESX/ESXi
installations and is required for ESX/ESXi hosts configured as part of a HP 3PAR Peer Persistence
configuration. For ESX/ESXi with HP 3PAR Remote Copy, refer to the Remote Copy Users Guide
for the appropriate host persona to use in specific Remote Copy configurations.
NOTE:When changing an existing host persona from 6 to 11, a host reboot is required tor the
change to take effect. This is an offline process. See “Configuring ESX/ESXi Multipathing for Round
Robin via SATP PSP” (page 40) for the detailed procedure, as the host persona change should
coincide with changing the SATP rules on the host as well.
For both host persona 6 and persona 11, see the appropriate chapters in this guide for iSCSI,
Fibre Channel, or FCoE setup considerations.
1.To display available host personas, issue the following command:
# showhost -listpersona
Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR OS 3.1.x or OS 2.3.x9
2.To create host definitions, issue the createhost command with the -persona option to
specify the persona and the host name.
For HP 3PAR OS 3.1.1 or earlier:
3.To verify that the host has been created, issue the showhost command.
For HP 3PAR OS 3.1.1 or earlier, using persona 6:
# showhost
Id Name Persona -WWN/iSCSI_Name- Port
0 ESXserver1 Generic-legacy 10000000C9724AB2 --- 10000000C97244FE ---
For HP 3PAR OS 3.1.2, using persona 11:
# showhost
Id Name Persona -WWN/iSCSI_Name- Port
0 ESXserver2 VMware 100000051EC33E00 --- 100000051EC33E01 ---
Use showhost -persona to show the persona name and Id relationship.
# showhost -persona
Id Name Persona_Id Persona_Name Persona_Caps
0 ESXserver1 6 Generic-legacy -1 Esxserver2 11 VMware SubLun, ALUA
NOTE:If the persona is not correctly set, then use the sethost -persona <host
number> <hostname> command to correct the issue, where host number is 6 (for HP 3PAR
OS 3.1.1 or earlier) or 11 (for HP 3PAR OS 3.1.2).
A reboot of the ESX host is required if host persona is changed to 11.
NOTE:See the HP 3PAR Command Line Interface Reference or the HP 3PAR Management Console
Users Guide for complete details on using the controlport, createhost, and showhost
commands.
These documents are available on the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR OS 2.2.x
This section describes the steps that are required to connect the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to an
ESX host over a Fibre Channel network and to create the host definitions when running HP 3PAR
OS 2.2.x.
10Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre Channel
NOTE:For configurations that are intended to have more than one host type (for example, an
ESX host and a Windows host) connected to a shared HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage HBA port via
fabric connections, see to the Heterogeneous Host Support Guide on the HP BSC website for the
required HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port settings and interoperability considerations:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
NOTE:By default, the VMware ESX host supports failover. For failover support, VVs should be
simultaneously exported down multiple paths to the host. To do this, create a host definition on the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage that includes the WWNs of multiple HBA ports on the hostand then
export the VLUNs to that host definition.
Required
The following setup must be completed before connecting the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port to
a device.
Setting Up the Ports
Before connecting the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to a host, the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port
persona must be specified. To set up the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports for a direct or fabric
connection, issue the appropriate set of HP 3PAR OS CLI controlport commands for each port.
For direct connections, use persona 1 with VCN disabled.
Verify port persona 7, connection type point, using the HP 3PAR OS CLI showport -par
command.
Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR OS 2.2.x11
Creating the Host Definition
Before connecting the ESX host to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, create a host definition for each
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage that is to be connected to a host HBA port through a fabric or a direct
connection.
1.To create host definitions, issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI createhost command with the
2.To verify that the host has been created, issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command.
# showhost -persona
Id Name -WWN/iSCSI_Name- Port
0 ESXserver1 10000000C9724AB2 -- 10000000C97244FE ---
3.(Optional) You can create a host set using createhostset, which allows the addition of
multiple host names as a host definition set. A host set gives the convenience of exporting
storage volume to hosts which are in a cluster. The same storage volumes need to be exported
individually to each of the hosts, or they can be exported to a host set, which in turn will be
exported to each of the hosts defined in the host set.
# showhostset
Id Name Members
0 ESXCluster ESXServer1 ESXServer2
NOTE:See the HP 3PAR Command Line Interface Reference or the HP 3PAR Management
Console Users Guide for complete details on using the controlport, createhost, and
showhost commands.
These documents are available on the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
Setting Up and Zoning the Fabric
NOTE:This section does not apply when deploying HP Virtual Connect direct-attach FC storage
for HP 3PAR storage systems, where the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports are cabled directly to
the uplink ports on the HP Virtual Connect FlexFabric 10 Gb/24-port Module for c-Class
BladeSystem. Zoning is automatically configured based on the Virtual Connect SAN Fabric and
server profile definitions.
For more information about HP Virtual Connect, HP Virtual Connect interconnect modules, and the
HP Virtual Connect direct-attach feature, see HP Virtual Connect documentation and the HP SANDesign Reference Guide. This documentation is available on the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
Fabric zoning controls which Fibre Channel end-devices have access to each other on the fabric.
Zoning also isolates the hostand HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports from Registered State Change
Notifications (RSCNs) that are irrelevant to these ports.
12Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre Channel
You can set up fabric zoning by associating the device World Wide Names (WWNs) or the switch
ports with specified zones in the fabric. Although you can use either the WWN method or the port
zoning method with the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, the WWN zoning method is recommended
because the zone survives the changes of switch ports when cables are moved around on a fabric.
Required
Employ fabric zoning, using the methods provided by the switch vendor, to create relationships
between hostHBA ports and storage server ports before connecting the host HBA ports or HP 3PAR
StoreServ Storage ports to the fabric(s).
Fibre Channel switch vendors support the zoning of the fabric end-devices in different zoning
configurations. There are advantages and disadvantages with each zoning configuration. Choose
a zoning configuration based on your needs.
The HP 3PAR arrays support the following zoning configurations:
•One initiator to one target per zone
•One initiator to multiple targets per zone (zoning by HBA). This zoning configuration is
recommended for the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage. Zoning by HBA is required for coexistence
with other HP Storage arrays.
NOTE:For high availability/clustered environments that require multiple initiators to access
the same set of target ports, HP recommends that separate zones be created for each initiator
with the same set of target ports.
NOTE:The storage targets in the zone can be from the same HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage,
multiple HP 3PAR StoreServ Storages , or a mixture of HP 3PAR and other HP storage systems.
For more information about using one initiator to multiple targets per zone, see Zoning by HBA in
the Best Practices chapter of the HP SAN Design Reference Guide. This document is available on
the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
If you use an unsupported zoning configuration and an issue occurs, HP may require that you
implement one of the supported zoning configurations as part of the troubleshooting or corrective
action.
After configuring zoning and connecting each host HBA port and HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port
to the fabric(s), verify the switch and zone configurations using the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost
command, to ensure that each initiator is zoned with the correct target(s).
HP 3PAR Coexistence
The HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage array can coexist with other HP array families.
For supported HP arrays combinations and rules, see the HP SAN Design Reference Guide, available
on the HP BSC website:
http://www.hp.com/go/bsc
Configuration Guidelines for Fabric Vendors
Use the following fabric vendor guidelines before configuring ports on fabric(s) to which the
HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage connects.
•Brocade switch ports that connect to a host HBA port or to an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
port should be set to their default mode. On Brocade 3xxx switches running Brocade firmware
Setting Up and Zoning the Fabric13
3.0.2 or later, verify that each switch port is in the correct mode using the Brocade telnet
interface and the portcfgshow command, as follows:
-----------------+--+--+--+--+----+--+--+-Speed AN AN AN AN AN AN AN AN
Trunk Port ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON
Locked L_Port .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Locked G_Port .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Disabled E_Port .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
where AN:AutoNegotiate, ..:OFF, ??:INVALID.
The following fill-word modes are supported on a Brocade 8 G/s switch running FOS firmware
6.3.1a and later:
admin>portcfgfillword
Usage: portCfgFillWord PortNumber Mode [Passive]
Mode: 0/-idle-idle - IDLE in Link Init, IDLE as fill word (default)
1/-arbff-arbff - ARBFF in Link Init, ARBFF as fill word
2/-idle-arbff - IDLE in Link Init, ARBFF as fill word (SW)
3/-aa-then-ia - If ARBFF/ARBFF failed, then do IDLE/ARBFF
HP recommends that you set the fill word to mode 3 (aa-then-ia), which is the preferred
mode using the portcfgfillword command. If the fill word is not correctly set, er_bad_os
counters (invalid ordered set) will increase when you use the portstatsshow command
while connected to 8 G HBA ports, as they need the ARBFF-ARBFF fill word. Mode 3 will
also work correctly for lower-speed HBAs, such as 4 Gb/2 Gb HBAs. For more information,
see the Fabric OS command Reference Manual supporting FOS 6.3.1a and the FOS release
notes.
In addition, some HP switches, such as the HP SN8000B 8-slot SAN backbone director switch,
the HP SN8000B 4-slot SAN director switch, the HP SN6000B 16 Gb FC switch, or the HP
SN3000B 16 Gb FC switch automatically select the proper fill-word mode 3 as the default
setting.
•McDATA switch or director ports should be in their default modes as G or GX-port (depending
on the switch model), with their speed setting permitting them to autonegotiate.
•Cisco switch ports that connect to HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage ports or host HBA ports should
be set to AdminMode = FX and AdminSpeed = auto port, with the speed set to auto negotiate.
•QLogic switch ports should be set to port type GL-port and port speed auto-detect. QLogic
switch ports that connect to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage should be set to I/O Stream Guard
disable or auto, but never enable.
Target Port Limits and Specifications
To avoid overwhelming a target port and ensure continuous I/O operations, observe the following
limitations on a target port:
•Maximum of 32 host ports per HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port, with a maximum total of
1,024 host ports per HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage.
•I/O queue depth on each HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage HBA model, as follows:
QLogic 2G: 497◦
◦LSI 2G: 510
◦Emulex 4G: 959
14Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre Channel
◦HP 3PAR HBA 4G: 1638
◦HP 3PAR HBA 8G: 3276 (HP 3PAR StoreServ 10000 and HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000
systems only)
•The I/O queues are shared among the connected host HBA ports on a first-come, first-served
basis.
•When all queues are in use and a host HBA port tries to initiate I/O, it receives a target queue
full response from the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port. This condition can result in erratic I/O
performance on each host. If this condition occurs, each host should be throttled so that it
cannot overrun the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage port's queues when all hosts are delivering
their maximum number of I/O requests.
NOTE:When host ports can access multiple targets on fabric zones, the assigned target
number assigned by the host driver for each discovered target can change when the host is
booted and some targets are not present in the zone. This situation may change the device
node access point for devices during a host reboot. This issue can occur with any
fabric-connected storage, and is not specific to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage.
HP 3PAR Priority Optimization
The HP 3PAR Priority Optimization feature introduced in HP 3PAR OS versions 3.1.2.MU2 is a
more efficient and dynamic solution for managing server workloads and can be utilized as an
alternative to setting host I/O throttles. Using this feature, a storage administrator is able to share
storage resources more effectively by enforcing quality of service limits on the array. No special
settings are needed on the host side to obtain the benefit of Priority Optimization although certain
per target or per adapter throttle settings may need to be adjusted in rare cases. For complete
details of how to use Priority Optimization (Quality of Service) on HP 3PAR arrays, please read
the HP 3PAR Priority Optimization technical white paper available at http://www.hp.com/go/
bsc.
Persistent Ports
NOTE:The Persistent Ports feature is supported only on HP 3PAR OS 3.1.2.
The Persistent Ports (or virtual ports) feature minimizes I/O disruption during an HP 3PAR Storage
online upgrade or node-down event. Currently, persistent ports are supported only with Fibre
Channel connections. Persistent Ports allows a Fibre Channel HP 3PAR Storage port to assume the
identity (port WWN) of a failed port while retaining its own identity. The solution uses the NPIV
feature for Fibre Channel. This feature does not work in direct-connect mode and is supported only
on Fibre Channel target ports that connect to Fibre Channel fabric and are in point-to-point mode
where both the active and partner ports share the same fabric.
Each Fibre Channel port has a partner port automatically assigned by the system. Where a given
physical port assumes the identity of its partner port, the assumed port is designated as a persistent
port. Array port failover and failback with Persistent Ports is transparent to most host-based
multipathing software which, in most cases, can keep all its I/O paths active.
The Persistent Ports feature is activated by default during node-down events (online upgrade or
node reboot). Port shutdown or reset events do not trigger this feature. Persistent Ports is enabled
by default starting with the HP 3PAR OS 3.1.2 software.
In the event that an HP 3PAR Storage node is downed during an online upgrade or node-down
event, the Fibre Channel target ports fail over to their partner ports. For example, in a two-node
HP 3PAR Storage array configuration, if ports 0:1:1, 0:5:1 and 1:1:1, 1:5:1 are connected to
the fabric, then if node 0 goes down, ports 0:1:1, 0:5:1 fail over to ports 1:1:1, 1:5:1 and become
active while ports 1:1:1, 1:5:1 remain active.
Setting Up and Zoning the Fabric15
In HP 3PAR Storage arrays with more than two nodes, failover behavior occurs on node pairs;
that is, if node 0 goes down, ports on node 0 fail over to node 1, if node 2 goes down, ports on
node 2 fail over to node 3, and so on. Conversely, when node 1 goes down, ports on node 1 fail
over to node 0, and when node 3 goes down, ports on node 3 fail over to node 2. When the
downed node is up again, the failed-over ports automatically fail back to their original ports.
During the failover and failback process, a short pause in I/O could be experienced by the host.
Persistent Ports Setup and Connectivity Guidelines
For Persistent Ports to function properly, specific cabling setup and connectivity guidelines that
need to be followed can be found in the HP 3PAR Command Line Interface Administrator’s Manual,
“Using Persistent Ports for Nondisruptive Online Software Upgrades.” See this document for other
information about Persistent Ports as well.
The fabric switch ports connecting to the HP 3PAR array ports must support NPIV and have the
feature enabled in order for Persistent Ports to work.
The showport command output includes Partner and FailoverState columns that display
the partner port <node>:<slot>:<port> information and failover state information, respectively.
FailoverState values represent the failover state of the two ports listed in the N:S:P and
Partner columns. The FailoverState value can be one of the following:
•none: No failover in operation
•failover_pending: In the process of failing over to partner
•failed_over: Failed over to partner
•active: The partner port is failed over to this port
•active_down: The partner port is failed over to this port, but this port is down
•failback_pending: In the process of failing back from partner
Use the showport HP 3PAR CLI commands to get the state of the persistent ports. In the output of
the showport command shown below, under the Partner column, port 1:1:1 is the partner port
that 0:1:1 would fail over to and 0:1:1 is the partner port to which 1:1:1 would fail over. When
Persistent Ports is not active, the FailoverState for the ports would indicate none.
# showport
N:S:P Mode State ----Node_WWN---- - Port_WWN/HW_Addr- Type Protocol Label
Partner Failover State
0:0:1 initiator ready 50002ACFF70185E1 50002ACFF70185E1 disk SAS -
When a node is down during an online upgrade or node reboot, from the output of the showport
command, the FailoverState column would show that Persistent Ports is active. In the example
below, node 1 has gone down, Persistent Ports for 1:1:1 has become active on port 0:1:1, and
all filesystem I/O for port 1:1:1 is physically served by port 0:1:1.
# showport
N:S:P Mode State ----Node_WWN---- - Port_WWN/HW_Addr- Type Protocol Label
Partner Failover State
0:0:1 initiator ready 50002ACFF70185E1 50002ACFF70185E1 disk SAS -
- 0:1:1 target ready 2FF70002AC0185E1 2FF70002AC0185E1 host FC -
1:1:1 active
16Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for Fibre Channel
Before Persistent Ports is active, the output of the showhost command displays as follows:
# showhost
Id Name Persona ---------------WWN/iSCSI_Name--------------- Port
1 server1 Generic 5001438009AE770E 0:1:1
5001438009AE770C 0:1:1
5001438009AE770E 1:1:1
5001438009AE770C 1:1:1
When Persistent Ports is active, the output of the showhost command, under the Port column,
shows both the physical port and the physical port where Persistent Ports is active. In the example
below, port 0:1:1, logged in from each of the host HBA ports, appears twice, once for the physical
port and once again for the persistent port that is active on the physical port.
# showhost
Id Name Persona ---------------WWN/iSCSI_Name--------------- Port
1 server1 Generic 5001438009AE770E 0:1:1
5001438009AE770C 0:1:1
5001438009AE770E 0:1:1
5001438009AE770C 0:1:1
After the controller node has been successfully rebooted, the FailoverState for the ports changes
back to none, as shown in the following example:
After the node has been successfully rebooted, the node entry of node 0 reappears in the GUI and
I/O is still in progress.
Manually, you can perform failover and failback using the controlport failover <N:S:P>
and controlport failback <N:S:P> command options.
Persistent Ports Limitations
Persistent Ports Technical White Paper
To learn more about Persistent Ports, refer to the following White Paper:
The Persistent Ports feature is not supported with iSCSI and FCoE.
Setting Up and Zoning the Fabric17
3 Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for iSCSI
This chapter explains how to establish an iSCSI connection between the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
and the VMware ESX host. If you are running specific CNA cards, a software or hardware iSCSI
initiator can be used. For details about hardware iSCSI configuration, see “Hardware iSCSI
Support” (page 25).
Software iSCSI Support
Setting Up the Ports for an iSCSI Connection
To establish an iSCSI connection between the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and the ESX host, you
need to set up each HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target port that will be connected to an
iSCSI initiator as described in the following steps.
1.A 10 Gb iSCSI connection, which is supported in the HP 3PAR StoreServ 10000 Storage and
the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 Storage, requires a one-time configuration using the
controlport command.
Issue the showport and showport -i commands to check the current CNA configuration.
For example:
NOTE:Make sure the IP switch ports where the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target
port(s) and iSCSI initiator host are connected are able to communicate with each other by
using the vmkping command on the ESX host. (The VMware ESX host iSCSI initiator must be
configured to perform this operation in accordance with “Configuring the Host for an iSCSI
Connection” (page 65).)
To verify that the ESX host can see the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, use the vmkpingcommand:
# vmkping 10.1.1.100
To verify that the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage can see the ESX host, issue the following
command:
# controliscsiport ping 10.1.1.10 0:1:1
NOTE:A maximum of 64 host iSCSI initiator ports can be connected to any one HP 3PAR
StoreServ Storage target port.
NOTE:When the host initiator port and the HP 3PAR OS target port are in different IP
subnets, the gateway address for the HP 3PAR OS port should be configured in order to avoid
unexpected behavior.
Creating the iSCSI Host Definition on an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR
OS 3.1.x and OS 2.3.x
Create a host definition that ties all of the connections from a single host to a host name. Prior to
creating a host definition using the following steps, the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target
ports must have been set up and an iSCSI connection/session must be established. The iSCSI
connection/session is established by following the steps in “Setting Up the Ports for an iSCSI
Connection” (page 18) and the steps in “Configuring the Host for an iSCSI Connection” (page 65)
through “Configuring the VMware iSCSI Initiator” (page 72) (ESX host setup).
Software iSCSI Support19
ESX/ESXi uses the generic legacy host persona of 6 for HP 3PAR OS 3.1.1 or earlier. As of HP
3PAR OS 3.1.2, a second host persona 11 (VMware), which enables asymmetric logical unit
access (ALUA) is available. Host persona 11 (VMware) is recommended for new ESX/ESXi
installations and is required for ESX/ESXi hosts configured as part of a HP 3PAR Peer Persistence
configuration. For ESX/ESXi with HP 3PAR Remote Copy, refer to the Remote Copy Users Guide
for the appropriate host persona to use in specific Remote Copy configurations.
The following example of host definition creation depicts a VMware iSCSI initiator
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56 on an ESX host (the only iSCSI
initiator for this server in this case) connecting through a VLAN to a pair of HP 3PAR StoreServ
Storage iSCSI ports. The host definition is given the name ESX1 and the host persona is set to 6(Generic-legacy).
1.Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command to verify that the host iSCSI initiators are
connected to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports.
# showhost
Id Name Persona ----------------WWN/iSCSI_Name---------------- Port
3.Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command to verify that the host entry has been created.
# showhost
Id Name Persona ----------------WWN/iSCSI_Name---------------- Port
0 ESX1 Generic-legacy iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56 0:1:2
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56 1:1:2
4.To test the connection, create some temporary virtual volumes and export the VLUNs to the
host.
NOTE:See “Allocating Storage for Access by the ESX Host” (page 78) for complete details
on creating, exporting and discovering storage for an iSCSI connection.
5.On the ESX iSCSI initiator host, perform a rescan and verify that the disks have been
discovered.
Creating the iSCSI Host Definition on an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Running HP 3PAR
OS 2.2.x
Create a host definition that ties all of the connections from a single host to a host name. Prior to
creating a host definition using the following steps, the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target
20Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for iSCSI
ports must have been set up and an iSCSI connection/session must be established. The iSCSI
connection/session is established by following the steps in “Setting Up the Ports for an iSCSI
Connection” (page 18) and the steps in “Configuring the Host for an iSCSI Connection” (page 65)
through section “Configuring the VMware iSCSI Initiator” (page 72) (ESX host setup).
The following example of host definition creation depicts a VMware iSCSI initiator
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56on an ESX host (the only iSCSI
initiator for this server in this case) connecting through a VLAN to a pair of HP 3PAR StoreServ
Storage iSCSI ports. The host definition is given the name ESX1.
1.Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command to verify that the host iSCSI initiators are
connected to the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage iSCSI target ports.
# showhost
Id Name Persona ----------------WWN/iSCSI_Name---------------- Port
3.Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command to verify that the host entry has been created.
# showhost
Id Name ----------------WWN/iSCSI_Name---------------- Port
0 ESX1 iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56 0:1:2
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:sqahpbc02icm5-40e25c56 1:1:2
4.To test the connection, create some temporary virtual volumes and export the VLUNs to the
host.
NOTE:See “Allocating Storage for Access by the ESX Host” (page 78) for complete details
on creating, exporting and discovering storage for an iSCSI connection.
5.On the ESX iSCSI initiator host, perform a rescan and verify that the disks have been
discovered.
Setting Up and Configuring CHAP Authentication
Enabling Host CHAP is an option that can be set up at the ESX system administrator's discretion.
The following example outlines the procedures for host (initiator) CHAP which is available as of
ESX 3.x. As of ESX 4.0, mutual (bidirectional, initiator-target) CHAP is also available.
NOTE:CHAP is available in ESX 3.x, also in ESX 4.x and ESX 5.x.
1.Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost command to verify that a host definition has been
created on HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for the ESX host that will have CHAP enabled.
# showhost
Id Name ----------------WWN/iSCSI_Name---------------- Port
0 ESX1 iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:hpdl380-01-11a38a59 0:1:2
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:hpdl380-01-11a38a59 1:1:2
Software iSCSI Support21
The following example uses the CHAP secret (CHAP password) host_secret3 for the ESX
host. Be aware that the CHAP secret must be at least 12 characters long.
2.On the ESX host’s VI/vSphere client, open the Storage Adapters tab, then select the iSCSI
Software Adapter, and select the Properties link. Then, on the General tab, click CHAP.
For ESX 3.5, select the CHAP Authentication tab, and then select the Use the following CHAP
credentials radio button.
Figure 1 CHAP Authentication in ESX 3.5
For ESX/ESXi 4.x or ESX/ESXi 5.x, select the Use initiator name check box.
22Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for iSCSI
Figure 2 CHAP Credentials in ESX/ESXi 4.x or ESX/ESXi 5.x
3.Enter the CHAP Secret (must be at least 12 characters long). Use the same secret that you
enter on the storage side.
4.Click OK when you are done. A warning screen appears indicating that a reboot of the ESX
host is required.
NOTE:A server reboot is required for ESX 3.5. For ESX 4.x and ESXi 5.x, a rescan of the
HBA should pick up the changes.
Software iSCSI Support23
5.Click OK again to confirm.
6.On the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage, issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI sethost command with the
initchap parameter to set the CHAP secret for the ESX host.
# sethost initchap -f host_secret3 ESX1
NOTE:If mutual CHAP on ESX is being configured, then target CHAP will need to be
configured on the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage as well as initiator CHAP. Set target CHAP
secret using the HP 3PAR OS CLI sethost command with the targetchap parameter.
# sethost targetchap -f host_secret3 ESX1
a.For the target CHAP, make sure to give the storage system name as the Name field
variable. The storage name is obtained using the showsys output, as shown below.
b.For ESX 4.x and 5.x:
24Configuring the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage for iSCSI
Figure 3 CHAP Credentials in ESX 4.x and 5.x
Issue the HP 3PAR OS CLI showhost -chap command to verify that the specified CHAP
secret has been set for the host definition.
For Initiator chap
# showhost -chap
Id Name -Initiator_CHAP_Name- -Target_CHAP_Name 0 ESX1 ESX1 --
For mutual chap
# showhost -chap
Id Name -Initiator_CHAP_Name- -Target_CHAP_Name0 ESX1 ESX1 s331
Hardware iSCSI Support
At ESX 5.0 and above, hardware iSCSI is supported using the CN1100E CNA card and other
Emulex BE3 models. This CNA can be configured using either Dependent iSCSI (the IP address of
the system is obtained from the host NIC connections) or Independent iSCSI (the IP address is
entered into the CNA card). The CN1100E can be configured to boot from SAN; SCSI targets
are entered into the card.
For general information about the CN1100E and other BE3 models supported, see the HP SPOCK
website:
http://www.hp.com/storage/spock
To set a static IP address, follow these steps:
1.After installing the CN1100E, boot the system. The following text appears :
2.Assign a VLUN to this host definition to be used as the SAN boot LUN.
3.From the Controller Configuration menu, select Controller Properties.
4.In the properties screen, verify that boot support is enabled. If it is not, scroll to Boot Support
and enable it, then save and exit this screen.
5.from the Controller Configuration menu, select iSCSI Target Configuration.
6.In the iSCSI Target Configuration menu, select Add New iSCSI Target and press Enter.
7.Fill in the information for the first iSCSI target. Make sure Boot Target is set to Yes.
Figure 6 Adding an iSCSI Target
8.After the information is filled in, click Ping to verify connectivity.
9.After a successful ping, click Save/Login.
10. After both controllers have been configured, issue the showiscsisession command to
display the iSCSI sessions on the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage and the host. If everything is
configured correctly, the displays should appear as follows: