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Connect a network drive to the server
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Connect a network drive to the server

  1. Create a SAN.
  2. Connect the network drive to the server.
  3. Connect the network disk to the server OS server.
  4. Configure MPIO.

Create a SAN network⁠

  1. In control panels go to Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks.
  2. Open the disk page → tab Connecting to the server.
  3. Click on the link Create a SAN.
  4. Click Add SAN.
  5. Select the location of the disk — accessibility zone.
  6. Enter a subnet or leave the subnet that is generated by default. The subnet must belong to a private address range 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 or 192.168.0.0/16 and should not already be in use in your infrastructure.
  7. Click Create a SAN.

Connect the network drive to the server⁠

  1. In control panels go to Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks.
  2. Open the disk page → tab Connecting to the server.
  3. In the field Server click Select.
  4. Select the server to which the network drive will be connected. You can only connect the network drive to to a dedicated off-the-shelf configuration server with the NIC to the SAN.
  5. Click Connect.

Connect the network disk to the server in the server OS⁠

  1. Connect to the server via SSH or through KVM console.

  2. Open the utility configuration file netplan with the vi text editor:

    vi /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml

  3. Add IP addresses to the network interfaces connected to the SAN switch and write routes to gain access to iSCSI targets:

        <eth_name_1>:
                addresses:
                - <ip_address_1>
                routes:
                - to: <destination_subnet_1>
                via: <next_hop_1>                    
        <eth_name_2>:
                addresses:
                - <ip_address_2>
                routes:
                - to: <destination_subnet_2>
                via: <next_hop_2>

    Specify:

    • <eth_name_1> — name of the first network interface. The first network interface is configured on port #1 of the network card;
    • <eth_name_2> — name of the second network interface. The second network interface is configured on port #2 of the network card;
    • <ip_address_1> — The IP address of port #1 on the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition iSCSI initiator parameters → field IP address of port No. 1 of the network card;
    • <ip_address_2> — The IP address of port No. 2 of the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition iSCSI initiator parameters → field IP address of port No. 2 of the network card;
    • <destination_subnet_1> — destination subnet for port #1 on the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition Static routes for connecting to iSCSI targets → column Destination subnetwork;
    • <destination_subnet_2> — destination subnet for port #2 on the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition Static routes for connecting to iSCSI targets → column Destination subnetwork;
    • <next_hop_1> — gateway for port #1 on the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition Static routes for connecting to iSCSI targets → column Next hop (gateway);
    • <next_hop_2> — gateway for port #2 on the network card. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition Static routes for connecting to iSCSI targets → column Next hop (gateway).

  4. Exit the vi text editor with your changes saved:

    :wq

  5. Apply the configuration:

    netplan apply

  6. Print the information about the network interfaces and verify that they are configured correctly:

    ip a

  7. Optional: reboot the server.

  8. Check the speed of each network interface. It must be at least 10 GBit/sec:

    ethtool <eth_name_1> | grep -i speed
    ethtool <eth_name_2> | grep -i speed

    Specify <eth_name_1> and <eth_name_2> — names of the network interfaces configured in step 3.

  9. If the speed is below 10 Gbps, create a ticket. If the speed is greater than or equal to 10 Gbps, go to step 9.

  10. Verify that the iSCSI target is available:

    ping -c5 <iscsi_target_ip_address_1>
    ping -c5 <iscsi_target_ip_address_2>
    ethtool <eth_name_2> | grep -i speed

    Specify:

    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> — The IP address of the first iSCSI target. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → tab Connecting to the server → section Disk parameters for iSCSI connection → field IP address of iSCSI target 1;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> — The IP address of the second iSCSI target. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → tab Connecting to the server → section Disk parameters for iSCSI connection → field IP address of the iSCSI target 2.

  11. Set the name of the iSCSI initiator:

    vi /etc/iscsi/initiatorname.iscsi 
    InitiatorName= <initiator_name>

    Specify <initiator_name> — name of the iSCSI initiator. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → partition iSCSI initiator parameters → field Initiator's name;

  12. Restart iSCSI:

    systemctl restart iscsid.service
    systemctl restart multipathd.service

  13. Create iSCSI interfaces:

    iscsiadm -m iface -I <iscsi_eth_name_1> --op new
    iscsiadm -m iface -I <iscsi_eth_name_2> --op new

    Specify:

    • <iscsi_eth_name_1> — name of the first iSCSI interface;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_2> — name of the second iSCSI interface.

  14. Bind the iSCSI interfaces to the network interfaces configured in step 3:

    iscsiadm -m iface --interface <iscsi_eth_name_1> --op update -n iface.net_ifacename -v <eth_name_1>
    iscsiadm -m iface --interface <iscsi_eth_name_2> --op update -n iface.net_ifacename -v <eth_name_2>

    Specify:

    • <iscsi_eth_name_1> — the name of the first iSCSI interface you created in step 12;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_2> — name of the second iSCSI interface that you created in step 12;
    • <eth_name_1> — the name of the first network interface you configured in step 3;
    • <eth_name_2> — the name of the second network interface you configured in step 3.

  15. Check the availability of the iSCSI target through the iSCSI interfaces:

    iscsiadm -m discovery -t sendtargets -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> --interface <iscsi_eth_name_1>
    iscsiadm -m discovery -t sendtargets -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> --interface <ieth_name_2>

    Specify:

    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> — IP address of the first iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> — IP address of the second iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_1> — name of the first iSCSI interface you created in step 13;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_2> — name of the second iSCSI interface that you created in step 13.

  16. A list of iSCSI tags will appear in the response. For example:

    10.100.1.2:3260,1 iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target
    10.100.1.6:3260,2 iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target

    Here:

    • 10.100.1.2:3260 — IP address of the first iSCSI target;
    • iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target — IQN of the first iSCSI target. The IQN (iSCSI Qualified Name) is the full unique identifier of the iSCSI device;
    • 10.100.1.6:3260 — IP address of the second iSCSI target;
    • iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target — IQN of the second iSCSI target.

  17. Configure CHAP authentication on the iSCSI-Initiator:

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> --op update -n node.session.auth.authmethod --value CHAP

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> --op update -n node.session.auth.authmethod --value CHAP

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> --op update -n node.session.auth.username --value <username>

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> --op update -n node.session.auth.password --value <password>

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> --op update -n node.session.auth.password --value <password>

    Specify:

    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> — IP address of the first iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> — IP address of the second iSCSI target;
    • <IQN> — IQN iSCSI target. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → tab Connecting to the server → section Disk parameters for iSCSI connection → field Target Name;
    • <username> — user name to authorize the iSCSI initiator. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → tab Connecting to the server → section CHAP authentication → field Username;
    • <password> — password to authorize the iSCSI initiator. You can look in control panels under Servers and hardware → Network disks and storage → tab Network disks → disk page → tab Connecting to the server → section CHAP authentication → field Password.

  18. Authorize on the iSCSI target through iSCSI interfaces:

    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> --login --interface <iscsi_eth_name_1>
    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> --login --interface <iscsi_eth_name_2>

    Specify:

    • <IQN> — IQNs of the first and second iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> — IP address of the first iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> — IP address of the second iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_1> — name of the first iSCSI interface;
    • <iscsi_eth_name_2> — name of the second iSCSI interface.

  19. Verify that the iSCSI session for each iSCSI target has started:

    iscsiadm -m session

    Two active iSCSI sessions will appear in the response. For example:

    tcp: [1] 10.100.1.2:3260,1 iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target (non-flash)
    tcp: [3] 10.100.1.6:3260,2 iqn.2003-01.com.redhat.iscsi-gw:workshop-target (non-flash)

    Here [1] and [3] are the iSCSI session numbers.

  20. Set the setting node.startup iSCSI sessions to iSCSI mode automatic. This means that when you reboot, the disks will connect automatically:

    iscsiadm --mode node -T  <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> --op update -n node.startup -v automatic
    iscsiadm --mode node -T <IQN> -p <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> --op update -n node.startup -v automatic 
    systemctl enable iscsid.service
    systemctl restart iscsid.service

    Specify:

    • <IQN> — IQN iSCSI-target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_1> — IP address of the first iSCSI target;
    • <iscsi_target_ip_address_2> — IP address of the second iSCSI target.

  21. Optional: reboot the server.

Customize MPIO⁠

MPIO is configured by default. Check if the settings are correct.

  1. Open the configuration file of the Device Mapper Multipath utility with the vi text editor:

    vi /etc/multipath.conf

  2. Make sure that the file /etc/multipath.conf contains only the following lines:

    defaults {
        user_friendly_names yes
    }

  3. Open the file bindings with the vi text editor:

    vi /etc/multipath/bindings

  4. Make sure that the file contains information about the WWID of the block device. For example:

    # Multipath bindings, Version : 1.0
    # NOTE: this file is automatically maintained by the multipath program.
    # You should not need to edit this file in normal circumstances.
    #
    # Format:
    # alias wwid
    #
    mpatha 3600140530fab7e779fa41038a0a08f8e

  5. Open the file wwids with the vi text editor:

    vi /etc/multipath/wwids

  6. Make sure that the file contains information about the WWID of the block device. For example:

    vi /etc/multipath/wwids

  7. Check the network disk connection and make sure that the policy parameter is set to service-time 0:

    multipath -ll

    The command output will display information about devices, paths, and current policy. For example:

    mpatha (3600140530fab7e779fa41038a0a08f8e) dm-0 LIO-ORG,TCMU device
    size=20G features='0' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw
    |-+- policy='service-time 0' prio=10 status=active
    | `- 8:0:0:0 sdc 8:32 active ready running
    `-+- policy='service-time 0' prio=10 status=enabled
    `- 9:0:0:0 sdd 8:48 active ready running