Configuring host objects

You can use the management GUI or command-line interface (CLI) to create host objects.

Before you begin

If you are configuring a host object on a Fibre Channel attached host, ensure that you have completed all zone and switch configuration. Also test the configuration to ensure that zoning was created correctly.

If you are configuring a host object on the system that uses iSCSI connections, ensure that you have completed the necessary host-system configurations and have configured the system for iSCSI connections.

If you are configuring a host object on the system that uses RDMA, ensure that you have completed the necessary host-system configurations and have configured the system for RDMA connections.

At least one WWPN or iSCSI name must be specified.

To create a host object in the management GUI, select Hosts > Hosts > Add Hosts.

About this task

To create host objects with the command-line interface, use the following steps:

Procedure

Create an attached host, using the mkhost CLI command.
For full mkhost command information, see mkhost.
- When creating a logical host object for a Fibre Channel host, be sure to assign your worldwide port name (WWPN) for the host bus adapters (HBAs) in the hosts.
- When creating an iSCSI-attached host, specify the iSCSI qualified names (IQNs) of the host. Each name should comply with the iSCSI standard, RFD 3720.
- When creating a logical host object for an NVMe-attached host, be sure to assign your NVMe Qualified Name (NQN) for the HBAs in the host.
Add ports to the attached host, using the addhostport CLI command.
For full mkhost command information, see addhostport. Use the WWPN, IQN, or NQN that was created in step 1.
To set up Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) to authenticate iSSCI-attached hosts, issue the chhost CLI command.
The system supports both one-way and two-way CHAP authentication. In one-way CHAP authentication, the system authenticates to the host and with two-way chap authentication, both the host and the system authenticate to each other. You can specify the one-way chap secret and the user name for that host object by using the chhost command that will be used in one-way chap authentication. For example, issue the following CLI command:
```
chhost -chapsecret chap_secret –iscsiusername  username
```
where chap_secret is the CHAP secret that is used to authenticate the host for iSCSI I/O and username is the user name for the host object and is used in one-way authentication for iSCSI host logins. If this parameter is not specified, the IQN for the host is used as the user name. To list the CHAP secret and the user name for each host, use the lsiscsiauth command. To clear any previously set CHAP secret for a host, use the chhost -nochapsecret command.

What to do next

After you create the host object on the system, you can map volumes to a host.

If you are unable to discover the disk on the host system or if there are fewer paths available for each disk than expected, test the connectivity between your host system and the system. Depending on the connection type to the host, these steps might be different. For iSCSI-attached hosts, test your connectivity between the host and system ports by pinging the system from the host. Ensure that the firewall and router settings are configured correctly and validate that the values for the subnet mask and gateway are specified correctly for the system host configuration.

For Fibre Channel attached hosts, ensure that the active switch configuration includes the host zone and check the host-port link status. To verify end-to-end connectivity, you can use the lsfabric CLI command (see lsfabric) or the View Fabric panel under the Service and Maintenance container in the management GUI.