Linux iSCSI host attachment

You can use iSCSI Ethernet to attach a Linux® host to the system.

Before you begin host attachment procedures:
  • Read the information about setting up the host server.
  • Ensure that you are familiar with the command-line interface (CLI) commands. Information about the CLI is available in this product information.

Installing the Linux software iSCSI initiator

To install the Linux software iSCSI initiator for iSCSI host attachment, set the iSCSI qualified name, target discovery, and authentication. Also, enable multipathing for the Linux hosts.

Before you begin
The system supports the use of the iSCSI-initiator software that is provided by your Linux distribution vendor. Ensure that you have the latest release of the initiator software that is installed on your host before you continue with the instructions.

The initiator software on RHEL systems is packaged as iscsi-initiator-utils. The initiator software on SLES systems is packaged as open-iscsi.

Procedure
  1. Configure the iSCSI-initiator daemon by editing the /etc/iscsi file.
    [root@R64SRV6 ~]# cd /etc/iscsi/

[root@R64SRV6 iscsi]# ls

initiatorname.iscsi  iscsid.conf

[root@R64SRV6 iscsi]#

  2. Manage the software by using the chkconfig command and the service command. The service on RHEL systems is named iscsid. The service on SLES systems is named open-iscsi. Consider the examples for RHEL and SLES systems.

    For RHEL systems:
    [root@R64SRV6 iscsi]# chkconfig --list | grep "iscsid"
iscsid          0:off   1:off   2:off   3:off   4:off   5:off   6:off

[root@R64SRV6 iscsi]# chkconfig iscsid on

[root@R64SRV6 iscsi]# chkconfig --list | grep "iscsid"
iscsid          0:off   1:off   2:on    3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off
[root@R64SRV6 iscsi]#

    For SLES systems:

    Yas1 and Yast2 provide an appropriate method to properly configure iSCSI services and initiator. From a command line for iSCSI services in SLES:
    #/etc/init.d/open-iscsi start

#chkconfig open-iscsi on
  3. Use the default settings for the iSCSI initiator. These settings are described in /etc/iscsi/iscsid.conf.