Configuring initiator port groups

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Initiator port groups (IPGs) define the set of VIOS ports to be used for volume attachment when using NPIV storage. This feature enables different set of VIOS ports for each type of volume attachment and allows to scale the number of volumes that can be attached to a virtual machine.

After you define initiator port groups in a storage connectivity group, you can provide the IPG to be used for a volume attachment in the storage template. For information on defining initiator port groups, see the Initiator port groups section.

Work with initiator port groups when using IBM storage (DS8000®, PowerMax, and Hitachi

For supported storage types, you can work with initiator port groups on the user interface. You can specify an initiator port group when creating a storage template.

Perform the following steps:

  1. Navigate to Configuration > Storage Templates.
  2. Select a storage provider from the drop-down, and then select a storage pool.
  3. In the Match Initiator Port Groups section, select Define path between storage port groups and initiator port group.
  4. Select an existing initiator port groups from the drop-down or define a new initiator port group. PowerVC matches the IPG name given here with the initiator port groups defined in the storage connectivity group associated with the virtual machine. You can also create an initiator port group and the storage connectivity group after creating a storage template.

The Match Initiator port groups with Storage port groups defined above checkbox is enabled when there are any storage port groups defined. When you select this checkbox, the storage port group with the same name as the initiator port group on the volume is used for zoning the volumes.

For PowerMAX, the Match Initiator Port Groups section is disabled as the PowerMAX port groups are fetched directly from the storage.

Working with initiator port groups for other brands of storage

When working with the other brands of storage to select a specific initiator port group, the extra specs can be modified to add drivers:init_port_group to the volume type. Given below is an example to set the appropriate extra specs on a volume type (storage template) through a REST API.

Example
POST /v3/<template_id>/extra_specs 
Body: 
{ 
    "extra_specs": 
    { 
        "drivers:init_port_group": "IPG_1" 
    } 
}

Removing an initiator port group from a storage template

To remove an initiator port group from a storage template, run a DELETE request on the volume type with drivers:init_port_group.