If you are using SAN storage, you must initially configure your storage
controller and storage area network (SAN) switch before you add them to IBM® Power® Virtualization Center.
Before you begin
Before you begin, decide how you want to connect remotely to the storage controller. If you
are using user authentication, make sure to retain the user name and password for the storage
controller. Otherwise, plan on using key pairs. For instructions to generate key pairs, see the
documentation for your device.
About this task
To configure the storage controller and SAN switch, follow these steps:
Procedure
-
Configure the Fibre Channel fabric for the PowerVC
environment.
-
Connect the required Fibre Channel ports that are owned by the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS)
virtual machines and the storage controller to the SAN switch.
Consider creating two redundant fabrics by connecting all VIOS virtual machines and storage
controllers to two SAN switches. If one switch fails, the redundancy helps to ensure constant
connectivity between VIOS virtual machines and the storage
controller.
-
Perform
initial configuration for the SAN switch.
The initial configuration process requires a serial connection. For more information, go to
the
IBM Support
Portal Documentation page and use Quick find to search for your switch model:
Note: Make note of the administrator user ID and password. You need those credentials to
register SAN switches with PowerVC. For
Cisco switches, you might also need to specify a port and a number used to identify the virtual SAN.
-
Configure the storage controller.
This configuration includes setting up user authentication and creating storage pools and
volumes. For more information, follow the link for your controller.