Troubleshooting QLogic iSCSI issues

Resolving The Problem

Note: QLogic iSCSI Expansion Card (26K6487)

1. To begin troubleshooting, check the following top issues. If your issue is listed, select the link, otherwise proceed to step 2.
   
   

   	iSCSI port1 is not seen in SANsurfer after system reboot
   	iSCSI adapter network configuration not seen in SLES9
   	Card ID is QLA405X instead of QMC4052 after BIOS update

   
   
   The QLogic iSCSI Expansion card for IBM eServer BladeCenter is an iSCSI TCP/IP offload engine (TOE). The card cannot operate as a straight TOE. It is a standard form factor expansion card. It is dual port and it enables both switch module bays 3 and 4 on the BladeCenter chassis. The card has full 1Gb Ethernet functionality and can work as a straight network card. It does not support IP Security Architecture (IPSec). It can be added to a blade server or blade server expansion unit to provide additional communications on an iSCSI storage network. The QLogic iSCSI Expansion Card can support up to 64 session with one connection per session.
   
   The iSCSI expansion card is supported with the HS20, HS40 and JS20 blade servers.
   
   
   
   The iSCSI initiator resides on the server. When the Qlogic iSCSI Expansion Card for IBM eServer BladeCenter is installed on a supported blade server, it provides the blade server with the iSCSI initiator functionality. The iSCSI target resides on iSCSI storage device such as a DS300. When the iSCSI expansion card is installed in the blade server it acts as a hardware iSCSI initiator. It requests or initiates any communication to and from the iSCSI storage device which is the iSCSI target. The target performs the work requested by the initiator and sends back a reply. SCSI activity is never initiated by the target iSCSI device.
   
   
   

2. Make sure that the switch modules in switch module bays 3 and 4 both support the input/output (I/O) expansion card. For detailed instructions on how to install the iSCSI expansion card, please refer to the Qlogic iSCSI Expansion Card for IBM eServer Installation Guide (below).
   
   
3. Check properties in Windows Device Manager to ensure that the card is configured correctly. Two instances of the Qlogic iSCSI adapter are shown in Device Manager. This is because there is one instance of the adapter, shown in Device Manager, for each port on the expansion card. Right-click one of the instances and choose properties from the menu that appears. This will open the properties window for that port on the expansion card. There are four tabs available on the Qlogic iSCSI Adapter Properties window. They are labeled General, Qlogic, Driver, and Resources:
   
   
   • The General tab provides general information on the iSCSI expansion card such as Device type, Manufacturer and the status of the device. It also provides the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus that the expansion card is located. Click the Troubleshooter... button to open the built-in Windows troubleshooting tool.
     
     
   • The QLogic tab allows you to ping the iSCSI port to see if there is connectivity. You can set the number of pings and then click the Start Ping button to begin pinging.
     
     
   • The Driver tab provides the name of the driver provider, the driver date if available, the driver version and whether or not the driver has been digitally signed. Click the Driver Details button for more detailed information on the driver files for the card.
     
     
4. Start the SANsurfer iSCSI HBA Manager Application and run diagnostics. The iSCSI expansion card is an HBA and uses the SANsurfer application. The SANsurfer iSCSI HBA Manager Application can found at the following uniform resource locator (URL): http://www.qlogic.com/products/sanmgmnt/sansurfer_tool.asp
   
   The Diagnostics tab is used to test the iSCSI HBA and the devices it is connected to. This tab contains three more tabs which are the Ping tab, Logs tab and the Advanced tab. For more detailed information on these tabs, please see the SANsurfer built-in help, or the SANsurfer iSCSI HBA Application User's Guide.
   
   
   
   
   • The Ping tab allows the connectivity between the iSCSI iport and the Target port. To begin the ping test simply click the Start testing button. To stop pinging click the Stop testing button.
     
     
   • The Logs tab allows you to view the address resolution protocol (ARP) cache or ARP table, This cache is a record of the host port connections as well as other devices on the network. It also you to view the Connections Error Log which contains the 100 latest connection errors for the HBA port. To view the ARP Table select the Logs tab, and select the Display ARP table button. To view the Connection Errors log select the Display Connection errors button.
     
     
   • The Advanced tab allows you to perform the following tests: Read/Write Buffer Test, Internal Loopback Test, External Loopback Test. The Advanced tab displays both the test configuration fields and the test result table.
     
     
     
5. Gather the Windows Event log. The Event log in Windows should always be gathered when troubleshooting a problem with the Qlogic iSCSI expansion card.
   
   
6. Check the high-speed signal connector for damage. When installing the Qlogic iSCSI expansion card into a blade server be careful with the High-speed signal connector. If the expansion card is pressed down too hard this connector and the complementing connector on the blade server can be damaged.
   
   
   
   
7. Download the latest firmware and software code updates for your system:
   
   

   	Essential Software for the QLogic iSCSI TOE Expansion card
   	Download the latest BladeCenter support software

   
   
8. Consult the available product documentation:
   
   

   	Configuring the QLogic iSCSI card to boot from a remote drive
   	Installation Guide for QLogic iSCSI Expansion card
   	QLogic technical support Web site

   
   
9. If these steps have not solved your problem:
   Refer to your system's Hardware Maintenance Manual, or refer to "Need more help?"

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