In this video we will show you how to attach a Windows host to a PowerVault ME5 system that connects to the host using iSCSI protocol. Before you begin: Complete the installation of your ME5 system hardware Complete the basic setup of PowerVault Manager Review the Dell PowerVault ME5 Series Storage System Deployment Guide for host cabling and set-up instructions.
Review the ME5 Series Storage System Administrator’s Guide for information on configuring hosts and volumes in PowerVault Manager. And prepare a network planning worksheet based on the examples in the Deployment Guide. We will show an example worksheet shortly. First connect the ME5 system to your Windows host according to instructions in the ME5 Series Deployment Guide.
Your configuration may vary, but it will look similar to this diagram. On the ME5 5U system, controller A is on the left and controller B is on the right. Ports are identified as port 0 through port 3 going right to left.
On your network planning worksheet, record each controller port and the switch port or host server port it is connected to. It is recommended that you track the IPs for the ports and devices connected to the ME5 system in a planning worksheet. As a best practice, use a consistent convention to create the IPs.
For example: The 2nd number in the final octet represents the port number, and the last digit of the 4th octet represents which controller the port is on. All Controller A addresses end in 0, whereas all Controller B addresses end in 5. In this example, Controller A, port 0, or A0, uses 200 in the 4th octet of the IP address, Controller A, port 1, or A1, uses 210 in the 4th octet, and Controller A, port 2, or A2, uses 220 in the 4th octet.
Controller B, Port 0 ends in 205, B1 ends in 215, and so on. The 3rd octet of the IP address indicates which subnet the port is connected to. For example, A0 is on subnet 10 and the 3rd octet is 10, whereas A1 is on subnet 11 and the 3rd octet is 11. Open Network Connections in Windows.
Optionally, rename the connected NICs to help identify them. In this video, we’ll name the NICs “iSCSI NIC1” and “iSCSI NIC2”. Manually assign an IP address to each NIC based on the network planning worksheet. It’s a good idea to ping all of the IPs to ensure connectivity. Now install MPIO on the Windows host.
In Server Manager, launch the Add Roles and Features Wizard. Click Next until you reach the Features page and then select Multipath IO. Click Next, select the box to restart the server, click Yes and then click Install. The server restarts to complete the MPIO installation. Next, we’ll configure the iSCSI initiator. Re-open Server Manager. Go to Tools then iSCSI initiator.
In the iSCSI initiator Properties dialog, click the Discovery tab, then click Discover Portal. Use the network planning worksheet to enter an IP address for a port on controller A. Click Advanced and set the Local adapter to Microsoft iSCSI Initiator. Select the IP address of iSCSI NIC1 from the Initiator IP drop-down menu.
Click OK twice to return to the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box. Repeat this process to discover a port on controller B, selecting iSCSI NIC2 from the drop down menu. When both ports are connected, click the Targets tab, select the discovered target, and click Connect. Select Enable multi-path and click Advanced.
In the Advanced Settings dialog box, Set the Local adapter to Microsoft iSCSI Initiator. Select the IP address of iSCSI NIC1 from the Initiator IP drop-down menu. Select the first IP listed in the same subnet from the Target portal IP drop-down menu. Click OK twice to return to the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.
Repeat this process for every connection between the host and the ME5. In this video we’ll set up multipath between iSCSI NIC1 and the port on controller B. Click the Configuration tab and record the initiator name specified in the Initiator Name field. You’ll need to know the initiator name to map volumes to the host.
Next, configure the hosts on the PowerVault ME5 system. Log in to PowerVault Manager. From the main dashboard, go to Provisioning and select Hosts. Select Create Host to launch the wizard. Enter the Host Name. Select the correct initiator for the host, using your worksheet as a guide to map the IP and Initiator ID. You can give this host initiator a nickname.
It is recommended to use something that clearly identifies the initiator for that particular host. Then, select Add Initiators To Host, and click Continue. Optionally, attach the host or host group to a volume. You can choose to create a new volume during this step or attach the host to an existing volume.
For this video, we will create a new volume to attach to the host. Select attach host or host groups to volumes and select Create new volumes to attach to host or Host Group. Then click Continue. Select the pool on which you want to deploy the volume. Name the volume. Again, it is recommended that you include something descriptive of the volume use in the name, such as the host name. Click Add Volume, then click Continue.
Review the information for the host and associated volume and click Continue to complete the Create Host wizard. When hosts are created, you will see a Success message pop up. Next use the Server Manager to discover the ME5. Open Server Manager, click Tools, and select MPIO.
Click the Discover Multi-Paths tab. Select Dell EMC ME5 in the Device hardware ID list and Click Add. If Dell EMC ME5 is not listed in the Device Hardware Id list, ensure that the host has a minimum of one logical connection to both controllers. Lastly, discover and configure the volume in Windows.
In the Server Manager click on Tools and select Computer Management. Select on Disk Management then right click on Disk Management and select Rescan Disks. Locate your new disk in the list. Right-click on the new disk and select Online. Right-click on the disk again and select Initialize Disk.
Select the partition style for the disk and click OK. Right-click on the Unallocated space and select New Simple Volume. Follow the wizard prompts to format the volume.
Go back into the iSCSI Initiator Properties from Server Manager, select Volumes and Devices and then click Auto Configure. Your ME5 storage system is now ready to be used by your Windows Server hosts.
For more information or support about PowerVault ME5 hosts, visit Dell.com/Support.
