Skip to main content

Configure an SVM for iSCSI

Contributors netapp-aherbin netapp-aaron-holt netapp-ahibbard
PDFs

To configure a storage virtual machine (SVM) for iSCSI, you must create LIFs for the SVM and assign the iSCSI protocol to those LIFs.

About this task

  • You need a minimum of one iSCSI LIF per node for each SVM serving data with the iSCSI protocol. For redundancy, you should create at least two LIFs per node.

  • Beginning with ONTAP 9.19.1, AFF systems support active-active multipathing with automatic LIF failover at the SVM level in SAN environments. You must enable active-active multipathing on AFF systems when you first create the SVM.

Before you begin

You must be a cluster administrator to perform this task.

Example 1. Steps
System Manager

Configure an storage VM for iSCSI with ONTAP System Manager (9.7 and later).

To configure iSCSI on a new storage VM To configure iSCSI on an existing storage VM

  1. In System Manager, select Storage > Storage VMs and then select Add.

  2. Enter a name for the storage VM.

  3. Select iSCSI for the Access Protocol.

  4. Select Enable iSCSI and enter the IP address and subnet mask for the network interface.

    Each node should have at least two network interfaces.

  5. If you want network paths to automatically fail over to the HA partner in case of a node failure do the following:

    This options is available in ONTAP 9.19.1 and later on AFF and ASA systems only.

    • For AFF systems, select Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing and then select Enable Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing.

    • For ASA systems, select Symmetric Active-Active Multipathing and then select Enable for SCSI and NVMe protocols.

  6. Select Save.

  1. In System Manager, select Storage > Storage VMs.

  2. Select on the storage VM you want to configure.

  3. Select on the Settings tab, and then select Actions icon next to the iSCSI protocol.

  4. Select Enable iSCSI and enter the IP address and subnet mask for the network interface. + Each node should have at least two network interfaces.

  5. Select Save.
CLI

Configure an storage VM for iSCSI with the ONTAP CLI.

  1. Enable the SVMs to listen for iSCSI traffic:

    vserver iscsi create -vserver vserver_name -target-alias vserver_name

  2. Create a LIF for the SVMs on each node to use for iSCSI:

    • For ONTAP 9.6 and later:

      network interface create -vserver vserver_name -lif lif_name -data-protocol iscsi -service-policy default-data-iscsi -home-node node_name -home-port port_name -address ip_address -netmask netmask

    • For ONTAP 9.5 and earlier:

      network interface create -vserver vserver_name -lif lif_name -role data -data-protocol iscsi -home-node node_name -home-port port_name -address ip_address -netmask netmask

  3. Verify that you set up your LIFs correctly:

    network interface show -vserver vserver_name

    Learn more about network interface show in the ONTAP command reference.

  4. Verify that iSCSI is up and running and the target IQN for that SVM:

    vserver iscsi show –vserver vserver_name

  5. From your host, create iSCSI sessions to your LIFs.

Related information