While creating new SR on XS 6.0.2 on EMC VNX 5500 will show one host with 1 active path rest all have all the active path . When multipath -ll is run it will also show one path . This shows that all the path is not having access to the lun .
From the host which has an issue logoff all the active path
iscsiadm -m node -U all and then logback in iscsiadm -m node -L all.
Restart the multipathd service /etc/init.d/multipathd restart. This will bring all the path active on the host.
Installed brand new XenServer and try to run ISCSIADM command it will throw message "iscsid is not running. Could not start it up automatically using the startup command in /etc/iscsi/iscsid.start
To fix it just run new SR wizard for ISCSI over LVM and
then try to run the discovery again it will list all the targets . This test is conducted on EMC VNX 5500. This process basically make open-iscsi service is called by and configured by XAPI. When using the New Storage wizard, it will create files /etc/iscsi such as initiator name, send_targets directory. 
In order to create new SR on VNX 5500 for XenServer 6.0.2 , you need to ensure that all the targets are logged in. The process is A) Run SR wizard but do not create SR 2) Logged all the targets 3) Create the SR again using SR wizard . This has been explained in following blogs of mine.
Thanks to my college and open-iscsi.
In order to install OMSA 6.5 on XS 6.0.2 , we need to get latest ISO from Dell site. Connect this ISO to the Dell Server via virtual CD ROM
Mount the CD-ROM on XenServer and run the install.sh script to start OMSA agent on XS.
This will install the require package
Insure the ports are open. By default installation does open the require ports
Start the server service
And point the URL to https://<HostIP>: 1311
In my last post I explained how to map iSCSI interface from XenServer to VNX 5500 box. In this post I will explain how to create lun and map it to the XenServer Cluster.
Launch Unisphere console and select the box. Choose storage and from drop down select "LUNs". This will bring to the page where all the created lun will be listed. Hit "Create"
This will pop one box asking for information like
Storage Pool Type : It is better to choose pool
Raid type : This is defined while creating pool and I am not going to explain those details in my post as this post is
meant creation and attaching lun to XenServer.
Storage Pool for new LUN: Again this is created when commissioning of storage.
Capacity will show space for each of the pool separately, not over all storage.
Rest is self explanatory. Under "Advance" tab make sure you choose "Auto" and this way you don't have to bother about owner of the LUN. As you know VNX 5500 is active passive storage.
Tiering should be set to "Auto" as it will automate fail over process.
Once LUN is created you need to assign to the storage group. Assuming that respective Storage group is already created.
Once LUN is assigned to the storage group . Then we have to assign host to the storage group . It same place from where you can create Storage group. Select the respective Storage Group and click properties . Choose the hosts tab , from here move the available host to the connected host list . This will assign LUN tot he respective XenServer.
LUN tab will which SP is the owner of the LUN. There is also a state during the SP fail over which SP will own the LUN .
Sometimes it is quite tough to find simple stuff on quite popular sites. May be I am stupid or may be its poor documentation. I was trying to update hostname as shown below because by default the hostname would be localhost.
In order to update this , boot the Dell server and press Ctrl+ E when you get below boot menu
This will bring iDRAC configuration utility . I was thinking this somewhere you can do from desktop. Yeah stupid of me. So choose "LAN Parameters" and then "Host Name String". It will popup box for hostname. Provide correct host name and exit with saving changes.
I am starting series of blog with hastag "DellEMCXEN "which will talks about integrating XenServer with EMC VNX 5500. XenServer is installed on Dell Power Edgem710 HD with Chassis M1000e connected via Nexus 5500 and Dell switch M8024.
First define storage interface on XenServer and for that choose configure under "Management Interface " and then select "New Interface" . Now specify the name and then choose the NIC which will be configure for storage traffic. Supply IP address. This needs to be repeated for all the interface which is connected to the storage.
Once this is done then perform discovery of the nic for the logging into EMC. This can be perform via CLI as well as via XenCenter. To perform via XenCenter select new storage and choose "Software iSCSI". Choose "Name" and then under location provide information as follows :
Target host: This will be IP address of target Storage Processor or controller . Specify all the IP address with ,
Target IQN: Here you will find IQN of the target storage processor . If it has 4 ports then you will see 4 IQN. We need to choose the one which is highlighted (*)
This will log all the targets on the EMC VNX box to mapped .
From the command line following needs to be run from the host in order to login.
Once all the message says successfully login , open EMC Unixshpere and select "Connectivity status " on left hand side under "Hosts ". This will popup Host initiators window. You will find one name with just IQN as shown below. This is the new targets which has logged in . Select "Edit " from bottom and then provide information about "host name" "IP address" . IP address is of XenServer management IP . Make sure you choose initiator type as "clarion open " and Fail Over mode as "ALUA 4". ALUA is the latest fail over mode as per EMC and other storage vendors.
With this host will be connected to to EMC storage. In the next series , I will explain process of creating lun and attaching it to the storage group.
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