Configure Software iSCSI on ESXi Hosts

Prior to commissioning ESXi hosts for use within a Workload Domain backed by iSCSI vVols, the member hosts must have software iSCSI enabled on them and have their associated IQNs added to the FlashArray. This section will detail how to accomplish this task.

First, connect to the DCUI of an ESXi host either via FQDN or IP address and login as root. Select Host and then Storage on the left-side of the GUI.

Pick the Adapters tab and then click on Software iSCSI to open the wizard to enable that feature.

The relevant Configure iSCSI fields that need to be populated are:

iSCSI enabled: Toggle this to Enabled.
Name & Alias: This is the iSCSI IQN for the ESXi host. Copy this value when it becomes available as it will be used later in a subsequent step.
Dynamic Targets: Click on Add dynamic target and then enter the IP address of an iSCSI port on the FlashArray.
Once the above three fields have been populated, click on Edit Settings.

Click on Advanced Settings, and disabled Inherit from parent for both LoginTimeout and DelayedAck. Change LoginTimeout to 30 seconds and disable DelayedAck.

Click Save then Save Configuration to complete.

With iSCSI successfully enabled on the host, we can now add it to the FlashArray to complete the storage layer connection. In the FlashArray GUI, click on Storage and then the Hosts tab.

Select the Host (or create one) to associate with the ESXi host we just enabled iSCSI on. Keeping consistency between ESXi hostname and the host entry on the FlashArray is strongly recommended. Click on the vertical ellipses in the Host Ports panel on the right and then click on Configure IQNs...

Copy and paste the ESXi host IQN that was shown in the Alias field when Software iSCSI was enabled on the ESXi host earlier in this section and then click Add.

Repeat the above process for all other iSCSI ESXi hosts you wish to add to the Workload Domain.