ESXi 4.0 connecting to Windows Storage Server 2008 via iSCSI

[ccity]

Does anyone know if this is supported? MY current setup

1.) PC1 = ESXi 4.0 host (booting from USB Key)

2.) PC2 = Windows Storage Server 2008 With iSCSI target (using a 10.10 subnet)

3.) Both are connected via identical Intel 1Gb NICS using a crossover cable (each has a management NIC as well on a 192.168 subnet)

4.) I can ping the IP of the ESX host from the windows box

I have tried just about every combination of security (CHAP on/off, blocking access to iSCSI target via IQN and IP address, etc...) but still cannot get it to do anything when I select "rescan"

I am starting to think that maybe the WSS 2008 iSCSI target only supports windows based iSCSI initiators? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks

[AndreTheGiant]

iSCSI must be iSCSI... but I haven't used the 2008 version.

With the 2003 version it works, so maybe you have only to check Windows firewall configuration or ESXi configuration.

See also this thread:

Andre

[Schorschi]

Rats, I don't have my test box still up, but I believe we got this working. WDS is really picky on the IQN specification as I recall. Can you use a Linux VM to test with a 3rd party iSCSI software initiator? What I do recall is that ESXi is really bad at dropping or losing an iSCSI connection on reboot. I often had to recreate the connections to the datastores, I reported this as a bug in Beta 2 and RC 1, but VMware has trouble recreating the issue. Guess they did not have a Windows 2008 box at hand. I would see the mounts, but they where always inactive. I finally had to restore to using the restore command to force the iSCSI connections to wake up. esxcfg-nas -r I think it was. Not a recommended practice.

[ccity]

To answer my own question, Windows Storage Server 2008 is supported, but they dont inform you that you have to enable port 3260 inbound on the firewall (or disable it entirely)

[TimPhillips]

But 3260 is default iSCSI port. I recomend you to delete standart WIndows Firewall rule, and write it for yourself for port 3260, cause in case of using standart rule you can have troubles with incoming traffic.

[ElbertLumenier]

Hi,

Just a suggestion: check if the iSCSI initiator is listed in the iSCSI target's "iSCSI Initiator" Tab.

If you are identifying by IQN, you can add a new IQN in the Target's tab, and identify the initiators that have attempted to connect to the target by clicking on the Browse button in that tab.

Further disable CHAP on both ends and try it, if you can get it to work, proceed with CHAP.

Also check if the network card is not marked as a "private network".

Regards,

Elbert Lumenier

Infoman NV.

[Mike_CPK]

Did you ever get this working?

I found a Blog post that covered connecting the Microsoft iSCSI target from WSS 2008 with another Server 2008 system using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator. I could get that to work with Server 2003 and XP Pro but I needed to "Log On" to the iSCSI target from the Initiator before it would show me any LUNs. I cannot seem to find the "Log On" function on the ESXi configuration screens.

I see what Elbert posted but do not see any LUNs from the EXSi side.

Thanks

Mike