Boot from / install on iSCSI- Target

[lstcuser]

Hi,

i'm trying to install and boot my esx 3.5 on/from an iscsi target. the esx server uses a tyan s2932 mainboard with 2 quadcore amd cpus. For the iscsi connection I either use a qlogic hba 4062c or an intel pro 1000 pt dual port.

when I boot the setup cd using the qlogic hba, i always get a kernel panic while loading the qla4022 driver (no matter if I use esx 3.5, update 1 or update 2).

using the intel nic, the setup routine doesnt find any disks.

so i used a common desktop computer, put in the qlogic hba, booted the esx setup disk - and I didnt get a kernel panic so i finally could install esx 3.5 on my iscsi target!

after the installation completed, i put the hba back into my server and tried to boot from my iscsi target - which actually works fine.

now i want to use the intel nic (which can be configured for iscsi boot) to boot esx from the iscsi target. first it seemed to work: the server recognizes the iscsi target and shows me the esx boot selection screen. but everytime i try to boot (either esx, troubleshoot or debug mode) i get the message "mouting root failed. can't access tty, job control turned off".

i hope you can understand the description of my problem... does anybody have an idea how to fix it? when i install esx on a local raid, esx works fine using the intel nic as a simple network interface card, so there shouldnt be any driver problems...

thx

[Yattong]

Hey,

You cannot boot ESX from an iscsi san if you are using the software initiator.

This document should help you

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_iscsi_san_cfg.pdf

If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points

~y

[lstcuser]

i'm not really trying to boot using a software adapter, the intel pro 1000 pt dual port has its own iscsi boot menu to connect to iscsi targets. as i wrote before, esx starts to boot, only after about 10 to 15 seconds during the boot process i get the error message.

read lots of vmware documents, they're not helping at all... i even dont get any support from vmware although i'm using only hardware components listed at the official compatibility list. so i hoped someone else having similiar problems could maybe help me

[DuncanArmstrong]

This is a late response, but at the time of writing this post, ESX does not support the use of NICs with iSCSI capabiltiies as iSCSI HBAs. They are on the HCL for use as a Network Interface Card, not an iSCSI HBA.

Because of this, you are forced to use software iSCSI over these NICs - this, in turn, prohibits your ability to boot-from-SAN until these types of cards are supported in such a manner.

Maybe in a future release!

[Paul_Brannon]

To clear my confusion, can someone comment on my statements below?

Even though the BCM5709 supports iSCSI boot from SAN, and it is listed in the VMware Compatibility Guide as a supported Network I/O Device, it will not boot ESX from SAN as it is not listed as a supported iSCSI I/O Device.

If an I/O device does not list as an iSCSI Hardware Adapter in ESX's Configuration tab, then it cannot support booting ESX from SAN.

Only the Qlogic QLA405x or QLA406x and their OEM variants support booting ESX from an iSCSI SAN.

Thanks!

[DuncanArmstrong]

Once you have the iSCSI module purchased and installed on your network adapters, the recently-released ESX 4.1 product should allow you to boot from the SAN using Software iSCSI.

Still, these dual-purpose adapters tend to largely be utilized as network adapters to this date, not SCSI host bus adapters like some may hope.

Your comments are accurate, Paul, though I imagine you have your answer by now, maybe you would be interested in knowing about ESX 4.1's capabilities when you have the right networking hardware and components.