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HP 1.10GB Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem User Manual

Page 129

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Virtual Connect server profiles 129

Use the iSCSI offload feature to offload iSCSI protocol processing from the OS to the NIC. In addition to

offloading TCP/IP protocol processing, it also offloads iSCSI protocol processing.
The following items are required for iSCSI offload and boot:

VC 3.10 or higher firmware

HP VC FlexFabric 10Gb/24-port Module—supports iSCSI, and supports FCoE connections to server

bays

HP VC Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module—supports iSCSI

The latest BIOS on a supported server. See the Virtual Connect QuickSpecs on the Installing tab of the
HP BladeSystem Technical Resources website (

http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystem/documentation

).

NIC requirements:

o

HP NC551i Dual-Port FlexFabric Converged Network Adapter

o

HP NC551m Dual-Port FlexFabric Converged Network Adapter

o

HP NC553i 10Gb 2-port FlexFabric Converged Network Adapter

o

HP NC553m 10Gb 2-port FlexFabric Converged Network Adapter

One Command OS tool

be2iSCSI driver

be2iSCSI Driver Update Disk for iSCSI boot installs

iSCSI target

DHCP server (optional)

The following features are supported:

Full Flex-10 support

Multi-personality—all Ethernet, Ethernet/iSCSI, or Ethernet/FCoE

Four physical functions per port

Up to 128 iSCSI targets per iSCSI function

Primary/Secondary iSCSI boot path per adapter

The iSCSI function on the adapter appears to the OS as a standard SCSI device.

With the new iSCSI driver, no network driver is needed

Does not use software iSCSI initiator from the OS

It is not possible to enable both SAN boot (FC or FCoE) and iSCSI boot in a server profile at the same time.

The priority is given to the first connection that is enabled, which might be FC/FCoE or iSCSI.
Be sure that your Ethernet adapter, operating system, and device drivers support iSCSI boot.
An iSCSI connection cannot be assigned to multiple networks.
The following steps provide an overview of the procedure to enable iSCSI boot:

1.

Create iSCSI connections on the Profile page.

2.

Enable boot on those connections by choosing Primary and optionally Secondary under Boot Setting.

3.

Enter all iSCSI boot parameters for the primary and secondary connections. It is possible (and likely)
that most or all the parameters associated with primary and secondary connections are the same.

4.

Apply the Profile.