VMware vSphere SDKs and Tools 8.0

8.0 7.0 6.7 6.5

Set Up Dependent Hardware iSCSI with ESXCLI
Last Updated December 16, 2024

Dependent hardware iSCSI setup requires several high-level tasks.
You should be familiar with the corresponding command for each task. You can refer to the relevant documentation for each command or run
esxcli iscsi --help
 in the console. Specify one of the options listed in Connection Options for ESXCLI Host Management Commands in place of
<conn_options>
.
  1. Determine the iSCSI adapter type and retrieve the iSCSI adapter ID. 
    esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter list
  2. Set the iSCSI name and alias. 
    esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter set --adapter <adapter_name> --name=<name>
esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter set --adapter <adapter_name> --alias=<alias>
  3. Set up port binding.
    1. Identify the VMkernel port of the dependent hardware iSCSI adapter. 
      esxcli <conn_options> iscsi logicalnetworkportal list --adapter=<adapter_name>
    2. Connect the dependent hardware iSCSI initiator to the iSCSI VMkernel ports by running the following command for each port. 
      esxcli <conn_options> iscsi networkportal add --nic=<bound_vmknic> --adapter=<iscsi_adapter>
    3. Verify that the ports were added to the dependent hardware iSCSI initiator. 
      esxcli <conn_options> iscsi physicalnetworkportal list --adapter=<adapter_name>
  4. Add a dynamic discovery address or a static discovery address.
    • With dynamic discovery, all storage targets associated with a host name or IP address are discovered. You can run the following command. 
      esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget add --address=<ip/dns[:port]> --adapter=<adapter_name>
    • With static discovery, you must specify the host name or IP address and the iSCSI name of the storage target. You can run the following command. 
      esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter discovery statictarget add --address=<ip/dns[:port]> --adapter=<adapter_name> --name=<target_name>
    When you later remove a discovery address, it might still be displayed as the parent of a static target. You can add the discovery address and rescan to display the correct parent for the static targets.
  5. Set the authentication information for CHAP.
    You can set per-target CHAP for static targets, per-adapter CHAP, or apply the command to the discovery address.
    Option
    Command
    Adapter-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter auth chap set --direction=uni --chap_username=<name> --chap_password=<pwd> --level=[prohibited, discouraged, preferred, required] --secret=<string> --adapter=<vmhba>
    Discovery-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget auth chap set --direction=uni --chap_username=<name> --chap_password=<pwd> --level=[prohibited, discouraged, preferred, required] --secret=<string> --adapter=<vmhba> --address<sendtarget_address>
    Target-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter target portal auth chap set --direction=uni --chap_username=<name> --chap_password=<pwd> --level=[prohibited, discouraged, preferred, required] --secret=<string> --adapter=<vmhba> --name<iscsi_iqn_name>
    The following example sets adapter-level CHAP. 
    esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter auth chap set --direction=uni --chap_username=<name> --chap_password=<pwd> --level=preferred --secret=uni_secret --adapter=vmhba33
  6. Set the authentication information for mutual CHAP by running
    esxcli iscsi adapter auth chap set
     again with
    --direction
     set to
    mutual
     and a different authentication user name and secret.
    Option
    Command
    Adapter-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter auth chap set --direction=mutual --mchap_username=<name2> --mchap_password=<pwd2> --level=[prohibited required] --secret=<string2> --adapter=<vmhba>
    Discovery-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget auth chap set --direction=mutual --mchap_username=<name2> --mchap_password=<pwd2> --level=[prohibited, required] --secret=<string2> --adapter=<vmhba> --address=<sendtarget_address>
    Target-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter target portal auth chap set --direction=mutual --mchap_username=<nam2e> --mchap_password=<pwd2> --level=[prohibited required] --secret=<string2> --adapter=<vmhba> --name=<iscsi_iqn_name>
    You are responsible for making sure that CHAP is set before you set mutual CHAP, and for using compatible levels for CHAP and mutual CHAP.
  7. Set iSCSI parameters.
    Option
    Command
    Adapter-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter param set --adapter=<vmhba> --key=<key> --value=<value>
    Discovery-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget param set --adapter=<vmhba> --key=<key> --value=<value> --address=<sendtarget_address>
    Target-level CHAP
    esxcli iscsi adapter target portal param set --adapter=<vmhba> --key=<key> --value=<value> --address=<address> --name=<iqn.name>
  8. After setup is complete, perform rediscovery and rescan all storage devices.
    The following example performs the rediscovery and rescan operations. 
    esxcli <conn_options> iscsi adapter discovery rediscover
esxcli <conn_options> storage core adapter rescan --adapter=vmhba36
  9. If you want to make additional iSCSI login parameter changes, you must log out of the corresponding iSCSI session and log back in.
    1. Run
      esxcli iscsi session remove
       to log out.
    2. Run
      esxcli iscsi session add
       or rescan the adapter to add the session back.

Content feedback and comments