HP-BRCM iSCSI Boot for Linux User Guide Part Number 503767-00A September 2008 (First Edition)
© Copyright 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Confidential computer software.
Contents Overview..................................................................................................................................... 4 iSCSI boot overview .................................................................................................................................. 4 System requirements .................................................................................................................................. 4 Limitations and known issues .......................
Overview iSCSI boot overview The HP NC-Series Broadcom iSCSI boot feature allows a server to boot from a remote disk (known as the iSCSI target) on a Storage Area Network (SAN) without having to directly attach a boot disk. Booting from a remote disk on a SAN allows the boot process to be centralized and consolidates equipment resources. iSCSI boot allows a Linux system with a standup, mezzanine, or embedded HP ProLiant Gigabit Ethernet Multifunction server adapter to start up from a remote storage device.
Supported hardware • Servers. ProLiant G6 and later Servers that include an iLO or RILOE management device with a minimum of 256 MB memory with any of the supported operating systems and with access to an iLO virtual floppy drive, CD drive, or USB device. • Adapters. The following HP ProLiant Gigabit Ethernet Multifunction Server Adapters are supported.
• If CHAP is used with SLES10 for the root disk, the same CHAP user name and password must be used for all additional data disks being connected to the system. This is a limitation on the SLES10 open-iscsi initiator.
Installation and configuration Summary of installation and configuration Currently the method for setting up an iSCSI boot implementation consists of the following: 1. Install a supported HP ProLiant Gigabit Ethernet Multifunction Server Adapter in your server. See System requirements (on page 4) for a list of supported adapters. 2. Configure the iSCSI boot parameters on the target. Please note that this document is not intended to detail target configuration. 3.
The boot order must be set correctly for the iSCSI installation and to ensure the iSCSI boot works correctly.The iSCSI-enabled adapter must appear first in the Standard Boot Order (IPL) list. 1. During the boot press to enter the RBSU. 2. At the RBSU menu select Standard Boot Order (IPL). 3. Verify that the iSCSI boot adapter is first in the IPL list. Modify the boot order, if necessary. 4. Press to exit RBSU.
6. Select Enable for the Windows HBA Boot Mode parameter. 7. Modify the iSCSI Name parameter based on the DHCP options that are used by the DHCP server. o If DHCP Option 17 is used, the initiator name is retrieved from the value entered in the Initiator Parameters screen. But if no value is entered, the controller defaults to the name: iqn.1995-05.com.broadcom.<11.22.33.44.55.66>.iscsiboot where 11.22.33.44.55.66 is the controller MAC address. o 8.
7. On initial boot, enable booting to the iSCSI target drive by selecting Ctrl-S. In the MBA Configuration Menu select the appropriate function key combination (varies based on configuration see menu for your combination) to enter the iSCSI Cfg menu. 8. Select a device, if prompted. 9. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled.
10. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 11. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit. NFS install Prior to beginning the NFS install, set up the NFS server and ensure that the OS distribution files to be installed are present and are exported using NFS. Steps that are not documented here should be considered irrelevant and do not affect the iSCSI installation steps. Installing targets using NFS 1.
10. Select a device, if prompted. 11. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled. 12. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 13. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit.
PXE install If the system to be installed contains a network adapter card with Pre-Execution Environment (PXE) support, then direct install over PXE is possible. Setting up PXE The following steps must be performed to prepare for a PXE installation: 1. Configure the NFS server to export the installation source. 2. Configure the TFTP server required for PXE booting. 3. Start or enable the TFTP service. 4. Configure DHCP. 5. These steps are not described in this guide.
11. Select a device, if prompted. 12. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled. 13. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 14. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit.
SLES 10 installations The following describes how to install SLES 10 on iSCSI boot targets. USB device install Skip this section if you are doing a network installation, such as PXE or NFS. Installing targets using a USB device 1. Power on the server with the first OS installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Select Installation at the first screen and pass the following boot options: withiscsi=1 netsetup=1 3. Select the appropriate network device from which to do the install through and then select OK.
10. Select a device, if prompted. 11. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled. 12. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 13. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit.
NFS install Prior to beginning the NFS install, set up the NFS server and ensure that the OS distribution files to be installed are present and are exported using NFS. Steps that are not documented here should be considered irrelevant and do not affect the iSCSI installation steps. Installing targets using NFS 1. Power on the server with the first OS installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2.
10. Select a device, if prompted. 11. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled. 12. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 13. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit.
PXE install If the system to be installed contains a network adapter card with Pre-Execution Environment (PXE) support, then direct install over PXE is possible. Setting up PXE The following steps must be performed to prepare for a PXE installation: 1. Configure the NFS server to export the installation source. 2. Configure the TFTP server required for PXE booting. 3. Start or enable the TFTP service. 4. Configure DHCP. These steps are not described in this guide.
9. Select a device, if prompted. 10. In the iSCSI Configuration Utility menu, select General Parameters and modify the parameter Boot to iSCSI target to be Enabled. 11. Select twice and select Exit and Save Configurations. 12. Press to exit the Device List, if prompted and then select F4 to exit; otherwise, just press F4 to exit.
Performing an iSCSI boot Booting from the iSCSI drive You can perform an iSCSI boot now that the system has been prepared and the operating system is present on the iSCSI target. 1. Verify in the system BIOS that the iSCSI-enabled adapter is at the top of the boot order and boot the system. 2. The system should boot over the network and operate as if it were a local disk drive. 3. The iSCSI Boot screen should display briefly showing that the iSCSI boot driver is logging into the iSCSI Target.
Troubleshooting ProLiant BL685c servers fail to finish boot sequence Symptom On some ProLiant BL685c servers with more than 4 GB of memory, the system fails to finish the boot sequence after a SLES10 install. Resolution Add the parameter "numa=off" to the list of parameters given for boot options or in the PXE configuration file depending on the type of install.
• The initiator's boot path information is not correct • The target service is not running on the target server • Target's firmware is outdated. Update to the latest firmware version Target login problems Symptoms: The iSCSI initiator is able to connect to the target but is unable to log in successfully.
Symptoms: After successful OS installation, the server will not boot Linux from the iSCSI target. Resolution: Check the RBSU settings for the adapter that is connected to the target. On some servers and with some versions of the BIOS, you may have to enable iSCSI boot or modify the boot controller order. Symptoms: On some BL685c servers with more than 4 Gb of memory, the system fails to finish the boot sequence after a SLES 10 install.
Technical support Before you contact HP Be sure to have the following information available before you call HP: • Technical support registration number (if applicable) • Product serial number • Product model name and number • Product identification number • Applicable error messages • Add-on boards or hardware • Third-party hardware or software • Operating system type and revision level HP contact information For the name of the nearest HP authorized reseller: • In the United States, see
• Navigate to a specific product, and then look for support information from the list of support resources at the HP support website (http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server). • For downloadable support software for HP Digital Networking Products, Hubs, Integrated Access Devices, Modems and ISDN, Adapters, Remote Access Concentrators/Servers, Software, and Switches, go to the HP software and drivers website (http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server).
Acronyms and abbreviations BIOS Basic Input/Output System CHAP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol HBA host bus adapter iLO Integrated Lights-Out IP Internet Protocol IPL initial program load iSCSI Internet Small Computer System Interface LUN logical unit number NFS network file system PXE Preboot Execution Environment RBSU ROM-Based Setup Utility Acronyms and abbreviations 27
RILOE Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition ROM read-only memory SAN storage area network UNDI Universal Network Driver Interface VLAN virtual local-area network Acronyms and abbreviations 28
Index B technical support 25 troubleshooting 22 boot commands 21 U C USB flash device 9, 15 Configuring the server for iSCSI boot 7 E enable iSCSI boot 7 I installation and configuration 7 iSCSI boot 21 iSCSI boot Option ROM 22 iSCSI boot targets 9, 15, 22, 23 iSCSI configuration 8 N NFS 11, 17 O overview 4 P PXE (preboot execution environment) 13, 19 R Red Hat procedures 9 S Set Boot Order utility (STBORDR) 7 SLES procedures 15 support 25 supported hardware 4 supported operating systems 4 syst
