Force 10 MXL IO Module

Module 6 : iSCSI Optimization

iSCSI
Optimization

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iSCSI Optimization Overview

iSCSI
TCP/IP-based protocol
(Layer3)
establishing and managing
connections between storage
devices and initiators in a
storage area network

iSCSI Optimization
Monitor iSCSI sessions
Apply QoS policies on iSCSI
traffic
Snoop the creation and
termination of iSCSI
connections

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iSCSI Optimization Functionality

Auto-detection
active EqualLogic storage arrays

Automatic configuration
switch ports after detection of storage arrays

Manual configuration
detect Compellent storage arrays where auto-detection is not supported

iSCSI monitoring sessions

Monitors and tracks active iSCSI sessions
connections on the switch
port information
iSCSI session information

iSCSI QoS
user-configured iSCSI class of service (CoS) profile
applied to all iSCSI traffic

iSCSI DCBX TLVs are supported

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iSCSI Monitoring/Snooping
iSCSI session monitoring (up to 256)
monitors iSCSI connections made between hosts and servers
snooping iSCSI commands (defined in RFC 3720)

login
logout
login response
logout response

iSCSI snooping ports

default: TCP ports 3260 and 860
user can configure it to snoop on non standard ports

new session
system will raise a syslog with session details

each TCP connection is identified by:

ISID (Initiator defined session identifier)
iSCSI qualified name
Initiators IQN
Targets IQN

IP Address
Initiator
Target

TCP Port
Initiator
Target

view current iSCSI sessions through CLI command

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iSCSI Class of Service (CoS)

iSCSI CoS
Classifier rules are used to direct the iSCSI data traffic to queues
given preferential QoS treatment over other data passing through the
switch
helps to avoid session interruptions during times of congestion that
would otherwise cause iSCSI packets to be dropped.

COS treatment should be applied to

iSCSI flows as described by iscsi target configuration
support dot1p priority based profile with and without remark at egress
support DSCP based profile with and without remark at egress

EqualLogic Inter-array traffic

(TCP ports 9876, 20002, 20003, 25555)
Fixed and not configurable

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Topology Diagram
EQL Arrays

Stacked Switches
S4810s/Nexus5K
Stacked
Up to 3 S4810s
Uses 10G Interfaces
Up to 8, 10G Stacking
Cables

DCB
Ethernet

Single LAG supports

full bandwidth

Navasota IOMs Stacked

Up to 6 IOMs

Stacked blades

m1000e

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Scalability and Known Limitations

All Copy to CPU iSCSI packets
rate limited at 500 packets per second (pps)
unresolved ARP messages use queue 5
may not learn all connections
may also miss FIN/RST packet for learnt session
the session/connection information stays till we age out

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Enabling iSCSI
Optimization

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iSCSI Default Configuration

iSCSI Enabled
Flow Control
enabled on all interfaces

EQL auto-detection
Jumbo Frames (MTU 12000)
No Storm Control
Spanning Tree
port-fast
%STKUNIT0-M:CP %IFMGR-5-IFM_ISCSI_ENABLE: iSCSI has been enabled causing flow control to
be enabled on all interfaces. EQL detection and enabling iscsi profile-compellent on an
interface may cause some automatic configurations to occur like jumbo frames on all
ports and no storm control and spanning tree port-fast on the port of detection

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iSCSI Default Configuration

iSCSI Configuration
iSCSI Enabled (enabled by default)
iSCSI COS (enabled by default)
dot1p or dscp

iSCSI TCP Ports

3260
860
FTOS# show iscsi

Display iSCSI Configuration

iSCSI is enabled
iSCSI COS : dot1p is 4 no-remark
Session aging time: 10
Maximum number of connections is 256
-----------------------------------------------iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:
-----------------------------------------------TCP Port
Target IP Address
3260
860
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Configuring iSCSI CoS

iSCSI Class of Service (CoS)
dot1p
remark

dscp
remark
FTOS(conf)# iscsi dot1p <0-7> remark

Configure iSCSI CoS dot1p

FTOS(conf)# iscsi dscp <0-63> remark

Configure iSCSI CoS dscp

FTOS# show iscsi

Display iSCSI Configuration

iSCSI is enabled
iSCSI COS : dot1p is 4 no-remark
Session aging time: 10
Maximum number of connections is 256
-----------------------------------------------iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:
-----------------------------------------------TCP Port
Target IP Address
3260
860

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Configuring iSCSI Aging Time

iSCSI Aging Time
Configure 5 43,200 minutes
Default: 10 minutes

FTOS(conf)# iscsi aging time <5-43200>

Configure Aging Time

(minutes)
(default: 10)

FTOS(conf)# do show iscsi

Display iSCSI Configuration

iSCSI is enabled
iSCSI COS : dot1p is 4 no-remark
Session aging time: 10
Maximum number of connections is 256
-----------------------------------------------iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:
-----------------------------------------------TCP Port
Target IP Address
3260
860
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Add iSCSI TCP target port

iSCSI TCP Ports (default)
3260
860

FTOS(conf)# iscsi target port TCP-RANGE

Add iSCSI TCP target ports

FTOS(conf)# do show iscsi

Display iSCSI Target TCP Ports

iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:

-----------------------------------------------TCP Port
Target IP Address
3260
860
4000
FTOS(conf)# iscsi target port TCP-RANGE ipaddress

Add iSCSI TCP target ports / IP

FTOS(conf)# do show iscsi

Display iSCSI Target TCP Ports

iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:

-----------------------------------------------TCP Port
Target IP Address
3260
860
4000
10.10.10.10
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Manual iSCSI Profile (Compellent)

iSCSI Profile-Compellent
enable auto-configuration when Compellent is on interface
MTU 12000 (Jumbo Frames)

FTOS(conf)# interface te 0/33

Enter Interface Config mode

FTOS(conf-if-te-0/33)# iscsi profile-compellent

Configure iSCSI Compellent

profile on interface

%STKUNIT0-M:CP
configured for
some automatic
control on all
enabled on the

%IFMGR-5-IFM_ISCSI_AUTO_CONFIG: This switch is being

optimal conditions to support iSCSI traffic which will cause
configuration to occur including jumbo frames and flowports; no storm control and spanning-tree port fast to be
port of detection

FTOS(conf-if-te-0/33)# show config

Display Interface Configuration

!
interface TenGigabitEthernet 0/33
no ip address
mtu 12000
iscsi profile-compellent
shutdown
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Viewing iSCSI
Optimization
Information

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View iSCSI Sessions

FTOS# show iscsi session

Display iSCSI Sessions

Session 0:
---------------------------------------------------------------------Target: iqn.2001-05.com.equallogic:0-8a0906-0e70c2002-10a0018426a48c94iom010
Initiator: iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:win-x9l8v27yajg
ISID: 400001370000

Session 1:
---------------------------------------------------------------------Target: iqn.2001-05.com.equallogic:0-8a0906-0f60c2002-0360018428d48c94iom011
Initiator: iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:win-x9l8v27yajg
ISID: 400001370000
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View iSCSI Sessions detailed

FTOS# show iscsi session

Display iSCSI Sessions

Session 0:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Target: iqn.2001-05.com.equallogic:0-8a0906-0e70c2002-10a0018426a48c94-iom010
Initiator: iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:win-x9l8v27yajg
Up Time: 00:00:00:16 (DD:HH:MM:SS)
Time for aging out: 44 secs
ISID: 400001370000
Initiator
Initiator
Target
Target
Connection
IP Address
TCP Port
IP Address
TCP Port
ID
192.168.2.125
49272
192.168.2.2
0 3260
3232

Session 1:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Target: iqn.2001-05.com.equallogic:0-8a0906-0f60c2002-0360018428d48c94-iom011
Initiator: iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:win-x9l8v27yajg
Up Time: 00:00:00:13 (DD:HH:MM:SS)
Time for aging out: 47 secs
ISID: 400001370000
Initiator
Initiator
Target
Target
Connection
IP Address
TCP Port
IP Address
TCP Port
ID
192.168.2.125
49274
192.168.2.20
3260
45
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Troubleshootin
g and
Debugging
iSCSI
Optimization

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Issue: iSCSI auto-detection not

happening
1. Check is iSCSI task enabled ( this is applicable to all of iSCSI feature)

iscsi cos enable

Force10(conf)# iscsi cos enable
Force10(conf)# do show iscsi
iSCSI is enabled
iSCSI COS : dot1p is 4 no-remark
Session aging time: 10
Maximum number of connections is 256
-----------------------------------------------iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:
-----------------------------------------------TCP Port Target IP Address
3260
860
FTOS#

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Issue: iSCSI auto-detection not

happening
2. Check the system description TLV for hex string that states it is
Equallogic storage.

debug lldp interface tengigabitethernet 0/51 packet detail

both
FTOS#debug lldp interface tengigabitethernet 0/51 packet detail both

2d22h35m : Recieved LLDP pkt on Te 0/51 of length 81 :

2d22h35m : Packet dump:
2d22h35m : 01 80 c2 00 00 0e 78 2b cb 69 96 4b 81 00 03 e7
2d22h35m : 88 cc 02 07 04 78 2b cb 69 96 4b 04 05 05 65 74
2d22h35m : 68 32 06 02 00 78 0e 04 00 80 00 80 0c 1d 44 65
2d22h35m : 6c 6c 20 45 71 75 61 6c 4c 6f 67 69 63 20 53 74
2d22h35m : 6f 72 61 67 65 20 41 72 72 61 79 00 00 62 1c 3a
2d22h35m : 7e
2d22h35m : TLV: Chassis ID, Len: 7, Subtype: Mac address (4) Value: 78:2b:cb:69:96:4b
2d22h35m : TLV: Port ID, Len: 5, Subtype: Interface name (5) Value: eth2
2d22h35m : TLV: TTL, Len: 2, Value: 120
2d22h35m : TLV: SYSTEM CAPAB, Len: 4, Existing: Station only, Enabled: Station only
2d22h35m : TLV: SYSTEM DESC, Len: 29, Value: Dell EqualLogic Storage Array
2d22h35m : TLV: ENDOFPDU, Len: 0
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Issue: iSCSI auto-detection not

happening
3. If spanning-tree port state is not enabled, check switchport is enabled
on the interface

debug lldp interface tengigabitethernet 0/51 packet detail

both
FTOS(conf)#interface tengigabitethernet 0/51
FTOS(conf-if-te-0/51)#show config
!
interface TenGigabitEthernet 0/51
no ip address
switchport
no shutdown

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Issue: iSCSI auto-detection not

happening
4. Check, first detection of EQL/Compellent is already done
show logging
FTOS#show logging
3d1h46m: %STKUNIT0-M:CP %IFMGR-5-IFM_ISCSI_AUTO_CONFIG: This switch is being
configured for optimal conditions to support iSCSI traffic which will cause some
automatic configuration to occur including jumbo frames and flow-control on all ports; no
storm control and spanning-tree port fast to be enabled on the port of detection
3d1h46m: %STKUNIT0-M:CP %LLDP-5-LLDP_EQL_DETECTED: EqualLogic Storage Array
detected on interface Te 0/49

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Issue: iSCSI session monitoring is not

happening
Check L2/L3 setting are proper VLAN, subnets etc.
Check number of sessions, max session Navasota can monitor is 256 sessions.

show iscsi session | grep Session

FTOS#show iscsi session | grep Session
Session 0
:

Check iSCSI sessions are getting created

Open shell prompt as mentioned in appendix
Execute following command in shell prompt w iscsiOptDebug 0x8
Exit shell prompt ctrl+c and execute command exit
Initiate iSCSI session from initiator and check for following debugs
4. Check does iSCSI sessions are created on non-default tcp port ( 3260). If
it is on non-default add that port number in the iSCSI CoS table.
(debug output for cases 3 and 4 in next slide )

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Issue: iSCSI session monitoring is not

happening
FTOS#iscsiOptMain(): recv info on sockFd
iscsiOptRecvTcpPkt(): __FUNCTION__
IP Version: 4 HL: 5 TOS: 0
IP Len: 56 ID: 43261 Off: 0
IP TTL: 64 Proto: 6 Csum: bd49
IP Src: 0xa0a0001 Dst: 0xa0a0065
TCP Src: 35096 Dest: 3260 ----- iSCSI target
TCP port
TCP Seq: 584691560 Ack: 0
TCP Rsvd: 0 Off: 9 Flags: S
TCP Sum: b4c2 URP: 0
iscsiOptRecvTcpPkt(): f10RecvFrom len=74(<
122)
iscsiOptMain(): recv info on sockFd
iscsiOptRecvTcpPkt(): __FUNCTION__
IP Version: 4 HL: 5 TOS: 0
IP Len: 56 ID: 52382 Off: 0
IP TTL: 64 Proto: 6 Csum: 99a8
IP Src: 0xa0a0065 Dst: 0xa0a0001
TCP Src: 3260 Dest: 35096
TCP Seq: 409487739 Ack: 584691561
TCP Rsvd: 0 Off: 9 Flags: S A
TCP Sum: 3660 URP: 0

iscsiOptRecvTcpPkt(): f10RecvFrom
len=74(< 122)
iscsiOptMain(): recv info on sockFd
iscsiOptRecvTcpPkt(): __FUNCTION__
IP Version: 4 HL: 5 TOS: 0
IP Len: 52 ID: 43262 Off: 0
IP TTL: 64 Proto: 6 Csum: bd4c
IP Src: 0xa0a0001 Dst: 0xa0a0065
TCP Src: 35096 Dest: 3260
TCP Seq: 584691561 Ack: 409487740
TCP Rsvd: 0 Off: 8 Flags: A

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Issue: iSCSI session monitoring is not

happening
Check does any of the initiator initiated the session but it did not get login success response from target
Follow the steps mentioned for debugging issue 3
Execute following command iscsiDumpTcb

iscsiDumpTcb
f10ddb-> iscsiDumpTcb
Key 10088
IPC Key 65
Task ID 0
Service 279
Instance 0
EV Log Key 20052
.
.
.
Pending 0
.
.

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Issue: iSCSI CoS not happening

1. Check iSCSI CoS enabled
show iscsi
FTOS#show iscsi
iSCSI is enabled
iSCSI COS : dot1p is 4 no-remark
Session aging time: 10
Maximum number of connections is 256
-----------------------------------------------iSCSI Targets and TCP Ports:
------------------------------------------TCP Port Target IP Address
3260
860
FTOS#

2. Check tcp port and destination IP added in the iscsi COS table
Appendix:
Start shell by executing command start shell(root/abracadabra31)
Attach iscsi process by executing command f10appioclnt iscsiOpt

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Lab 06.0
iSCSI
Optimization

28

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