Dell PowerStore 3000T EMC PowerStore Host Configuration Guide - Page 12

Validation Impact Duplex setting should be consistent across all Performance paths to the PowerStore cluster per single host or a cluster of hosts. If jumbo frames are required for iSCSI traffic, Performance all ports (server, switches and storage) must be configured with the same MTU value. Enable the TCP Offloading Engine (TOE) on Performance the host iSCSI interfaces. Balance the hosts across the target ports of Performance the appliances to provide a distributed load across all target ports. Use dedicated NICs or iSCSI HBAs for PowerStore cluster iSCSI connection. NOTE: Avoid partitioning the iSCSI interface. Performance In PowerStore only single network subnet is Performance supported for the iSCSI target portals. Severity Warning Warning Warning Recommended Recommended Normal Refer to Section Recommended Zoning Configuration Recommended Configuration for iSCSI Recommended Configuration for iSCSI Recommended Zoning Configuration Recommended Configuration for iSCSI Recommended Configuration for iSCSI Minimal Subnetting Configuration for iSCSI To prevent host path failure due to a single node failure, make sure to maintain redundancy. • A PowerStore Appliance contains two nodes. • A host must be connected at minimum with one path to each node for redundancy. Recommended Configuration for iSCSI Consider the following recommendations when setting up an iSCSI SAN infrastructure. • External hosts can be attached via ISCSI to a PowerStore cluster via either the embedded 4-port card or via a SLIC: ○ Hosts connected via the first two ports of the 4-port card, will be connected using ToR switches (also used for PowerStore internal communication). With this configuration, it is recommended to use a dedicated VLAN, and if not possible, use a separate subnet/network for iSCSI storage. ○ For hosts connected using any other iSCSI port (that is, not the first two ports), use either dedicated iSCSI switches or a dedicated VLAN for iSCSI storage. • The PowerStore cluster can be shipped with various extension modules for iSCSI. If your PowerStore cluster contains more than one extension I/O module per node, distribute the connections among all I/O modules for highest availability and performance. • You can connect the host to 1-4 appliances. It is recommended to connect the host to as many appliances as possible to allow volume migration to and from all appliances. • iSCSI switch recommendations ○ Use nonblocking switches ○ Use enterprise grade switch ○ Utilize at minimum 10GbE interfaces • It is recommended to use dedicated NICs or iSCSI HBAs for PowerStore cluster iSCSI and not to partition the iSCSI interface (that is, disable NIC Partitioning - NPAR). • Enable the TCP Offloading Engine (TOE) on the host iSCSI interfaces, to offload the TCP packet encapsulation from the host's CPU to the NIC or iSCSI HBA, and free up CPU cycles. • When using PowerStore iSCSI, it is recommended to use interfaces individually rather than using NIC Teaming (Link Aggregation), to combine multiple interfaces into a single virtual interface. • In PowerStore only single network subnet is supported for the iSCSI target portals and routing is not supported. • If Jumbo Frames are required for iSCSI traffic, make sure that all ports (servers, switches and system) are configured with the same MTU value. NOTE: VMware requires setting Jumbo Frames at the virtual switch and VMKERNEL level. 12 Best Practices for Storage Connectivity