Connecting PVE to a Dell Compellent

U

unsichtbarre

Member
Oct 1, 2024
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Hello all,

Challenge is to connect PVE to a Dell Compellent and it is not presenting like any iSCSI I have seen recently. Unfortunately, all of its host ports are on the same broadcast domain, so I will also have to contend with that.

Notice how all of the targets have the same IP (which is not actually the host port), Dell calls it the 'target'
Code: 
iscsiadm -m discovery -t sendtargets -p 172.27.7.154
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3448
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3449
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344a
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344b
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344c
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344d
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344e
172.27.7.154:3260,0 iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344f

I got by that using (eventually logging in to all of the portals):
Code: 
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3448 -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi1 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3448, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3448, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3449 -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi1 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3449, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d3449, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344a -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi1 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344a, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344a, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344b -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi1 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344b, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344b, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344c -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi2 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344c, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344c, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344d -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi2 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344d, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344d, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344e -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi2 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344e, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344e, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344f -p 172.27.7.154 iscsi2 --login
Login to [iface: iscsi2, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344f, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.
Login to [iface: iscsi1, target: iqn.2002-03.com.compellent:5000d310055d344f, portal: 172.27.7.154,3260] successful.

And I ended up with:
Code: 
root@host1:~# multipath -ll
mpatha (36000d310055d34000000000000000028) dm-5 COMPELNT,Compellent Vol
size=15T features='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw
`-+- policy='service-time 0' prio=50 status=active
  |- 20:0:0:1 sdd 8:48 active ready running
  `- 19:0:0:1 sde 8:64 active ready running
  root@pwd-host1:~# lsblk
NAME               MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINTS
sda                  8:0    0 111.3G  0 disk
sdb                  8:16   0 111.7G  0 disk
├─sdb1               8:17   0  1007K  0 part
├─sdb2               8:18   0     1G  0 part  /boot/efi
└─sdb3               8:19   0 110.7G  0 part
  ├─pve-swap       252:0    0     8G  0 lvm   [SWAP]
  ├─pve-root       252:1    0  37.7G  0 lvm   /
  ├─pve-data_tmeta 252:2    0     1G  0 lvm
  │ └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
  └─pve-data_tdata 252:3    0  49.3G  0 lvm
    └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
sdc                  8:32   1     0B  0 disk
sdd                  8:48   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
sde                  8:64   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
sr0                 11:0    1   1.7G  0 rom
root@host1:~# iscsiadm -m session -P 3

At this point, Compellent shows connected on all paths and servers are connected. Unfortunately, when I go to include it in the GUI, I am only given a choice of one of the paths and IF I choose that, it logs out of all of the other paths.
1772760095157.png

NOTE: I went through /var/lib/iscsi/nodes/<iqn>/<IP>/name and set only the outbound paths I wanted as: node.startup = automatic per PVE iSCSI IP

Question: Once I get connected and the paths seem right, how do I then proceed in the GUI to get iSCSI to show up so I can create LVM?

Thanks,
-JB
 
Last edited:
Hi @unsichtbarre ,

You are more than halfway there. The only thing left to do is set up LVM. There are two main ways to configure iSCSI with Proxmox Virtual Environment.

The first method is to use the built-in PVE iSCSI storage pool. The options available for this pool are intentionally generic so that it can work with the widest possible range of storage devices. However, broad compatibility comes with reduced flexibility.

The second method is to use the native Linux tools, specifically iscsiadm. This approach gives you much more flexibility and control over how the sessions and devices are handled.

From your description, it sounds like the first method does not work for your setup, and you have already established connectivity using the second method. At this point, the remaining step is to initialize the resulting device-mapper (DM) device with LVM. In this configuration you will not have a PVE iSCSI storage pool defined, since the iSCSI layer is managed directly by Linux.

We have written an article that walks through this process in detail:
https://kb.blockbridge.com/technote/proxmox-lvm-shared-storage/

Based on what you described, you should be at this step:
https://kb.blockbridge.com/technote...multipath-device-as-an-lvm-physical-volume-pv

Cheers

Blockbridge : Ultra low latency all-NVME shared storage for Proxmox - https://www.blockbridge.com/proxmox
 
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Reactions: unsichtbarre
bbgeek17 said:
Hi @unsichtbarre ,

You are more than halfway there. The only thing left to do is set up LVM. There are two main ways to configure iSCSI with Proxmox Virtual Environment.

The first method is to use the built-in PVE iSCSI storage pool. The options available for this pool are intentionally generic so that it can work with the widest possible range of storage devices. However, broad compatibility comes with reduced flexibility.

The second method is to use the native Linux tools, specifically iscsiadm. This approach gives you much more flexibility and control over how the sessions and devices are handled.

From your description, it sounds like the first method does not work for your setup, and you have already established connectivity using the second method. At this point, the remaining step is to initialize the resulting device-mapper (DM) device with LVM. In this configuration you will not have a PVE iSCSI storage pool defined, since the iSCSI layer is managed directly by Linux.

We have written an article that walks through this process in detail:
https://kb.blockbridge.com/technote/proxmox-lvm-shared-storage/

Based on what you described, you should be at this step:
https://kb.blockbridge.com/technote...multipath-device-as-an-lvm-physical-volume-pv

Cheers

Blockbridge : Ultra low latency all-NVME shared storage for Proxmox - https://www.blockbridge.com/proxmox
Click to expand...
OK, so I get:
Code: 
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# lsblk
NAME               MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINTS
sda                  8:0    0 111.3G  0 disk
sdb                  8:16   0 111.7G  0 disk
├─sdb1               8:17   0  1007K  0 part
├─sdb2               8:18   0     1G  0 part  /boot/efi
└─sdb3               8:19   0 110.7G  0 part
  ├─pve-swap       252:0    0     8G  0 lvm   [SWAP]
  ├─pve-root       252:1    0  37.7G  0 lvm   /
  ├─pve-data_tmeta 252:2    0     1G  0 lvm
  │ └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
  └─pve-data_tdata 252:3    0  49.3G  0 lvm
    └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
sdc                  8:32   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
sdd                  8:48   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# multipath -ll
mpatha (36000d310055d34000000000000000028) dm-5 COMPELNT,Compellent Vol
size=15T features='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw
`-+- policy='service-time 0' prio=50 status=active
  |- 18:0:0:1 sdd 8:48 active ready running
  `- 19:0:0:1 sdc 8:32 active ready running
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# pvcreate /dev/mpatha
  No device found for /dev/mpatha.
What am I missing?

Thanks,
-JB
 
Last edited:
unsichtbarre said:
OK, so I get:
Code: 
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# lsblk
NAME               MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINTS
sda                  8:0    0 111.3G  0 disk
sdb                  8:16   0 111.7G  0 disk
├─sdb1               8:17   0  1007K  0 part
├─sdb2               8:18   0     1G  0 part  /boot/efi
└─sdb3               8:19   0 110.7G  0 part
  ├─pve-swap       252:0    0     8G  0 lvm   [SWAP]
  ├─pve-root       252:1    0  37.7G  0 lvm   /
  ├─pve-data_tmeta 252:2    0     1G  0 lvm
  │ └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
  └─pve-data_tdata 252:3    0  49.3G  0 lvm
    └─pve-data     252:4    0  49.3G  0 lvm
sdc                  8:32   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
sdd                  8:48   0    15T  0 disk
└─mpatha           252:5    0    15T  0 mpath
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# multipath -ll
mpatha (36000d310055d34000000000000000028) dm-5 COMPELNT,Compellent Vol
size=15T features='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='1 alua' wp=rw
`-+- policy='service-time 0' prio=50 status=active
  |- 18:0:0:1 sdd 8:48 active ready running
  `- 19:0:0:1 sdc 8:32 active ready running
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# pvcreate /dev/mpatha
  No device found for /dev/mpatha.
What am I missing?

Thanks,
-JB
Click to expand...
Duh!
Code: 
root@host1:/var/lib/iscsi/send_targets# pvcreate /dev/mapper/mpatha
  Physical volume "/dev/mapper/mpatha" successfully created.
 
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