HP NC551i iSCSI HBA can't talk to FAS3140

[biggles69]

Hi,

I have an issue trying to get an HP NC551 i CNA adapter to talk to our NetApp  FAS3140. We have a rack mount server using Microsoft iSCSI software initiator  that is able to access the FAS3140, but our blade servers can't.

The rackmount server can ping both the NetApp and the HBA on the blades.

The NetApp can ping the rackmount server iSCSI IP but not the HBA's

The blade server are able to ping the rackmount servers (and also some other  blade servers using standard NIC's for iSCSI) but not the FAS3140.

Has anyone got any ideas what may be causing the issue. Not sure if it's a  server or NetApp issue as devices other than the NetApp are able to communicate  with the HBA's.

Thanks,

Adam

[AdvUniMD]

This is most probably a network/routing issue. Check if the server and switchports are on the correct VLAN.

Try connecting a "regular" NIC on the port where your HBA is connected and giving it the same IP as the HBA. Then you can perform ping testing and traceroute for example.

-Michael

[biggles69]

All the VLAN's are correct, one non-routed VLAN.

The problem server with iSCSI HBA can communicate with other servers that have standard NIC's with IP's on that subnet. SAN can talk to all servers apart from the one with the HBA.

There isn't much point in changing the adapter to a standard NIC's are the personality is completely different and we know that works on other servers.

Comes back round to why can't the HBA and the SAN communicate?

Adam

[biggles69]

An update on the issue. It does seem to be an issue with the FAS3140 as we are able to connect to another iSCSI SAN from the server using the iSCSI HBA .

Are there any settings we can check on the filer head?

Adam

[alexander_duske]

Any updates on the issue? Any solutions available yet?

Maybe I have the same problem 😞

[radek_kubka · Accepted solution]

Hi,

That card is plainly not supported according to IMT:

http://now.netapp.com/matrix/mtx/login.do

(unless I've missed a very well hidden entry)

This is a very specific CNA, proprietary to HP & one of its unique feature is to present iSCSI *hardware* HBA to the target - so no wonder FAS may refuse to recognise it.

Personally I would try to present the card in question as a 'plain' Ethernet interface by disabling iSCSI hardware acceleration.

Regards,
Radek

[biggles69]

We gave up in the end. Seems the CNA card is supported for FCoE (or so my colleague said) but not for iSCSI. HP have just released firmware updates for the CNA & Flex10 interconnect modules not sure whether that would resolve the issue, though still wouldn't be a supported config.

We decided to use standard Flex10 NIC's rather than the iSCSI HBA's and use the MS iSCSI software initiator which we've had no issues with.

Adam