Best Practices And Recommendations - Dell PowerVault MD3000i Hardware Owner's Manual

Best Practices and Recommendations

The MD3000i RAID array supports a variety of configurations. To take full
advantage of its iSCSI features and achieve optimal performance, consider
the following recommendations.
• Use a separate network for all your iSCSI storage needs. If a separate
network cannot be dedicated, assign this storage function to a separate
virtual local area network (VLAN), which creates independent logical
networks within a physical network.
NOTE:
supported.
• Use a separate subnet for each iSCSI controller port.
• Disable the File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks option in the
IP stack of those network interface cards (NICs) of your host that will be
dedicated as iSCSI storage initiators.
• For a secure network, use separate, dedicated Ethernet switches for all
iSCSI activity. If your iSCSI traffic travels on the same switch fabric as
public Ethernet data or across the Internet, set up Challenge Handshake
Authentication Protocol (CHAP) security to authenticate all access to the
iSCSI ports on both the host server and the storage array. Refer to the
PowerVault MD3000i Installation Guide for information on configuring
CHAP.
• Refer to the User's Guide for information on configuring your iSCSI host
servers to use with storage arrays in a storage area network (SAN).
Advanced setting considerations for iSCSI target parameters are included.
NOTE:
to any host server accessing that port. You can access the I/O automatically
after the port restarts and the host server logs in again.
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Using Your RAID Enclosure
Use untagged VLANs for your storage needs. VLAN tagging is not
Changing any of these settings resets the iSCSI port. I/O is interrupted