Dell PowerVault MD3000i Hardware Owner's Manual

Also see for PowerVault MD3000i: Getting started Tuning guide System installation guide User guide Information update

Contents

Dell PowerVault MD3000i Hardware Owner's Manual Manual pdf 54 page image

54 Using Your RAID EnclosureBest Practices and RecommendationsThe MD3000i RAID array supports a variety of configurations. To take fulladvantage of its iSCSI features and achieve optimal performance, considerthe following recommendations.• Use a separate network for all your iSCSI storage needs. If a separatenetwork cannot be dedicated, assign this storage function to a separatevirtual local area network (VLAN), which creates independent logicalnetworks within a physical network.NOTE: Use untagged VLANs for your storage needs. VLAN tagging is notsupported.• Use a separate subnet for each iSCSI controller port.• Disable the File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks option in theIP stack of those network interface cards (NICs) of your host that will bededicated as iSCSI storage initiators.• For a secure network, use separate, dedicated Ethernet switches for alliSCSI activity. If your iSCSI traffic travels on the same switch fabric aspublic Ethernet data or across the Internet, set up Challenge HandshakeAuthentication Protocol (CHAP) security to authenticate all access to theiSCSI ports on both the host server and the storage array. Refer to thePowerVault MD3000i Installation Guide for information on configuringCHAP.• Refer to the User’s Guide for information on configuring your iSCSI hostservers to use with storage arrays in a storage area network (SAN).Advanced setting considerations for iSCSI target parameters are included.NOTE: Changing any of these settings resets the iSCSI port. I/O is interruptedto any host server accessing that port. You can access the I/O automaticallyafter the port restarts and the host server logs in again.