Use this web page to plan for and install an IBM® BladeCenter® or System x™ model that is attached to IBM i using iSCSI host bus adapters (iSCSI HBAs).
Follow the installation road map and use the corresponding checklist for your IBM i version:
Last updated: 2 June 2008
Use the following addendums to the checklist items in the iSCSI-attached integrated server installation road map topic in the i 6.1 Information Center:
- Use planning worksheets when configuring hardware and software
Use the iSCSI network planning worksheets that are referenced by the checklist when installing an iSCSI attached server. Note that some of the topics referenced by the checklist do not specifically mention to use the values from the planning worksheets. Keep the worksheets in mind when configuring the hardware and software (for example, when creating configuration objects in IBM i) and use the values from the appropriate worksheets as needed.
- Prerequisites > Obtain integrated server operating system installation media
Note: The i 6.1 checklist refers back to this read me page for this item. Use the information below when directed to do so by the checklist.
Review the Operating systems tested on iSCSI attached servers section of the BladeCenter and System x models supported with iSCSI web page to verify that the operating system you plan to install is supported with the hardware you plan to use. Then obtain the installation media for the operating system. See the appropriate section below for additional considerations.
Microsoft® Windows servers:
iSCSI attached Windows Server 2008 servers require the 64-bit x64 versions of the install media.
iSCSI attached Windows Server 2003 servers require the 32-bit x86 versions of the Windows install media (CD, DVD or IFS directory) with Service Pack 1 or later integrated with the base Windows Server 2003 installation image. Here are a few of the options available:
- Obtain a Windows Server 2003 R2 CD, which has Service Pack 1 built-in.
- Obtain a Windows Server 2003 CD with Service Pack 1 already integrated. This can be obtained through various channels such as Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN®).
- Create an integrated install image. To do this, follow the instructions on the Integrating a service pack with Windows Server 2003 web page.
VMware® ESX servers:
Also obtain install media for the guest operating systems that you plan to run on the virtual machines that are hosted by the VMware ESX server. For more information on supported guest operating systems, see the VMware Infrastructure 3 Documentation page.
Linux® servers:
iSCSI attached Linux servers require the 64-bit x86 versions of the install media (CD or DVD).
- Prepare for the hardware installation > Obtain firmware updates and drivers for your hardware
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Windows Server 2008 only: If you are using either of the following iSCSI HBAs in your System x:
- QLogic iSCSI Single-Port PCIe HBA for IBM System x QLE4060C (Option PN 39Y6146, FRU PN 39Y6148)
- QLogic iSCSI Dual-Port PCIe HBA for IBM System x QLE4062C (Option PN 42C1770, FRU PN 42C1772)
Then download the Windows Server 2008 iSCSI driver from the QLogic BladeCenter and System x Software Updates for Integration with IBM i web page to use during the operating system installation.
After downloading the driver, unzip the driver files into a local directory on your PC and copy them to a blank diskette, CD, DVD or USB key media. Choose media corresponding to a device that is available on your System x.
- Hardware installation > Install the BladeCenter or System x hardware and iSCSI HBAs
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Windows Server 2008 only: Windows Server 2008 is installed on integrated servers differently than prior versions of Microsoft Windows. It is necessary to boot directly from the installation DVD media, so ensure that the BladeCenter blade or System x BIOS boot order is configured properly. When setting the BIOS Start Sequence Options as directed in the Setting the blade start options or Setting the System x start options topic, configure the boot order to:
- Harddisk 0
- CD-ROM/DVD
- Prepare for the operating system installation > Create and initialize a service processor configuration object
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- There are multiple choices for initializing the newly created service processor configuration. You should use the choice below that corresponds to the method that you are using to create the service processor configuration:
- If using System i Navigator or IBM Systems Director Navigator for i5/OS (web console), use the first choice on the panel that is displayed:
Validate service processor user ID and password and store in service processor configuration
- If using the Initialize NWS Configuration (INZNWSCFG) command, use the following command parameter:
OPTION(*SYNC)
- Operating system installation > Review i5/OS memory requirements and plan for a shared data memory pool
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Create a shared data memory pool for iSCSI disk I/O if you are planning to have an IBM i partition with multiple iSCSI attached servers or an iSCSI attached server that performs large amounts of disk activity.
For most environments, you can use a shared data memory pool with a size of 10000 KB that is shared among all of the iSCSI attached servers on your system. To determine an optimal size for the memory pool, refer to the iSCSI virtual I/O shared data memory pool subsection in the i5/OS memory requirements topic of the Information Center.
Note: The i 6.1 Performance Capabilities Reference mentions a QFPHIS subsystem description, but that is not used in i 6.1. For i 6.1, the shared data memory pool mentioned above is used.
Note: By default, all iSCSI disk I/O uses the *BASE memory pool and can cause significant performance issues for any other applications that are also using the *BASE memory pool. This can include (but is not limited to) application slow down, application hang and even system slow down (depending upon the number of iSCSI attached servers and target iSCSI HBAs). Configuring the shared data memory pool and configuring iSCSI attached servers to use it will move the iSCSI disk I/O out of the *BASE memory pool into its own memory pool. This change will prevent the iSCSI disk I/O from adversely impacting the performance and execution of any process that runs in the *BASE memory pool.
- Operating system installation > Start the installation from the i5/OS console
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- If you are installing on a blade in a BladeCenter, you must assign the BladeCenter KVM and media tray to the blade that you are installing to before running the install command (INSWNTSVR or INSLNXSVR) on IBM i.
- Windows Server 2008 only: When running the INSWNTSVR command to install the server, specify a minimum System drive size of 15000 MB for the Server storage space sizes (SVRSTGSIZE) parameter. Be sure to allow room for additional items, such as optional Windows features, Windows service updates, applications, page file, crash dump support, data and future expansion.
- When running the INSWNTSVR or INSLNXSVR command to install the server, use the shared data memory pool if you configured one as described earlier. Specify it on the Pool identifier (POOL) parameter of the install command.
Note: If you do not specify a shared data memory pool when you initially install the server and later determine that you want to use one, you can configure it for the server using the Pool identifier (POOL) parameter of the CHGNWSD command.
- Operating system installation > Continue the installation from the integrated server console
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Windows Server 2008 only: In the Continuing the Windows Server 2008 installation from the Windows console topic, here are some updates to the "be prepared to" list:
- When selecting a Windows Server operating system type to install, select one of the supported versions listed for your blade or System x model in the Operating systems tested on iSCSI attached servers section of the BladeCenter and System x models supported with iSCSI page.
Note: Both full and core installations are supported.
- If you are installing on a System x with a QLE4060C or QLE4062C initiator iSCSI adapter:
- Select Custom/Advanced installation.
- Select Load driver.
- At the Load Driver screen, insert the iSCSI driver media that you created earlier and select OK.
- Select Next to continue with the installation.
- After the operating system installation > Complete the server installation
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Windows Server 2008 only: If you are performing a full installation, then mount the installation drive and run the ibmsetup.exe program as described in the Completing the Windows Server 2008 installation from the Windows console topic. However, if you are performing a core installation, then use the following commands to mount the installation drive and run the ibmsetup.exe program:
C:\>diskpart
DISKPART> select disk 1
DISKPART> online disk
DISKPART> attribute disk clear readonly
DISKPART> exit
C:\>e:
E:\>IBMSETUP
- Windows only: After the server is installed, disable the NetBIOS over TCP/IP protocol on any QLogic Ethernet adapter(s), the virtual Ethernet point-to-point Ethernet adapter and any additional virtual Ethernet adapters configured on the Windows server. The enablement of this protocol on the above mentioned adapters has been known to cause intermittent delays and hangs of iSCSI attached Windows servers. For more information, see Software Knowledge Base article 460560441.
- After the operating system installation > Scale the iSCSI network
Addendums to the documentation for this checklist item:
- Windows only: Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator version
Note: The i 6.1 checklist refers back to this read me page for this item. Use the information below when directed to do so by the checklist.
When enabling multi-path I/O for Windows Server 2003, use Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator version 2.01 or later.
When enabling multi-path I/O for Windows Server 2008, use the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator version that is included with Windows Server 2008.
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