To ensure that hosts can access block storage resources, the user must register initiators between the storage system and configured hosts. On the Initiators page, as shown in Figure 22, users can manually register one or more Fibre Channel or iSCSI initiators. Initiators are endpoints from which Fibre Channel and iSCSI sessions originate, where each initiator is uniquely identified by its World-Wide Name (WWN) or iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN). The link between a host initiator and a target port on the storage system is called the initiator path. Each initiator can be associated with multiple initiator paths. The Initiator Paths tab shows all data paths that are currently available to the initiators connected to the system either by FC or iSCSI. For iSCSI paths to show up, iSCSI interfaces must be configured on the Block Page. These initiators can then be discovered and registered by hosts using the iSCSI initiator tool. For Fibre Channel paths, FC zoning on the appropriate switch is needed for the initiator paths to be seen as available by the system. When the paths are available, users can configure their connected hosts on the Hosts Page.
With the release of Dell Unity OE version 4.3, Initiators can now have advanced settings customized through Unisphere. To access these settings, select an Initiator and then click the pencil icon to bring up the Edit Initiator window. Clicking Advanced at the bottom to reveal the Initiator Source Type, Fail-over Mode, Unit Serial Number, and LunZ Enabled settings, as shown in Figure 23. For more information about configuring Host Initiator Parameters, see the Unisphere Online Help.