Introduction
While VSI can install SDC for users, it cannot configure NVMe/TCP on the ESXi host. It is a manual process that users must complete on each ESXi host that require access to storage through this protocol. The following procedures walk through this configuration on one of the ESXi hosts in the Tanzu cluster.
Add the NVME/TCP adapter
As covered in Protocol topology, NVMe/TCP does not require a separate installation on the ESXi host. Rather, the NVMe/TCP software adapter attaches to the NVMe target (SDT process) on one or more PowerFlex nodes. In the PowerFlex system used in this guide, the SDT process uses the same Ips as SDC. Therefore, the data networks of VLAN 50 and 100 are used.
- Before adding a NVMe/TCP adapter, determine the physical adapters for each VLAN.
- Select the NVMe over TCP service on the VMkernel as shown in Figure 17.
- Select OK.
Figure 17. Enable the NVMe/TCP service on the VMkernel
- With the service enabled, go to Host -> Configure -> Storage Adapters -> ADD SOFTWARE ADAPTER.
- Use the drop-down to pick the correct physical NIC for the selected VLAN.
Add the NVMe host to PowerFlex
Before adding the controllers to the adapter, you must create the NVMe host on the PowerFlex by obtaining the host NQN from vSphere.
- Go to Host -> Configure -> Storage Adapters.
- Select the newly added storage adapter as shown in Figure 18.
Figure 18. Select the storage adapter
- Select the Controllers tab.
- Select ADD CONTROLLER.
- In the screen that follows, select the COPY button next to the Host NQN as shown in Figure 19.
Figure 19. Copy host NQN
- Open the PowerFlex management UI and go to the Block -> Hosts menu.
- Select + Add Host.
- Paste the copied host NQN into the Host NQN field and provide a Host Name.
- Leave the other fields as default, as shown in Figure 20.
Note: Since both SDC and NVMe/TCP are being used, the suffix “_nvme” is added to the hostname.
Figure 20. Add NVMe host
Add the NVMe controller
The SDT IP addresses are required in order to add the controller. These addresses can be obtained from the storage admin or by users with access to the PowerFlex UI.
- While still in the PowerFlex UI, go to Block -> NVMe Targets.
- Select one of the SDTs listed, and on the right side find the IP addresses. These addresses are the controller IP addresses
- Return to vSphere.
- Go to the ADD CONTROLLER screen as shown in Figure 19.
- Enter the copied IP address into the IP field.
- Enter 8009 into the Port Number field (4420 also works).
- Select DISCOVER CONTROLLERS. The NVMe target is displayed.
- Select the NVMe target, and then click OK, as shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21. Add controller
- Repeat this process for each of the NVMe target Ips in VLAN 100.
- Add a second NVMe/TCP adapter for VLAN 50.
- You can now map devices to the ESXi host.