iSCSI Boot Method
iSCSI boot enables you to boot an Oracle Enterprise Linux or Oracle VM host from a LUN on an iSCSI array accessed through a VNIC. The remote disk to boot from is identified by a target IQN and LUN on a storage disk array device.
The process for iSCSI boot configuration is as follows:
-
Load the host drivers into the OS image.
-
Move the OS image to a remote LUN.
-
Create a server profile.
-
Configure a bootable VNIC.
-
Set the HCA to first in the boot order.
-
Load the image into the Oracle Enterprise Linux or Oracle VM host.
-
Reboot the host.
During the iSCSI boot process, the Oracle Enterprise Linux or Oracle VM host logs in to the iSCSI array and gets the IQN information it needs. Because the VNIC has an OS available to boot from (on the iSCSI LUN connected to the VNIC), that OS is used, and the Oracle Enterprise Linux or Oracle VM host boots over the VNIC. This procedure occurs each time the Oracle Enterprise Linux or Oracle VM host is booted using the iSCSI boot method.
Note - The login message displayed while the VNIC is logging in to the iSCSI array appears so rapidly that you might not recognize that the ESXi host is booting from a VNIC. Additionally, no IQN or other recognizable iSCSI information is displayed on the screen.