Configuring software iSCSI via Host Profiles fails with: Failed to set CHAP authentication configuration

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When you attempt to apply a Host Profile which includes iSCSI configuration to an ESXi 5.x host, you see a message similar to:
  
  Command 'iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget auth chap set --address "10.20.30.100:3260" --adapter "vmhba33" --direction uni --secret "" --level "required" --authname "SomeName"' failed with error 'Errors: Failed to set CHAP authentication configuration.'"
  
  
• In the /var/log/vpxa.log file on the host, you see errors similar to:
  
  [FFF4CB90 info 'Default' opID=B2915AB3-00000639-bf] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-1538 -- -- vim.profile.host.profileEngine.HostProfileManager.applyHostConfig: vmodl.MethodFault:
  Result:
  (vmodl.MethodFault) {
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage)
  (vmodl.LocalizableMessage)
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  key = "com.vmware.profile.iscsi.exception.CliCmdFailed.label",
  arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
  (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  key = "cmdline",
  value = "iscsi adapter discovery sendtarget auth chap set --address "10.20.30.100:3260" --adapter "vmhba33" --direction uni --secret "" --level "required" --authname "SomeName""
  (vmodl.KeyAnyValue)
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  key = "error",
  value = "Errors:
  Failed to set CHAP authentication configuration.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0

Cause

This issue occurs because the host is using an empty string as a password for the CHAP authentication on the target.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. Log in to the vCenter Server as an administrator with the vSphere Client.
2. Click to Home > Management > Host Profiles.
3. Right-click the affected Host Profile and click Edit Profile.
4. Navigate to Storage Configuration > iSCSI Initiator Configuration.
5. Select the type of iSCSI, Independent Hardware, Software or Hardware.
6. Select the affected HBA.
7. Navigate to iSCSI Initiator Configuration > Initiator Chap Secret.
8. Select either Chap Secret in input by the user using the dropdown for Use a Fixed Chap Secret for all the hosts, or select Enter the password in the Chap Secret.
9. Re-apply the host Profile.

Additional Information

ホストプロファイルを使用してソフトウェア iSCSI の設定を行うと次のエラーで失敗する：Failed to set CHAP authentication configuration