This article guides you through the most common steps to identify a connectivity problem from an ESXi host to an iSCSI shared storage device using the software initiator.
For information on troubleshooting LUN connectivity, see Troubleshooting LUN connectivity issues on ESXi hosts (broadcom.com).
Symptoms:
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x
VMware recommends validating that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. Each step will provide instructions or a link to a document, in order to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Please do not skip a step.
Steps | Troubleshooting Steps |
Rescan the Storage on the cluster level | |
Check the driver/firmware compatibility (HCL) | |
Check network connectivity: vmkping -I <SW iSCSI vmkernel port> <Target_IP> |
|
Check MTU size consistency using vmkping -d -s option | |
Check SW iSCSI port: nc -z <Target_IP> 3260 |
|
Check if the vmhba iqn exists in the initiator group from the storage side | |
Un-present the LUN from the storage side and present it again | |
Restart storageRM service | |
Reboot the Host | |
Check the iSCSI configuration according to Considerations for using software iSCSI port binding in ESXi (broadcom.com) | |
Recreate the vmkernel associated with SW iSCSI | |
Remove the target and re-add it again | |
Break the multipathing and use only one NIC to check for hardware failures | |
Disable the SW iSCSI vmhba, reboot the host, and re-enable it again. | |
Check the Authentication method with the storage if configured | |
Check the presence of the target MAC address in the ARP table: esxcli network ip neighbor list |
|
Check if the LUN is appearing as a snapshot LUN: esxcfg-volume -l | |
Check the paths state to the device: esxcfg-mpath -b -d <device-ID> |
|
Change the used VMware Multipathing policies in ESXi/ESX (broadcom.com)and if fixed is used changed the preferred path | |
Check from the storage side if other LUNs related to the same storage group are accessible or not and try to create a new LUN and present it to the host for testing | |
Configuring VLAN on a vSwitch standard portgroup (broadcom.com)check on the physical switch | |
Restart physical switch | |
Restart array controller |
Note: The flow chart above is based on experience and logical thinking, other troubleshooting steps could be done in different scenarios.
Additional considerations:
netcat
(nc
) to verify whether you can reach the iSCSI TCP port (default 3260) on the storage array from the host. For example: