iSCSI drive using CHAP not auto connecting at reboot.

[DJ-1701]

Ok, here's a Monday morning puzzler for you.

 

I have setup a Windows 2012 R2 Server hosting iSCSI drives, now if I create a drive and don't put any CHAP encryption on, I can connect to it from a client (in this case a Windows 10 box) with no problem and on reboot it auto connects from the iSCSI Initiator on the client.

 

Of course, as Microsoft says, this isn't ideal and that one should protect the iSCSI connections with CHAP and Reverse CHAP. I can setup the connection fine with this, but when I reboot the client, the iSCSI Initiator does not reconnect to the drive, and I have to go into the iSCSI Initiator, and manually connect, retyping the password.

 

Any idea how you're meant to get this to auto reconnect with the password?

[DJ-1701]

Ok... Monday afternoon puzzler?

[DJ-1701]

Any takers?

[dry]

Also something I'm stuck on. After a reboot I need to manually disable CHAPS on our NAS, 'discover' the targets with iSCSI Initiator, connect to them, re-enable CHAPS on the NAS and then re-connect to the targets on the iSCSI Initiator.

 

An absolute b***ache if ever there was one and tbh I'm looking at completely scrapping the way I've implemented this for something a bit simpler.

 

Subscribed.

[DJ-1701]

Ok, this is what I did in the end to get it working with CHAP...

 

On the server you wish to access the iSCSI drive from, open the 'iSCSI Initiator', click on the 'Discovery' tab and press the 'Discover Portal...' button.

 

Type in the iSCSI Servername and the port you wish to use (default 3260), then click 'Advanced'.

 

At this stage, select your Local adapter (Microsoft iSCSI Initiator), your Initiator IP (i.e. the IP address you wish to connect to the iSCSI server from) and if applicable the Target portal IP. Do not enter your CHAP log on information here, as you will get an error. Click OK to the Advance Settings and Discover Target Portal windows.

 

If you have setup Reverse CHAP, click on the Configuration tab and click the 'CHAP...' button. Enter the password and click OK.

 

Click back onto the 'Targets' tab, you should now see the Discovered target. Single click on it and press 'Connect'.

 

Ensure 'Add this connection to the list of Favorite Targets.' is ticked to have the drive connect on reboot, then click on 'Advanced...'.

 

Here, you need to tick Enable CHAP log on and enter the name and password you have used to access the iSCSI target. Tick 'Perform mutual authentication' if you have set a Reverse CHAP password. Then click OK, OK, OK.

 

You should now see a drive in Disk Management which should reappear on reboot.

[DJ-1701]

Additional Note:

When modifying an existing iSCSI connection (i.e. if you are moving from an unCHAPed drive to a CHAPed drive) you may find that it does not reconnect on reboot.

Best cause of action is to remove the iSCSI settings in iSCSI Initiator from the 'Volumes and Devices', 'Favorite Targets', 'Discovery' and 'Targets' tabs, Apply, and then recreate using the information in the previous post.