Spreading workload over multiple iSCSI HBAs

Servers that require high bandwidth may require more than one iSCSI HBA for iSeries™ to handle the workload. You can segment this even further by identifying which virtual disks and virtual Ethernet LANs require high bandwidth and which ones do not. For example, you can dedicate an iSCSI HBA to a disk that needs high bandwidth and share another iSCSI HBA among disks or other servers that do not require high bandwidth.

The way you spread a server's SCSI and virtual Ethernet workload over multiple iSCSI HBAs is to define multiple storage or virtual Ethernet paths in the network server description (NWSD) and assign which virtual disks and which virtual Ethernets use each path.

To define additional storage paths using iSeries Navigator, first shut down the server (see Start and stop an integrated server), then follow these steps:

1. Expand Integrated Server Administration.
2. Expand Servers.
3. Right-click a server from the list available.
4. Select Properties.
5. Click on the Storage Paths tab.
6. Click the Add button to define a new storage path.
7. Select the network server host adapter (NWSH) that corresponds to the iSCSI HBA that you want to use for the storage path.
8. Click OK to add the storage path to the server properties panel.
9. Make note of the path number that is assigned to the new path. The path number is used to identify this path when linking disks later on.
10. Click OK on the server properties panel to save the new storage path in the NWSD.

If you want to use a CL command, see the STGPTH keyword on the CHGNWSD command.

Now that the new storage path is defined, you need to re-link one or more of the server's virtual disks in order to use the new storage path. First unlink the disk (see Unlink integrated Windows server disk drives). Then link the disk to the server again (see Link a disk drive to an integrated server), using the new storage path number that was added above.

To define additional virtual Ethernet paths using iSeries Navigator, first shut down the server (see Start and stop an integrated server), then follow these steps:

1. Expand Integrated Server Administration.
2. Expand Servers.
3. Right-click a server from the list available.
4. Select Properties.
5. Click on the Virtual Ethernets tab.
6. Select the virtual Ethernet port that you want to use a new path for and click the Properties button.
7. Select the NWSH that you want to use for the virtual Ethernet port.
8. Click OK to update the virtual Ethernet port information about the server properties panel. The virtual Ethernet path for the port is implicitly updated as well.
9. Click OK on the server properties panel to save the changes in the NWSD.

If you want to use a CL command, see the VRTETHPTH keyword on the CHGNWSD command.