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8–Configuring FCoE in a Linux Environment
Boot-from-SAN
FE0254601-00 A 8-31
Set the boot order in the system BIOS configuration menu: first, the optical
drive, then the disk, and then the SAN-boot device. Placing the optical drive
at the top of the boot order enables the server to boot from an RHEL 5
installation media, and then install the operating system on the SAN boot
device. If the boot media is a PXE server (for LAN boot), place the QLogic
8100 Series Adapter at the top of the boot order. For more information about
PXE boot, refer to “PXE Boot” on page 6-25.
If failover capabilities are required during boot-from-SAN, multiple QLogic
8100 Series Adapters are required to create redundant paths to the boot
device. Consult the server documentation to determine the maximum
number of QLogic 8100 Series Adapters that the server can support.
Converged Network Adapter Requirements
The Converged Network Adapter must satisfy the following:
QLogic 8100 Series Adapter with current firmware
QLogic 8100 Series Adapter with the boot BIOS is enabled. Typically, the
boot BIOS is disabled by default. Disregard this requirement if a
UEFI-enabled server is used.
If failover capabilities are required during boot-from-SAN, multiple QLogic
8100 Series Adapters are required to create redundant paths to the boot
device.
Record the WWPN and WWNN for each adapter prior to installation. The
WWPN and WWNN can be found on a label on the adapter.
FCoE Switch Requirements
Ensure that the FCoE switch has the correct zoning configuration according to the
following rules:
Locate the FCoE switch on the SAN that contains the boot LUN so that the
FCoE switch is visible to the server through the QLogic adapter.
The host must have exclusive access to the LUN from which it boots. No
other host on the SAN should be able to detect or access the same logical
disk.
Only one instance of the boot LUN can be visible to the server during the
initial installation. The installation may fail if multiple instances of the boot
LUN are available to the server through different paths or through the same
LUN presented through two different storage array controllers. If failover is
required, configure boot-from-SAN after the initial installation is complete.
Limit zones to no more than one adapter port to avoid RSCN interruptions
from other hosts in the fabric.