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NVMe over Fibre Channel Express Setup

You can use NVMe with the Fibre Channel protocol.

  1. Verify the Linux configuration is supported
    To ensure reliable operation, you create an implementation plan and then use the Lenovo Interoperability Matrix to verify that the entire configuration is supported.
  2. Configuring IP addresses using DHCP
    In this express method for configuring communications between the management station and the storage array, you use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to provide IP addresses. Each controller has two storage management ports, and each management port will be assigned an IP address.
  3. Download and Setup SMcli from System Manager
    For ThinkSystem Software bundle 11.60.2 and newer, the ThinkSystem Secure CLI (SMcli) is included in the ThinkSystem SAN OS and downloadable through the ThinkSystem System Manager. For more information on how to download the SMcli through the ThinkSystem System Manager, refer to the Download the command line interface (CLI) topic under Command Line Interface (CLI Reference).
  4. Access ThinkSystem System Manager and use Setup wizard
    You use the Setup wizard in ThinkSystem System Manager to configure your storage array.
  5. Configure the FC switches
    Configuring (zoning) the Fibre Channel (FC) switches enables the hosts to connect to the storage array and limits the number of paths. You zone the switches using the management interface for the switches.
  6. Set up NVMe over Fibre Channel on the host side
    NVMe initiator configuration in a Fibre Channel environment includes installing and configuring the nvme-cli package, and enabling the NVMe/FC initiator on the host.
  7. Define a host
    Using ThinkSystem System Manager, you define the hosts that send data to the storage array. Defining a host is one of the steps required to let the storage array know which hosts are attached to it and to allow I/O access to the volumes. You can define a host automatically or manually.
  8. Assign a volume
    You must assign a volume (namespace) to a host or host cluster so it can be used for I/O operations. This assignment grants a host or host cluster access to one or more namespaces in a storage array.
  9. Display the volumes visible to the host
    The SMdevices tool, part of the nvme-cli package, allows you to view the volumes currently visible on the host. This tool is an alternative to the nvme list command.
  10. Set up failover on the host
    Multipath software provides a redundant path to the storage array in case one of the physical paths is disrupted. The multipath software presents the operating system with a single virtual device that represents the active physical paths to the storage. The multipath software also manages the failover process that updates the virtual device. You use the device mapper multipath (DM-MP) tool for Linux installations.
  11. Create partitions and filesystems
    You can create a partition on the multipath device, optionally create a file system on the namespace, and mount the partition.
  12. Create filesystems
  13. Verify storage access on the host
    Before using the namespace, you verify that the host can write data to the namespace and read it back.
  14. Record NVMe over Fibre Channel-specific information for Linux
    Select the NVMe over Fibre Channel worksheet to record your protocol-specific storage configuration information. You need this information to perform provisioning tasks.