#75 Network boot fails with MDS switch

[Shashi Kiran T.R.]

Configuration:
[root@linux-5 root]# uname -a
Linux linux-5 2.4.21-9.ELsmp #1 SMP Thu Jan 8
17:08:56 EST 2004 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

root@linux-5 iscsi]# ./replicate
Replication utility version: 3.3.1

iSCSI target is configured on MDS switch with IPS card:
iqn.1987-02.com.cisco.50:00:1f:e1:00:1a:be:71-lunb

Description:
The linux system while booting from iSCSI target is able
to access the root filesystem but fails after certain point
with following errors :
--------------------
iSCSI: session <id> login rejected: initiator error (02/00),
non-retryable, giving up
iSCSI: session <id> terminating, failing all SCSI commands
iSCSI: wait_for_session <id> failed
iSCSI: session <id> terminating, ioctl returning at <>
Retrying session establishment with the boot disk...
--------------------

The error message logged on MDS switch:
--------------------
Apr 22 00:25:49 shkiran:9216-1 %IPS-5-
ISCSI_CONN_DOWN: GigabitEthernet2/1: iSCSI session
down from iqn.1987-05.com.cisco:01.4ac7b1bb64b8 to
target iqn.1987-02.c
om.cisco.50:00:1f:e1:00:1a:be:71-lunb, reason: local
iscsi port initiated connection close
Apr 22 00:26:21 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated
16 times
Apr 22 00:26:31 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated 5
times
Apr 22 00:26:32 shkiran:9216-1 %IPS-5-
ISCSI_CONN_DOWN: GigabitEthernet2/1: iSCSI session
down from boot to target iqn.1987-
02.com.cisco.50:00:1f:e1:00:1a:be:71-
lunb, reason: client reset tcp connection
Apr 22 00:26:33 shkiran:9216-1 %IPS-5-
ISCSI_CONN_DOWN: GigabitEthernet2/1: iSCSI
session down from iqn.1987-
05.com.cisco:01.4ac7b1bb64b8 to target iqn.1987-02.c
om.cisco.50:00:1f:e1:00:1a:be:71-lunb, reason: local
iscsi port initiated connection close
Apr 22 00:27:04 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated
15 times
Apr 22 00:28:06 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated
31 times
Apr 22 00:29:07 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated
30 times
Apr 22 00:30:09 shkiran:9216-1 last message repeated
31 times
--------------------

[Naveen Burmi]

Logged In: YES
user_id=717248

Analysis

Parameter "InitiatorAlias" is sent as an empty string while
sending a login request, during network boot. Because of
this MDS was generating the following error and hence login
was rejected with initiator error(02/00):

Error: PARAM invalid character 0x61, prev as=

Fix

Since "initiatorAlias" is an optional parameter therefore no
need to send it at the time of login during network boot.

Also, TargetPortalGroupTag was hardcoded to "1" but with MDS
switch it's value is 128. Therefore initializing the value
of portalgrouptag to "-1"(PORTAL_GROUP_TAG_UNKNOWN).

Fixed into: 4.0, tip and 3.4 view.