This topic applies to XInsight-managed systems running QSM 4.2 or later and XEVO 3.2 or later; go to Storage > Host.

The Host page provides options for creating and managing host groups that control access to storage resources. Block host groups provide access to block volumes through supported protocols such as iSCSI, FC or NVMe/TCP. Share host groups provide access to file shares through CIFS, FTP, WebDAV, or NFS. Share host groups are available for QSM systems only.

Create a Host Group #

Click the + icon in the lower-left corner of the Host Groups pane to open the Create New Host Group wizard.

The pages displayed in the wizard depend on the system, host group type, protocol, and access settings.

Create a Block Host Group #

Block host groups are available for QSM and XEVO systems.

In Host Group Config, select Block Host, enter a name for the host group, and select a supported protocol:

• iSCSI: Provides block storage access through the iSCSI protocol.
• FC: Provides block storage access over a Fibre Channel network.
• NVMe/TCP: Provides NVMe storage access over a TCP/IP network.

Note: The FC option is displayed only when a supported FC host interface card is installed and detected by the system. Support for 4-port 64G FC host cards was added in QSM 4.2.6.

Configure the following access settings as required:

• All Hosts: Enable this toggle to allow connections from all hosts. Disable it to restrict access to specified hosts.
• All Target Portal: Enable this toggle to use all available target portals. Disable it to select specific target interfaces.
• CHAP Security: Enables CHAP authentication. This setting is available for iSCSI host groups only.

Click Next to continue.

Configure Allowed Hosts #

This page appears when All Hosts is disabled.

Select hosts from the Host List, or enter a host name or IP address under Add Host Manually and click Add to List. The selected hosts appear in the Allowed Host List.

Only hosts in this list can access the volumes connected to the host group.

Select Target Portals #

This page appears when All Target Portal is disabled.

Select the interfaces to use as target portals. For iSCSI and NVMe/TCP connections, verify the connection status and IP address of each interface. For FC connections, verify the selected FC ports and their connection status.

On dual-controller systems, configure target portals for each controller as required.

Select Volumes #

Select one or more block volumes to connect to the host group. The connected volumes become available to the allowed hosts through the configured target portals.

Note: Only block volumes created from a pool with a 512-byte sector size can be presented to virtualization hosts such as VMware ESXi or Proxmox VE.

Configure CHAP Authentication #

When CHAP authentication is enabled, assign an existing CHAP account or create an account by entering a user name and password.

Mutual CHAP can also be enabled to provide bidirectional authentication between the initiator and target.

Note: CHAP authentication is supported for iSCSI host groups only. At least one CHAP account must be assigned when CHAP authentication is enabled.

Ready to Complete #

Review the protocol, allowed hosts, target portals, connected volumes, and CHAP configuration. Click Previous to modify the settings, or click Finish to create the host group.

Create a Share Host Group #

Available for QSM systems only.

In Host Group Config, select Share Host, enter a name for the host group, and enable one or more file services:

• General provides file-level access through network shares.
• S3 Compatible Share provides access to the same shared data through NFS, S3, or both.

For a General share host group, enter a name and enable one or more of the file services listed below.

• CIFS: Provides SMB/CIFS file sharing.
• FTP: Provides file access through FTP.
• WebDAV: Provides file access through WebDAV.
• NFS: Provides file sharing for NFS clients.

Enable All Hosts to allow connections from all hosts. Disable it to restrict access to specified hosts in the Allowed Hosts Config page.

When NFS is enabled, the Host NFS Permission step is added to the wizard. NFS Security is also available under Properties. Enable NFS Security to add the Host NFS Security step.

Host NFS Permission #

This step appears when NFS is enabled.

Configure the following NFS access settings for each allowed host:

• Access: Select Read/Write to allow both read and write access, or Read Only to allow read access only.
• Root Squash: Enable this option to prevent a root user on an NFS client from retaining root privileges when accessing the share.
• Async Write: Enable this option to allow asynchronous NFS write operations. This can improve write performance because operations can be acknowledged before all data is committed to storage.

Host NFS Security #

This step appears when both NFS and NFS Security are enabled.

Select one or more Kerberos security modes for each allowed host:

• krb5: Provides Kerberos authentication.
• krb5i: Provides Kerberos authentication and data-integrity protection.
• krb5p: Provides Kerberos authentication, data-integrity protection, and data encryption.

Select Share #

Select the shares to associate with the host group, and then click Next.

Ready to Complete #

Review the host group settings, NFS configuration, and selected shares. Click Finish to create the host group.

Manage a Host Group #

Select a host group from the Host Groups pane to view and manage its configuration. The available settings depend on whether it is a block or share host group.

Host Group Information #

Select the host group name to view its basic information, including its name, type, and protocol.

The host group type and block protocol cannot be changed after the host group is created.

For FC host groups, Auto Link Reset is available in the host group information panel. Enable this setting to automatically reset the link to trigger a host rescan. When this setting is disabled, a manual host rescan is required.

Allowed Hosts #

Select Allowed Hosts to control which hosts can use the host group.

Enable All Hosts to allow access from all hosts. The wildcard character * represents all hosts.

Disable All Hosts to restrict access to the entries shown under Specified Host. Click the + icon to add a host. To remove a host, select it and click the − icon.

This setting applies to both block and share host groups.

Manage a Block Host Group #

Block host group settings include target portals, connected volumes, and, for iSCSI, CHAP authentication.

Target Portals #

Select Target Portal to view the interfaces assigned to the host group.

For iSCSI and NVMe/TCP host groups, review the target name and assigned network interfaces.

For FC host groups, expand Fibre Channel to view the assigned FC ports. Each entry displays the port name, WWNN, WWPN, and connection status. Connected ports also display the current link speed. Target Name displays N/A for FC host groups.

On dual-controller systems, use the Controller 1 and Controller 2 tabs to view and manage the target interfaces for each controller. Use the + icon to add a target interface. To remove an interface, select it and click the − icon.

Connected Volumes #

Select Connected Volumes to view the block volumes assigned to the host group. Use the + icon to connect additional volumes. To disconnect a volume, select it and click the − icon.

Note: A block volume can be associated with only one block host group at a time. If a volume is already connected to another block host group, an attempt to connect it to the current host group is rejected.

Disconnecting a volume removes its association with the host group but does not delete the volume.

Connected Disks #

For a JBOF system, an NVMe/TCP block host group can be associated directly with physical disks instead of volumes.

Select an NVMe/TCP host group, and then select Connected Disks to view the disks assigned to the host group.

Click the edit icon to open the Edit Disks window. Select the disks to make available through the NVMe/TCP connection. The selected disks appear under Selected Disks. Click Finish to apply the changes.

CHAP Authentication #

For an iSCSI host group, select CHAP Account to manage its authentication settings. Use the CHAP tab to add or remove initiator accounts.

Use the Mutual CHAP tab to configure bidirectional authentication. Enable Mutual CHAP, enter the target credentials, and apply the changes.

Manage a Share Host Group #

Available for QSM systems only.

Applied Services #

Select Applied Services to configure the CIFS, FTP, WebDAV, and NFS services through which hosts can access the connected shares.

When NFS is enabled, configure the applicable host permissions and security options.

Connected Shares #

Select Connected Shares to view the shares assigned to the host group. Use the + icon to connect additional shares. To disconnect a share, select it and click the − icon.

Disconnecting a share removes its association with the host group but does not delete the share.

Note: Connecting a share to a host group makes it available through the selected services. Actual access also depends on the permissions configured for the share, users, and groups.

Delete a Host Group #

Select the host group and click Delete under Host Group Deletion. Review the confirmation message, and then confirm the deletion.

Deleting a host group removes its access configuration and its associations with volumes or shares. The associated volumes and shares are not deleted.