[Bug 1513254] Re: iscsi_auto flag should use iscsistart -N in addition to -b

[Scott Moser]

Fourth issue, applies to SRU also.
Currently, to get auto iscsi to work, you had to pass 'iscsi_auto'' and 'ip=' flags to the initramfs.
The suggested change would have a problem in the following scenario:
 a.) ip= provides correct / desired networking to bring up device 'eth0' (ip=::::eth0)
 b.) iscsi_auto is provided and the iBFT config also provides configuration for eth0 but provides *different* config.

Currently, 'ip=' config would get set.  With the provided patch, I'm not
sure if the iBFT data configuration would get applied or not.  If
iscsistart -N would *deconfigure* the ip= device, then that would break
a user.  If iscsistart -N says "oh, device is configured already, do
nothing", then we'd be OK.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1513254

Title:
  iscsi_auto flag should use iscsistart -N in addition to -b

Status in open-iscsi package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Right now, the following logic is used if you pass iscsi_auto as a
  kernel option:

  modprobe iscsi_ibft
  iscsistart -b

  However, in a PXE boot environment, the interface initialized will be
  something like the "primary" interface of the system, probably not
  where your iscsi traffic is running.

  The '-N' flag of iscsistart should also be used to configure the
  networking before attempting to create a session to the target.

  so:

  modprobe iscsi_ibft
  iscsistart -N
  iscsistart -b

  This change should go into the scripts/local-top/iscsi script.  I'll
  attach a patch.  Note that this code path is not traversed unless you
  are booting the kernel with iscsi_auto.  Also if you boot the kernel
  this way and you do not have IBFT in your ethernet adapter, you will
  already fall into an (initramfs) prompt as iscsistart -b will fail.

  The only consideration is if the IBFT does not have correct networking
  information in it, which should be a configuration error.

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