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====== Installing CentOS to an iSCSI target ====== The CentOS installation process is somewhat fragile, and the built-in support for iSCSI installation does not function properly except in very limited circumstances. However, it is possible to work around this limitation and install to an iSCSI target. ===== Starting the installation ===== Start a CentOS installation in the usual way, and proceed up to the point of the partitioning screen: {{ screenshots:centos_iscsi_install_partitioning.png?400x300 |CentOS partitioning screen}} Click on //Advanced storage configuration//, and add an iSCSI target. For the target IP address, enter //127.0.0.1//: {{ screenshots:centos_iscsi_install_gui_add_target.png?400x300 |CentOS iSCSI installation GUI}} You will see the message "Initializing iSCSI initiator" appear for several seconds, then the display will return to the partitioning screen. {{ screenshots:centos_iscsi_install_connect.png?320x200|CentOS iSCSI installation connection to disk}} ===== Connecting to the iSCSI target ===== Press //Ctrl-Alt-F2//. This should take you to a root shell prompt. Connect to the iSCSI target to be used for installation: sh-3.2# iscsiadm -m discovery -t sendtargets -p my.target.dns.name:3260 where //my.target.dns.name// is the DNS name (or IP address) of your iSCSI target. You will see a list of available target IQNs. Log in to the installation target: sh-3.2# iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2007-08.name.dns.target.my:iscsiboot -l where //iqn.2007-08.name.dns.target.my:iscsiboot// is the IQN of the target that you want to install to. You are now logged in to the installation iSCSI target. ===== Completing the installation ===== Press //Ctrl-Alt-F6// to return to the graphical installation process, and click on //Next// to proceed to the disk selection screen: {{screenshots:centos_iscsi_install_select_drive.png?400x300|CentOS iSCSI installation disk selection}} You must tick the "Review and modify partitioning layout" box before proceeding to the disk partitioning screen: {{screenshots:centos_iscsi_install_remove_swap.png?400x300|CentOS iSCSI installation swap removal}} Select and delete the swap partition. This is required for two reasons: firstly, swap over iSCSI (or over any network device) is generally a bad idea; secondly, doing so works around a bug in the CentOS installer which would otherwise result in the partition table never being written to disk. Make a note of the iSCSI target IQN that you installed to (//iqn.2007-08.name.dns.target.my:iscsiboot// in the above example). You are now ready to * [[sanboot:iscsi_boot|Boot from your iSCSI target image]]
