Changing iSCSI Boot Parameters Causes ESXi to Boot in Stateless Mode

Changing iSCSI boot parameters on the network adapter after the first boot does not update the iSCSI and networking configuration on the ESXi host.

Problem

If you change the iSCSI boot parameters on the network adapter after the first ESXi boot from iSCSI, the host will boot in a stateless mode.

Cause

The firmware uses the updated boot configuration to connect to the iSCSI target and load the ESXi image. However, when loaded, the system does not pick up the new parameters, but continues to use persistent networking and iSCSI parameters from the previous boot. As a result, the host cannot connect to the target and boots in the stateless mode.

Solution

1. Use the vSphere Web Client to connect to the ESXi host.
2. Reconfigure the iSCSI and networking parameters on the host, so that they match the iBFT parameters.
3. Perform a rescan.