Create a Single VMkernel Adapter for iSCSI

Connect the VMkernel, which runs services for iSCSI storage, to a physical network adapter.

Procedure

1. Navigate to the host.
2. Select Add Networking from the right-click menu.
3. Select VMkernel Network Adapter, and click Next.
4. Select New standard switch to create a vSphere Standard switch.
5. Click the Add adapters icon, and select the network adapter (vmnic#) to use for iSCSI.
   Make sure to assign the adapter to Active Adapters.

   Important: If you are creating a VMkernel adapter for dependent hardware iSCSI, select the vmnic that corresponds to the iSCSI component. See Determine Association Between iSCSI and Network Adapters. With the iSER adapter, make sure to use an appropriate RDMA-capable vmnic.
6. Enter a network label.
   A network label is a friendly name that identifies the VMkernel adapter that you are creating, for example, iSCSI.
7. Specify the IP settings.
8. Review the information and click Finish.

Results

You created the virtual VMkernel adapter (vmk#) for a physical network adapter (vmnic#) on your host.

What to do next

If your host has one physical network adapter for iSCSI traffic, you must bind the virtual adapter that you created to the iSCSI adapter.

If you have multiple network adapters, create additional VMkernel adapters and then perform iSCSI binding. The number of virtual adapters must correspond to the number of physical adapters on the host.