ISCSI root file system accessibility is lost during installation of XEN

This document (7004810) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 3
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

Situation

During the installation of the XEN hypervisor and tools in SLES, an iSCSI file system may become inaccessible. This occurs during the XEN network bridging configuration setup. After this setup is completed all file system operations result in input/output errors.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Set up server and iSCSI storage hardware.
2. Install SLES onto the iSCSI root device and boot into non-Xen kernel.
3. Run Yast2 --> "Install Hypervisor and Tools."
4. Select "Yes" when prompted to configure a default network bridge for Xen.
5. After the network bridge is setup, the file system becomes inaccessible.

Resolution

Accessing a network-based file systems (e.g. iSCSI) through a bridge device is not supported. The workaround is to avoid creating a bridge for the network-based file system.

Steps to avoid creating a network bridge when installing the XEN hypervisor and tools

1. Install SLES normally, setting up network devices as needed.
2. Run Yast2 --> "Install Hypervisor and Tools."
3. Select "No" when prompted to configure a default network bridge for Xen.
4. Complete the installation of hypervisor and tools.
5. Run Yast2 --> "Network Settings."
6. Click "Add" to add a network bridge.
7. Change the Device Type to Bridge and click Next.
8. Select a device to bridge which is NOT supporting a network file system.
9. Setup the IP address as needed and click Next.
10. Click "Continue" on the warning about using an already configured device.
11. Repeat steps 6-10 for all network devices except for the one(s) supporting a network file system.

Disclaimer

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