systemd-modules-load failed to start

I installed Ubuntu 16.04.1 server version with my customized kernel. When booting, I see systemd-modules-load failed to start.

journalctl -xe error as below

-- Unit systemd-modules-load.service has begun starting up.
Jan 28 23:08:08 ubuntu systemd-modules-load[1278]: Failed to find module 'iscsi_tcp'
Jan 28 23:08:08 ubuntu systemd-modules-load[1278]: Failed to find module 'ib_iser'
Jan 28 23:08:08 ubuntu systemd[1]: systemd-modules-load.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Jan 28 23:08:08 ubuntu systemd[1]: Failed to start Load Kernel Modules.
-- Subject: Unit systemd-modules-load.service has failed

As the log mentioned, iscsi_tcp and ib_iser are failing to be loaded. However I cannot find where iscsi_tcp and ib_iser are defined.

man modules-load.d list below 3 paths:

   /etc/modules-load.d/*.conf
   /run/modules-load.d/*.conf
   /usr/lib/modules-load.d/*.conf

The existing one is /etc/modules-load.d/modules.conf, and it's empty. Where are iscsi_tcp and ib_iser defined?

You need to edit /lib/modules-load.d/open-iscsi.conf:

nano /lib/modules-load.d/open-iscsi.conf

change from ib_iser to #ib_iser

F3 key followed by Enter key to save change, Ctrl+X to exit nano

To start services ...

systemctl restart systemd-modules-load.service

To check ...

systemctl status systemd-modules-load.service