diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/ibm/test_storwize_svc.py b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/ibm/test_storwize_svc.py
index 4b634ecabbb..f36cd1b32d1 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/ibm/test_storwize_svc.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/ibm/test_storwize_svc.py
@@ -1907,6 +1907,15 @@ port_speed!N/A
 
         return ('', '')
 
+    def _cmd_lsvdisks_from_filter(self, filter_name, value):
+        volumes = []
+        if filter_name == 'mdisk_grp_name':
+            for vol in self._volumes_list:
+                vol_info = self._volumes_list[vol]
+                if vol_info['mdisk_grp_name'] == value:
+                    volumes.append(vol)
+        return volumes
+
     def _cmd_chvdisk(self, **kwargs):
         if 'obj' not in kwargs:
             return self._errors['CMMVC5701E']
@@ -4799,6 +4808,26 @@ class StorwizeSVCCommonDriverTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(exception.InvalidInput,
                           self._driver._validate_pools_exist)
 
+    def _get_pool_volumes(self, pool):
+        vdisks = self.sim._cmd_lsvdisks_from_filter('mdisk_grp_name', pool)
+        return vdisks
+
+    def test_get_all_volumes(self):
+        _volumes_list = []
+        pools = _get_test_pool(get_all=True)
+        for pool in pools:
+            host = 'openstack@svc#%s' % pool
+            vol1 = testutils.create_volume(self.ctxt, host=host)
+            self.driver.create_volume(vol1)
+            vol2 = testutils.create_volume(self.ctxt, host=host)
+            self.driver.create_volume(vol2)
+        for pool in pools:
+            pool_vols = self._get_pool_volumes(pool)
+            for pool_vol in pool_vols:
+                _volumes_list.append(pool_vol)
+        for vol in _volumes_list:
+            self.assertIn(vol, self.sim._volumes_list)
+
     def _create_volume_type(self, opts, type_name):
         type_ref = volume_types.create(self.ctxt, type_name, opts)
         vol_type = objects.VolumeType.get_by_id(self.ctxt, type_ref['id'])
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/ibm/storwize_svc/storwize_svc_common.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/ibm/storwize_svc/storwize_svc_common.py
index 6bc67815537..f1ce13f940e 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/ibm/storwize_svc/storwize_svc_common.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/ibm/storwize_svc/storwize_svc_common.py
@@ -810,6 +810,11 @@ class StorwizeHelpers(object):
             return True
         return False
 
+    def get_pool_volumes(self, pool):
+        """Return volumes for the specified pool."""
+        vdisks = self.ssh.lsvdisks_from_filter('mdisk_grp_name', pool)
+        return vdisks.result
+
     def get_available_io_groups(self):
         """Return list of available IO groups."""
         iogrps = []
@@ -2682,6 +2687,9 @@ class StorwizeSVCCommonDriver(san.SanDriver,
                            }
         self._active_backend_id = kwargs.get('active_backend_id')
 
+        # This list is used to ensure volume export
+        self._volumes_list = []
+
         # This dictionary is used to map each replication target to certain
         # replication manager object.
         self.replica_manager = {}
@@ -2714,6 +2722,9 @@ class StorwizeSVCCommonDriver(san.SanDriver,
         # Validate that the pool exists
         self._validate_pools_exist()
 
+        # Get list of all volumes
+        self._get_all_volumes()
+
         # Build the list of in-progress vdisk copy operations
         if ctxt is None:
             admin_context = context.get_admin_context()
@@ -2783,6 +2794,14 @@ class StorwizeSVCCommonDriver(san.SanDriver,
                 reason = (_('Failed getting details for pool %s.') % pool)
                 raise exception.InvalidInput(reason=reason)
 
+    def _get_all_volumes(self):
+        # Get list of all volumes
+        pools = self._get_backend_pools()
+        for pool in pools:
+            pool_vols = self._helpers.get_pool_volumes(pool)
+            for volume in pool_vols:
+                self._volumes_list.append(volume['name'])
+
     def check_for_setup_error(self):
         """Ensure that the flags are set properly."""
         LOG.debug('enter: check_for_setup_error')
@@ -2954,8 +2973,7 @@ class StorwizeSVCCommonDriver(san.SanDriver,
         The system does not "export" volumes as a Linux iSCSI target does,
         and therefore we just check that the volume exists on the storage.
         """
-        vol_name = self._get_target_vol(volume)
-        volume_defined = self._helpers.is_vdisk_defined(vol_name)
+        volume_defined = volume['name'] in self._volumes_list
 
         if not volume_defined:
             LOG.error('ensure_export: Volume %s not found on storage.',
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/modify-ensure-export-1d56a40f5e762aa8.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/modify-ensure-export-1d56a40f5e762aa8.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f8a0e6ca292
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/modify-ensure-export-1d56a40f5e762aa8.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Storwize SVC Driver: Fixes `bug 1749687
+    <https://bugs.launchpad.net/cinder/+bug/1749687>`__
+    previously lsvdisk() was called separately for every
+    'in-use' volume in order to check if the volume exists
+    on the storage.
+    In order to avoid problem of too long driver initialization
+    now lsvdisk() is called once per pool.