Chapter 5 Iscsi Disks - Adaptec 5325301507 Administrator's Manual

iSCSI Disks
Internet SCSI (iSCSI) is a standard that defines the encapsulation of SCSI packets in
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and their transmission via IP. On
SnapServers, an iSCSI disk is based on an expandable, RAID-protected volume, but
appears to a client machine as a local SCSI drive. This storage virtualization frees
the administrator from the physical limitations of direct-attached storage media and
allows capacity to be expanded easily as needed. Unlike standard SnapServer
volumes, SnapServer iSCSI disks can be formatted by the iSCSI client to
accommodate different application requirements.
Connectivity to the iSCSI disk is established using a software package or PCI card,
known as an initiator, that must be installed on a client machine. The initiator sees
the SnapServer as a "target portal" and an iSCSI disk as a "target."
To use the SnapServer as an iSCSI target, you need to configure iSCSI on both the
client initiating the iSCSI connection, and on the SnapServer. Use the information
presented here in conjunction with the documentation supplied with your initiator
to install, configure, and connect the iSCSI initiator(s) to the SnapServer.
iSCSI Disk Limitations
• The iSCSI protocol limits the size of any iSCSI disk to 2TB.
• The GuardianOS can maintain up to 256 iSCSI disks.
For Additional Information
The following resources provide further information you may need to plan and
complete your iSCSI implementation.
• SnapServer Online Help: Available from the
help provides details on creating and managing iSCSI disks on SnapServers.
• RFC3720 — Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI): Detailed
specification for the iSCSI protocol, available from http://www.ietf.org.
• RFC4171 — Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS): Detailed specification for
the iSNS protocol, available from http://www.ietf.org.
• The Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator User's Guide: (uguide.doc) This
document is packaged with the initiator download and installs to the default
location, usually: C:\Windows\iscsi\uguide.doc. It can also be downloaded
from the Microsoft web site.
Chapter 5
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