Iscsi Concepts - D-Link DNS-1560-04 User Manual

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D-Link Document – User Manual

iSCSI Concepts

iSCSI (Internet SCSI) is a protocol which encapsulates SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

commands and data in TCP/IP packets for linking storage devices with servers over common IP

infrastructures. iSCSI provides high performance SANs over standard IP networks like LAN, WAN or

the Internet.

IP SANs are true SANs (Storage Area Networks) which allow several servers to attach to an infinite

number of storage volumes by using iSCSI over TCP/IP networks. IP SANs can scale the storage

capacity with any type and brand of storage system. In addition, it can be used by any type of

network (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet) and combination of

operating systems (Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, Mac, etc.) within the SAN network. IP-SANs

also include mechanisms for security, data replication, multi-path and high availability.

Host 2

(initiator)

Host 1

iSCSI

(initiator)

HBA

NIC

IP SAN

iSCSI device 1 (target)

iSCSI device 2 (target)

Storage protocol, such as iSCSI, has "two ends" in the connection. These ends are initiator and

target. In iSCSI, we call them iSCSI initiator and iSCSI target. The iSCSI initiator requests or initiates

any iSCSI communication. It requests all SCSI operations like read or write. An initiator is usually

located on the host side (either an iSCSI HBA or iSCSI SW initiator).

The target is the storage device itself or an appliance which controls and serves volumes or virtual

volumes. The target is the device which performs SCSI command or bridge to an attached storage

device.

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