Adaptec 5325301656 Administration Guide - Page 77

Chapter 5 iSCSI Disks Note A license is required to activate iSCSI on some Snap Servers. Internet SCSI (iSCSI) is a standard that defines the encapsulation of SCSI packets in Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and their transmission via IP. On Snap Servers, 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 Snap Server volumes, Snap Server 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 Snap Server as a "target portal" and an iSCSI disk as a "target." To use the Snap Server as an iSCSI target, you need to configure iSCSI on both the client initiating the iSCSI connection, and on the Snap Server. 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 Snap Server. 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. • Snap Server Online Help: Available from the Storage > iSCSI screen, the online help provides details on creating and managing iSCSI disks on Snap Servers. • IETF iSCSI Protocol Draft 20: Detailed specification for the iSCSI protocol, available from http://www.ietf.org. • IETF iSNS Internet-Draft Revision 21: Detailed specification for the iSNS protocol, available from http://www.ietf.org. Snap Server Administrator Guide 63