How To Create An Iscsi Target

Install and Configure iSCSI Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) is a protocol that is based on TCP / IP and is designed to establish interoperability and management of storage systems, servers and clients.

iSCSI describes:
• Transport protocol for SCSI, which runs over TCP.
• Mechanism for encapsulating SCSI commands in an IP network.
• A protocol for a new generation of storage systems that use native TCP/IP.
The iSCSI protocol is standardized by RFC 3720. There are many commercial and non-commercial implementations of this protocol.

ISCSI-based systems can be built on any reasonably fast physical basis that supports IP, such as Gigabit Ethernet or 10G Ethernet. Using a standard protocol, you can use standard tools for monitoring and controlling the flow, and also significantly reduces the cost of equipment compared to Fiber Channel networks.

Install

In ServerManager, click Manage, and then clickAdd Role and Feature. The Add Role and Feature Wizard opens, click Next.
In Select Installation Type page, ensure thatRole-based or Feature-based Installationis selected, and then clickNext.
InSelect destination Server, click File and Storage Services, click File and iSCSI Service, and then SelectiSCSI Target Server. ClickNext.
On theFeature Window, leave the default selection and then clickNext. On the Confirm Installation Selection window, check the Restart the destination server automatically if required, and then click Install.
When the installation process has finished, clickCloseand go for configuring iSCSI in Windows server 2016 in the targeted server.

Configure

Create iSCSI LUN. To share storage, the first thing to create an iSCSI lun (aka. iSCSI virtual disk) the iSCSI virtual disk is backed by a VHD. To complete iSCSI target server, the configuration goes toServer Manager.

On "Server Manager" windows, select "File and Storage Services" tab and then click "iSCSI" tab. Click "to create an iSCSI virtual disk, start the new iSCSI virtual disk wizard".
New iSCSI Virtual disk wizard will open. Here, select the server and select thevolumeand then clicknext.
On the "Specify iSCSI Virtual Disk namewindow", Type name of virtual disk. Here, I give "Virtual iSCSI Disk" and then clicknext.
Specify the virtual disk's size. Choose the disk type, here I have chosenDynamically expanding. So, that disk space won't be over utilized, and thenclick Next.
In the "Assign iSCSI target"page, choose "New iSCSI Target" option and then clickNext.
On the "Specify target name"page, type the name for the new target, and then clickNext.
Click Next to openAccess Serverpage, as shown in figure.
Now come to the Target Server that you want to share storage device from this server. ClickAddto specify the iSCSI initiator that will access this iSCSI virtual disk.
Add initiator IP will open. ClickOk.
You will see the initiator IP on the Specify access server screen, thenclick Next.
In theEnable Authenticationpage, you have option to use CHAP or reverse CAHP for Authenticating iSCSI initiator and iSCSI target. Here, I leave will leave it empty and thenNext.
On the "Confirm Selectin" page, clickCreateto create a new virtual disk or LUN.
When the Creating process has finished, clickCloseto the View Result window.

After the Installation you can view the virtual disk in iSCSI tab.

Server Manager - File and Storage Services - iSCSI

When the configuring iSCSI storage has finished, you should configure iSCSI initiator on the AcloudA. So, now we are going to configure iSCSI initiator, for that you can use our "Quick Start Guide" on the Download page of AcloudA site.

Conclusions

So in that way we deployed and configured a simple iSCSI server based on Windows Server 2016, with the ability to connect via iSCSI to our AcloudA device

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