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iSCSI

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Anytime I do a demo that requires a SAN, I use the Microsoft iSCSI Target software.  I'm lucky, I get to install it onto my demo machines.  If you want it, you need to ask your OEM (the one that sold you your Windows Storage Server) - it's just an add-on.

I'm frequently asked how I use it and set it up.  So, here goes:

This ten minute demo is broken down into three sections (Setting up the Target, Setting up the Initiator and Setting up the Initiator using the command line in Server Core).

Click to start, double click anywhere to play it in Full Screen and move your mouse over it to get the Player Controls to pop up.

Here's the commands I used towards the end (I just modify and use this for each Server Core machine I need to configure) - democore is the local iSCSI Initiator (the one I'm configuring) and daven-2008 is the iSCSI Target machine.  So just replace every instance of each with your own server names.

sc \\democore config msiscsi start= auto
net start msiscsi

iscsicli QAddTargetPortal daven-2008
iscsicli QAddTarget iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:daven-2008-daven-2008-target daven-2008
iscsicli QloginTarget iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:daven-2008-daven-2008-target
iscsicli PersistentLoginTarget iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:daven-2008-daven-2008-target T * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 0
iscsicli BindPersistentVolumes
iscsicli ListPersistentTargets
iscsicli ReportTargetMappings

The iSCSI Initiator is already in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista.  You can download it for 2003, 2000 and XP from here.  There's also a very detailed User Guide (which explains why I have fifteen stars in my PersistentLoginTarget command).

Enjoy,

Dave.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    In this post I’ll talk you through how I have created a Hyper-V Failover Cluster on my single laptop.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    I’ve been updating two of my machines from the Beta to the RC of Server 2008 R2. It’s been quite a learning

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Tony - I can only agree with you! Dave.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    If you are an MSDN or TechNet Plus subscriber, you can get Windows Storage Server and the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target: http://blogs.technet.com/josebda/archive/2009/05/16/windows-storage-server-2008-with-the-microsoft-iscsi-software-target-3-2-available-to-msdn-and-technet-plus-subscribers.aspx

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Here is a free version of iSCSI Target, named iStorage Server: http://www.kernsafe.com/product.aspx?id=5 It is powerful and beautiful

  • Anonymous
    June 19, 2008
    I just wish that ms would give away the target software, all the third party solutions have to many limitations.  Yes it nice that its included with storage server but I don't have any of those and don't currently see any need for them but a iscsi target to any of my ms based servers would be nice. my .0003  cents worth

  • Anonymous
    December 15, 2009
    You may also use StarWind free - http://www.starwindsoftware.com/free for demo purposes. It has much more features at no cost.