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July 2010 |
Introduction: iSCSI is a storage network protocol where two nodes negotiate then exchange SCSI commands over an IP network. It is a cheaper alternative to fiber SAN’s as it can be implemented on existing network hardware.
Setup: In this example I am using WSS08 Standard Edition (iSCSI Target) and WS2K3 R2 Standard Edition (iSCSI Initiator). I will be using Multi-Path Input Output (for high availability/throughput setups) and iSNS for node discovery however both are optional and depend on how you want to setup and manage your network (iSNS is a discovery and management protocol for iSCSI networks). The target and initiator will each have two network connections to a basic switch, all in the same subnet for simplicities sake. However, proper MPIO setups can be far more advanced with each connection on separate subnets or physical networks.
Recently version 3.3 of the iSCSI target software has been released for Server 2008r2 and is available here . If you are using Server 2008 you will need to use the old 3.2 version which has been taken down from the Microsoft website but is available here. The iSCSI initiator software is included with Vista/2008 and later, for operating systems older than that you will need to install version 2.08 which is available here.
1) Install Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.2 on WSS08 and Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator 2.08 on the initiator. Both installs are straight forward, when you install the Initiator software be sure to select MPIO support if you require it.
2) Now to add iSNS and MPIO support on the Target, please note that another machine on the network could act as the iSNS server. Open up the Server Manager on WSS08 and select ‘Features’ from the left pane and then ‘Add Features’. Follow the wizard and select what you need, a reboot may be required:
3) You can access the iSCSI target software through Administrative Tools or the Storage section of the Server Manager application. Select the properties of ‘Microsoft iSCSI Software Target’ in the left pane. In this window you can set which network adaptors to use for iSCSI requests and also what address for the iSNS server. If the iSNS service is run from the iSCSI target you only need to specify one adapter per subnet/network. In this case I only need to add one adapter (10.1.1.1) to the iSNS server list.
4) Right click ‘iSCSI Targets’ and select ‘Create Target’. Follow the wizard, the Target Name should not be confused with the iSCSI Qualified Name that is seen by the initiators and iSNS server. The description will be used as an alias when seen by other nodes so enter specific target details instead of something generalized such as “iSCSI Target”. The important section is ‘iSCSI Initiators Identifiers’, here you can enter the IQN you will be using for the initiator. Alternatively if iSCSI/iSNS is already set up you can browse for discovered initiators. Select advanced if you are planning to have multiple initiators access the target (unwise unless you have clustering correctly configured). As you can see I could add both network addresses for the initiator as well as the IQN or DNS name. Only the IQN is necessary however:
5) Go to the properties of the newly created target, here you can change the IQN if you so wish. The default IQN format is iqn.yyyy-mm.{reversed domain name} (the yyyy-mm is the date that the domain name used was registered).
6) Select the ‘Authentication’ tab, when using iSNS mutual CHAP authentication is required if you want mounted iSCSI volumes to persist through system shutdowns. Choose any user and password (between 12 and 16 characters) you wish, this is what you will enter when you Log On to the target from the initiator. Under Reverse CHAP enter the initiator’s name for the user and a second password that we will be set on the initiator later on.
7) Next create a Virtual Hard Disk for the target. You can accomplish this by right-clicking the target and selecting ‘Create Virtual Disk’. You can also create, import and manage .vhd’s from the Devices section of the iSCSI Software Target. When creating a virtual disk enter the location and name for the drive and any target you wish to assign it to in the creation wizard.
8) Now to set up the Initiator. Open up ‘Microsoft Software Initiator’; click ‘Change’ and enter the initiator name we used when setting up the target then click ‘Secret’ and enter the password you used for the Reverse CHAP section. Next go to the ‘Discovery’ tab and enter the IP address of the iSNS server, in the case of multiple server interfaces on the network, enter the same one that you set in the Software Target properties.
9) Go back to WSS08 and open up iSNS server from Admin Tools. If set up right you should now see the initiator and target in the list. You will also see another target with ‘pseudo’ in the name; this is just the iSNS client as it has to act as a node for discovery purposes.
NB: Discover Domains are used in iSNS to group targets and initiators
for management purposes. An initiator or target will only be able to see
other nodes in its DD. Discovery Domain Sets are used to group sets of
DDs and are where you enable or disable iSNS discovery for the selected
DDs. Every initiator and target is automatically added to the Default DD
which is part of the Default DDS set which is enabled by default.
10) First step is to disable the Default DDS, it is only worth using if you have no plans to separate your nodes. Next create a new DD and add the initiator and target, using the ‘Add New’ button you can add a node that is yet to be set up or is currently inaccessible. Now create a new DDS, add the DD you created to it and check ‘Enable’.
11) Configure your firewall to allow these ports and applications through.
12) Go back to the initiator, go to the ‘Target’ tab, you should see the target in the list. Select it then select ‘Log On’. Check both boxes if needed then enter ‘Advanced’; from the drop down lists select ‘Microsoft iSCSI Initiator’ and then the Source and Target IP addresses. Check ‘CHAP Logon Information’ and enter the first set of User/Password you configured on the client under ‘Authentication’, also check the “Perform Mutual Authentication’ box. Finish the wizard and the target status should now be changed to ‘Connected’.
13) If you are using MPIO select the target and then ‘Log On’ again. Repeat step 12 except enter the second set of Source and Target IP address.
14) Select the Target and then select ‘Details’. This is where you can log off from the target by checking the box next to the connection and selecting log off. To configure what type of redundancy you require go to the ‘Devices’ tab, select ‘Advanced’ and then select the MPIO in the new window. Changing the type here will change it on the other connections used for this target.
NB: 'Least Queue Depth' is not supported by Microsoft's iSCSI Target
15) Go back into the main Software Initiator windows. The target should appear in ‘Persistent Targets’, from here you can only view and remove persistent targets. To make an iSCSI volume persistent again you would need to log in again and check the correct box.
16) Go to Disk Management and initialize/partition the newly available storage.
17) Go back to the Software Initiator then enter the ‘Bound Volumes/Devices’ tab, select Add, then enter the drive letter or mount point of the new volume. If you have to log back on to the target at a later date you would only need to select ‘Bind All’ to rebind all volumes that have been previously added
Hopefully it all went well and you now have a successfully setup iSCSI volume. If for some reason you are unable to discover or connect to the target go through each setting again to make sure it is correct. Resetting the software target service may also make nodes discoverable if they are correctly setup but not appearing. Here is a detailed guide for the iSCSI software initiator.
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July 2010 |
When increased storage capacity is required on your network the most versatile
option is introducing a NAS system. Compucon can build a centralised storage
solution that can fulfil your storage requirements
and allow for future expansion if necessary.
Nas Features
More than just a basic file share, a NAS system can be set up to support a
variety of different systems and file sharing roles in your network. Key
features include:
- Various file service protocols including SMB/CIFS and NFS for access
by
Windows, Mac, BSD, Netware, Unix and Linux based systems. Others file
access
methods include FTP and HTTP.
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- Quota management and share access based on Users/Groups/IP Addresses as
well
as Active Directory integration.
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- iSCSI, which presents storage to the client workstations/servers as a
locally
attached disk(s). It also gives you the ability to create and schedule
differential snapshots of the shared iSCSI volumes which can be used
for data security in between daily backups. This allows data recovery of
older
versions of a file from earlier in the day, instead of yesterday's
version in
the case of nightly backups.
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- Using logical volumes you can expand folder and iSCSI shares without
having
to take them offline, eliminating downtime for storage expansion.
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- Multi-path connections allowing improved throughput and redundancy in a
Storage
Area Network.
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A NAS server could fill the role of dedicated shared storage for a small office
instead of having important files spread out over various users' workstations.
On the other end of the scale a cluster of more powerful NAS servers could be
used in a dedicated SAN to supply iSCSI storage to a number of applications servers.
We can supply systems starting from something as basic as a 1 or 2 HDD mid tower
or 1U system all the way up to a robust 36 disk system in a specialized 4U chassis
as well as a variety in between. We also offer different Operating Systems dependant on
your budget; Windows systems including Home Server (only basic 'shared folder' support)
and Storage Server 2008 as well as Linux based systems that require no server or
client access licenses.
36 Drive 4U NAS System
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June 2010 |
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Compucon New Zealand Remote Hardware RAID Monitoring Service
Service Description (998RAID)
Definition of Service
- The goal of the service is to improve up time and availability of the customer's server storage and data files
- The Compucon RAID team will:
- Provide advice to the Reseller / End User to set up RAID notifications at the start of the service
- Receive alert emails from the server being monitored
- Log in to the server (if applicable) to obtain related information to report to the designated service provider
- Alert the end user / reseller of the incidence
- Initiate actions if the incidence is covered by current warranty
- Obtain permission from and arrange actions for the end user that will incur costs (to the end user)
- The above actions do not include troubleshooting either on-site or remotely. If troubleshooting is requested, it will be separately charged per 15 minutes intervals or part of on our prevailing rate ($15 + GST as at August 2010). Permission to go ahead with troubleshooting can be granted at the signing of this agreement as a standing instruction.
Commercial Terms
- The service is supplied in multiples of 12 months aligned with the hardware warranty
- The customer pays upfront. Renewal will be based on the prevailing rate. Renewal beyond the warranty period will be accepted on a different rate.
- The service is reliant on the Designated Service Provider to configure the RAID notifications at the beginning. Instructions and assistance will be provided by Compucon
- The service will not be applicable for the period that the server or OS (RAID monitoring driver or service) was not available for whatever reasons such as Internet connection failure or power failure
- The service will be supplied for standard business hours only
- The service will not be supplied for 3 weeks during the Christmas New Year closedown period of Compucon New Zealand
Designated Service Provider contact
Person:
Phone:
Mobile:
Email:
End User contact
Person:
Phone:
Mobile:
Email:
Preferences
Who should Compucon contact when an incidence occurs? (please circle)
DSP / End User
Signature of Acceptance:
Dated (dd/mm/yyyy)
Procedures for establishing the RAID Monitoring service are as follows. Feel free to contact Compucon technical services at any time for further assistance.
END
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