Lab 2 – IP SAN : iSCSI

Objectives :
 Configure a Dell Server
 Configuration of multiple RAID levels and creation of virtual disk.
 Install Microsoft Windows Server on a server
 install iSCSI Target Role on Windows Server
 Create a software iSCSI Target server
 Create iSCSI dynamic vDisk
 Configure Windows Desktop to use iSCSI Target
 Connect an iSCSI Disk on the Software iSCSI to Widows Desktop
 Format the Disk and use it
 View imitators properties on the iSCSI Target Server

iSCSI Overview
iSCSI is an IP‐based protocol that establishes and manages connections between compute systems and
storage systems over IP.

It is an encapsulation of SCSI I/O over IP, where it encapsulates SCSI commands and data into IP packets
and transports them using TCP/IP.

It is widely adopted for transferring SCSI data over IP between compute systems and storage systems
and among the storage systems. iSCSI is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement, especially
environments in which an FC SAN does not exist.

Components of iSCSI Network

Key components for iSCSI communication are:

 iSCSI initiators
o Example: iSCSI HBA
 iSCSI targets
o Example: Storage system with iSCSI port
 IP‐based network
o Example: Gigabit Ethernet LAN

Types of iSCSI Initiator

Hardware and software initiators are types of iSCSI initiators that are used by the host to access iSCSI

targets.

 Standard NIC with software iSCSI adapter

o NIC provides network interface
o Software adapters provide iSCSI functionality
 o Both iSCSI and TCP/IP processing require CPU cycles of compute system
 TCP Offload Engine (TOE) NIC with software iSCSI adapter
o TOE NIC performs TCP/IP processing
o Software adapter provides iSCSI functionality
o iSCSI processing requires CPU cycles of compute system
 iSCSI HBA
o Performs both iSCSI and TCP/IP processing
o Frees‐up CPU cycles of compute system for business applications

iSCSI Address and Name

iSCSI NAME
A worldwide unique name for identifying the node. iSCSI uses the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN)

In an iSCSI network, each iSCSI element that uses the network has a unique iSCSI name and is assigned
an address for access. Each iSCSI element, whether an initiator or target, is identified by a unique iSCSI
Qualified Name (IQN). The IQN is a logical name that is not linked to an IP address.

Format of IQN
An iSCSI initiator name must comply with the following format:

A sample IQN format is iqn.yyyy‐mm.naming‐authority:unique name

 yyyy‐mm is the year and month when the naming authority was established.
 naming‐authority is usually reverse syntax of the Internet domain name of the naming
authority.
 Unique name is any name you want to use, for example, the name of your host. The naming
authority must make sure that any names assigned following the colon are unique.

Example of an IQN name : iqn.1991‐05.com.microsoft:testserver2k19

Topology

STEP 1 : Install Windows Server

 Configure RAID on your DELL R420 Server and Install Windows Server 2016 or 2019
 Name your Windows Server SAN.DC.local and configure network on :
o 10.40.30.x / 16
o Default Gateway: 10.40.0.250
o DNS 1: 10.100.0.1
o DNS 2: 10.100.0.2

STEP 2: Create and configure the iSCSI target server role

1. Configure the iSCSI target server role

To configure the iSCSI target server, you must install the “File and iSCSI Services” role in Windows Server.
To do that, Open Server Manager and click on “Manage” and select “Add roles and features.” See the
following image.
On Add Roles and Features Wizard screen, you can see the detailed information about the wizard. You
can skip this screen by checking on “Skip this page by default” checkbox. Click Next.
On Select Installation Type screen, you can choose to install a role on a dedicated computer or install a
role on a virtual hard disk. You install the iSCSI service on the server; therefore, choose “Role‐based or
feature‐based installation” Click on Next.

On the “Select destination server” screen, you can choose the server or the virtual disk on which you
want to install the desired role or feature. You install the iSCSI services on your server, hence,
choose the name of your server from the list of servers within Server Pool. In this example we have
SAN.DC.local

On the “Select server roles” screen, you can choose the desired role from the list of roles. You install
File and iSCSI Services. To do that, expand, File and Storage Services, expand “File and iSCSI Services”
and select “iSCSI Target Server”.
On the “Select features” screen, you can choose the required feature that we want to install. We
do not want to install any feature, hence click on Next.

On Confirm installation selections screen, you can see the summary of the roles and the list of features
that you are going to install on the server. Some roles and features require to restart the server during
the installation process so you can enable the option to restart the server automatically during
installation. Review the details of roles and click on Install.
Once installation completes, click on Close.

To verify that the iSCSI target server role has been installed successfully, open Server Manager and
expand “File and Storage Services.”
In the left pan, you can view the iSCSI target server that has been installed.
 2. Creating iSCSI Virtual disks

Once the iSCSI target server has been configured, create an iSCSI virtual disk. To do that,

1. Launch Server Manager – expand “File and Storage services”

2. Click on “iSCSI”
3. On the right pan, click on “Start the new iSCSI virtual disk wizard”

See the following image :

New iSCSI disk wizard starts. On the “Select iSCSI virtual disk location” screen, you can choose the
location of the virtual disk. If you have installed the iSCSI Target Server role on multiple servers, then
you can choose the desired server from the list. The list of servers with the iSCSI target role will be
populated automatically in the “Servers” text box. The disk volume can be selected from the “Select by
Volume” list. You can also provide the custom path in the “Type a custom path” text box. you are going
to create a virtual disk on the C drive of the SAN.DC.Local, hence choose C: from the “Select by Volume”
textbox. Click on Next.
On the “Specify iSCSI virtual disk name” screen, you can provide the desired name of the virtual disk
name (like SQL_Data or Disk_num_1). Click on Next.
On the “Specify iSCSI virtual disk size” screen, you can specify the size of the virtual disk. You can create
any of the following disk types:

1. Fixed Size: When we choose the fixed size, the wizard creates the disk that has the size specified
in the “Size” textbox. This disk type is useful when you want to run the application that involves
high disk activity. When you add or remove the data from the disk, the size of the disk does not
change
2. Dynamically expanding: When we choose dynamically expanding disk type, the wizard creates a
disk with a small size. Later, the size of the disk increases based on the volume of the data that
has been added
3. Differencing: If you have a scenario when you want to create multiple child virtual disk in one
parent disk. The changes should be made in child disks, and those changes can be revert. This
setup can be configured using the differencing disk type

We want to create a disk that can be expanded based on the amount of the data added to the disk
hence, choose “Dynamically expanding” disk type, enter the desired size of the disk in the “Size” textbox
and click on Next.

On the “Assign iSCSI target” screen, we can provide the desired name of the iSCSI target. The iSCSI target
name is used by the iSCSI initiators to identify the specific target. If you have created an iSCSI target,
you can choose it from “Existing iSCSI target.” you have not created any target yet, so select “New iSCSI
target” and click on “Next.”
On the “Specify target name” screen, you can provide the name of the target that can be used by iSCSI
initiators. Provide the desired name in “Name” textbox and click on Next.
On the “Specify Server Access” screen, you can specify the list of iSCSI initiators that can access the
virtual disk. To add the iSCSI initiators, click on Add.

By default, the iSCSI initiator cannot connect to the target server. We must install/enable iSCSI
initiators. To connect to the iSCSI target server, we can use any of the following:

1. Query initiator for computer ID: In “Query initiator for computer ID” text box, you can
specify the fully qualified hostname of the computer that has iSCSI initiator.
2. IQN: You can specify the IQN of the machine that has an iSCSI initiator. IQN is a qualified
name of the iSCSI. The format of the IQN is “<Type>.<Date>.<Naming
Authority>.<string defined by naming authority>”
3. DNS Name: You can specify the DNS name of the computer where the iSCSI initiator has
been installed
4. IP Address: If you want to use the iSCSI target from outside of the domain, we can specify
the IP Address of the computer that has iSCSI initiator
5. Mac Address: You can also specify the MAC address of the computer that has an iSCSI
initiator

you are going to connect the iSCSI target from your desktop. On your computer, open a
command line interface and tape ipconfig to find youd IPv4 IP address. Use this IPv4 as an
ISCSI initiator (In this example, the IP address is 10.40.40.x). on “Select a method to identify the
initiator” screen, choose IP Address the type drop-down box and enter your IP Address
10.40.40.x and click on OK to close the screen.
Back to the “Specify Server access” screen, you can see that the initiator has been added to the list.
Click on Next.

If you want to enable CHAP (Challenge‐handshake authentication protocol) or reverse CHAP, click on
“Enable CHAP” and “Enable reverse CHAP” and provide username and password. We do not want to
enable CHAP or Reverse CHAP, hence click on Next.
On confirm selection screen, review all the settings, and click on “Create” to create an iSCSI virtual disk.

On the “View Result” screen, you can see that disk has been created successfully. You can close the
window.
Once the disk has been created, you can see the list of iSCSI virtual disks in the server manager. See the
following image.
STEP 3: Enable the iSCSI initiator
In this section, you will do the following tasks :

1. Enable the iSCSI initiator service and use it to connect to the virtual disk that has been created
on the server SAN.Dc.Local
2. How to create an iSCSI volume using the “Create Simple Volume” wizard
3. View the list of initiators connected to the iSCSI virtual disk

By default, the iSCSI service is stopped. To use it, you must start the service. To start the service, on you
Desktop, click on Windows then tape iSCSI then selects “iSCSI initiator”.

A message box opens that says, we must start the services on the computer, and the service will be
started automatically.” Click on Yes.
Alternatively, you can start the service from Administrative tools. Open Control Panel ‐> Administrative
Tools ‐> open Services ‐> Find “Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service” service. Right‐click on it and click
on Start. See the following image.

Step 4: Configure iSCSI initiator

on “iSCSI initiator” you can specify the IP Address or DNS Name of the iSCSI target server OR iSCSI target
portal.
To connect to the iSCSI virtual disk, enter the DNS or IP Address of the iSCSI target server. You
have configured the iSCSI target server on 10.40.30.x hence, enter the IP address and click on
“Quick Connect.”

As you can see in the following image, the initiator has been connected to the iSCSI virtual disk.
Click on Done to close the dialog box.

Now to use the iSCSI virtual disk, you must initialize it. To do that, open Control Panel ‐>
Open Administrator Tools ‐> Computer Management ‐>Click on “Disk management,” which is on the left
pan of Computer Management Snap‐in.
an unallocated partition has been created. To use it first, we must bring it online. To do that, right‐click
on “Disk 1” and click on Online.

Once the disk is online, you must initialize it so that the logical disk manager can access it. To do that,
right‐click on “Disk 1” and click on “Initialize disk.”
A dialog box “Initialize Disk” opens. Click on OK.

Once the disk is online, let us create a volume. To do that, right‐click on “Disk 1” and click on “New
Simple Volume.”
The New Simple Volume Wizard starts. The first screen shows details about the wizard. Click on Next.
On Specify Volume Size screen, enter the desired size of the disk in text‐box named, “Simple volume size
in MB”. Click on Next. See the following image :
On the Assign Drive Letter or Path screen, you can specify the drive letter. Choose the desired drive letter
from “Assign the following drive letter” drop‐down box and click on Next.

On the Format partition screen, you can specify the File system type, allocation unit size, and volume
name. Once all settings are configured, click on Next.
On “Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard”, review all the settings and click on Finish to create a
new volume. See the following image

Once the volume has been created, you can access it from windows explorer, as you can see in the
following image that the drive “iSCSI Share” has been created successfully.

You can view the list of sessions connected to the iSCSI virtual disk using the server manager. To do that,
log in to “SAN.DC.Local” and open Server Manager ‐> Click on “File and Storage Services” ‐> Click
on iSCSI ‐> In iSCSI target section, you can see that the iSCSI target is connected. If you want more details
of it, right‐click on it and choose properties.

In the properties dialog box, select “initiators” In the list box, you can view the IQN of the initiator and
session count by each IQN.