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Add and Configure a Server with iSCSI Connections

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Unlike in a Fibre Channel environment, logical unit numbers (LUNs) created on an iSCSI disk storage subsystem are not directly assigned to a server. For iSCSI, LUNs are assigned to logical entities called targets. Servers that require access to a LUN have to connect to the target to which the LUN is assigned. To connect to a target, a server in the storage area network (SAN) uses an iSCSI initiator.

Note

In most cases, you can create and manage targets yourself. However, some iSCSI storage subsystems only support simple target configurations, where targets are automatically created when you create a LUN. With simple target configurations, you also cannot delete a target or manually assign LUNs to it. LUNs are automatically assigned when they are created. For this type of subsystem, you just need to identify the server or cluster that will access the LUN, and the iSCSI subsystem will enable access from that server or cluster to the LUN.

To configure the iSCSI connections, you first need to identify the server that will access the LUN and then select which iSCSI initiator adapters will be used for LUN access. iSCSI initiator adapters on a server are automatically discovered by Storage Manager for SANs.

Important

This feature enables you to perform a select subset of the tasks that relate to iSCSI configuration and administration. You can also perform these and other tasks using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, which is included in Windows Server 2008 in Administrative Tools. Additionally, vendors of networking and storage solutions provide similar tools to perform iSCSI configuration and administration tasks. For more information about iSCSI, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=102299.

For information about how to create, configure, and log on to an iSCSI target, see Manage iSCSI Targets.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To add and configure a server with iSCSI connections

  1. In the console tree for Storage Manager for SANs, click LUN Management.

  2. In the Actions pane, click Manage Server Connections.

  3. In the Manage Server Connections dialog box, click Add.

  4. In the Add Server dialog box, type the name or browse to the server that you want to add and optionally, type a description for it.

  5. Click OK. The server will now be listed in the Manage Server Connections dialog box, with all the initiator adapters that were automatically discovered on it listed on the iSCSI Initiator Adapters tab.

  6. To enable iSCSI initiator adapters for LUN access:

    1. Select a server from the server list.

    2. On the iSCSI Initiator Adapters tab, select all the initiator adapters that you want to enable on the selected server.

Warning

If you enable more than one iSCSI initiator adapter and the server is not configured to use Multipath I/O, data corruption can occur. For more information about Multipath I/O, see Support for Multipath I/O (MPIO).

  1. Click OK when you are done configuring the iSCSI connections.

Note

Optionally, you can change the iSCSI initiator name, by typing a new name for it in the text box provided on the iSCSI Initiator Adapters tab.

Additional references