Managing iSCSI Targets

This help page provides information about iSCSI Targets and how and when to use them.  It contains the following topics:

•  Overview

•  Displaying iSCSI Targets

•  The iSCSI Targets Tab

•  Showing iSCSI Target Properties

•  Creating a Target

•  Editing a Target

•  Deleting a Target

•  Editing Authentication

•  Initializing Target 000

•  The iSCSI Target Security Tab

•  Changing iSCSI Target Security

•  The Hosts Tab

•  Changing a Host Nickname

•  The CHAP Users Tab

Overview

An iSCSI target is a logical entity that associates one or more hosts that communicate with the array via the iSCSI protocol and one or more logical units in an array.

Think of it as a logical "box" within an array.  The box contains one or more LUNs and one or more iSCSI ports. The iSCSI ports connect the target to one or more hosts. When a host "sees" the iSCSI port, it also sees the iSCSI target containing the LUNs.  The host can then access any or all of LUNs and the data they contain.

Host access is for managing data only.  Hosts cannot manage the LUNs themselves (for example, add, delete, modify, and so forth) , nor the iSCSI targets that contain them.  Those functions are handled by Navigator 2, which is installed on a management console.  See the following illustration.

Multiple Host Connections

One host can connect to an iSCSI port on the array without setting security (see Host 2 in the above illustration).  To connect more than one host to an iSCSI target, you must first enable iSCSI target security (see Host 1 and Host 2 in the above illustration). This is also true if one host connects to more than one iSCSI target (see Host 3 in the above illustration).  The security uses CHAP (Challenge Handshake Access Protocol), which requires that the host that is trying to connect to the iSCSI port "knows" the CHAP secret that is set for the port.  This is similar to logging in with a password.  CHAP security setup information is included in this help topic.

Multipathing

Multipathing means that a host is connected to an iSCSI target via more than one port. See the above illustration.

Displaying iSCSI Targets

You can refer/ configure groups (logical resources) in the array:

1. In the Arrays window, select the array you want to manage and click Show and Configure Array.  The Array window and Explorer tree are displayed..

2. In the Explorer tree, click Groups. The Groups window is displayed.

3. In the Groups window, click iSCSI Target in the list of Groups. 

Note: iSCSI Targets is not displayed if the Array does not have iSCSI interface to communicate with hosts.

The iSCSI Targets Tab

This tab has the list of the iSCSI targets in the array.

Showing iSCSI Target Properties

To view the details of an iSCSI Target, click the name of the desired iSCSI target.

Creating a Target

As shown on the tool tip, the name of this button is an abbreviation of Create iSCSI Target.

To create one or more iSCSI targets on iSCSI Port(s):

1. In iSCSI Targets tab of iSCSI Targets window, click Create Target. The Create iSCSI Target dialog box is displayed.

2. In the Create Target Window:enter the Number, Alias, iSCSI Name of the target.

3. Select one or more iSCSI Ports that the iSCSI target belongs to

3.  The Create iSCSI Target window includes three tabs for settings: Hosts tab, Logical Units tab, and Settings tab.  These are described below.

The Hosts tab

If the LUN Manager (option program) is not installed or enabled in the array, this tab is not displayed.

Check Select from Detected Hosts and select host(s) in the Detected Hosts list (This is the list of hosts that has tried to the iSCSI Port. The iSCSI names of those hosts are recorded in the array and you need not type manually.), or check Enter iSCSI Name Manually and type iSCSI Name in the iSCSI Name field.  Then click Add to assign the host(s) to the iSCSI target.  When de-assign host(s), select hosts from Selected Hosts list and click Remove button.

The  Logical Units tab

(The following operation is called ”set LU mapping”, or ”map LU to iSCSI targets.”)

Select an H-LUN in H-LUN list, LUN(s) in Available LUs list and click Add button. In the Selected LUs list, LUN of logical unit is to be seen as H-LUN from the hosts allowed to access to the iSCSI target. Thus the logical unit in the array is mapped to H-LUN. If you remove the selected logical unit from the Selected LUs list, click the of  the logical unit in the Selected LUs list and click Remove button.

The Options tab

Select the platform and middleware of the host(s) by selecting pull-down menus to the left of Platform and Middleware.

Select the setting of host connection mode by the pull-down menu of Common Settings or es to the items of Additional Setting against host commands.

4. After finishing the settings of the iSCSI target, click OK to configure the iSCSI Target in the array.  After the creation, you can modify the settings by Edit Target button in.

Editing a Target

To edit the configuration of an iSCSI target:

1. In the iSCSI Targets window, select the iSCSI Targets tab.

2. In  the iSCSI Targets tab, select an iSCSI target (click the next to its name).

3. Click Edit Target. The Edit iSCSI Target window is displayed.  The Edit iSCSI Target window includes areas which are directly editable and areas which must be edited via one of the three tabs in the lower half of the window.  Each of the tabs is explained below.

iSCSI Target Settings

Before describing how to change all the settings, let's first look at what the settings are and what they do.  The following table explains each setting and includes a link to the instructions to change the setting.

In the Edit Target Window:

1. Enter the Number, Alias, and iSCSI Name of the target. See the

2. Select one or more iSCSI Ports to which the iSCSI target belongs.

3. The Create iSCSI Target window includes three tabs as described below.

The Hosts Tab

The Logical Units Tab

(The following operation is called as ”set LU mapping”, or ”map LU to iSCSI targets.”)

Select an H-LUN in H-LUN list, and/or logical units in the Available Logical Units list and click Add.

 In the Selected Logical Units list, LUN of logical unit is to be seen as H-LUN from the hosts allowed to access to the iSCSI target. Thus the logical unit in the array is mapped to H-LUN. If you remove the selected logical unit from the Selected LUs list, click the of  the logical unit in the Selected LUs list and click Remove button.

The Options Tab

Select the platform and middleware of the host(s) by selecting pull-down menus to the left of Platform and Middleware.

Select the setting of host connection mode by the pull-down menu of Common Settings or es to the items of Advanced Setting.

4. After finishing the settings of the iSCSI target, click OK to configure the iSCSI Target in the array.  After the creation, you can modify the settings by Edit Target button in.

Editing  Authentication

To edit the authentication setting of an iSCSI Target:

1. In the iSCSI Targets tab of iSCSI Targets window, click of the iSCSI Target and click Edit Authentication button. The Edit Authentication window is displayed.

In the Edit Authentication window:

1. Select authentication method  If ”CHAP, None” or ”CHAP” is selected for Authentication Method, associate CHAP Users to the iSCSI Target later at CHAP Users tab of iSCSI Targets window.  The array can verify the user (of the host trying to access the iSCSI target) by the User Name and Secret of the CHAP user.

2. To set enable mutual authentication or not.  If enabled, input authentication setting s for iSCSI target.  If enabled, the host can verify the iSCSI target by the User Name and Secret of the iSCSI target.

Initializing Target 000

As shown on the tool tip, this button is abbreviation of Initialize iSCSI Target 000. Each iSCSI port has iSCSI Target 000 by default. You cannot delete iSCSI Target 000 but can initialize iSCSI Target 000.

To initialize one or more iSCSI Target 000 units on iSCSI Port(s), in iSCSI Targets  tab of iSCSI Targets window, click (es) of iSCSI Targets 000 and click Initialize Target 000 button. Initialize iSCSI Target 000 window is displayed.

Deleting a Target

If LUN Manager is not installed or enabled in the array, this button is not displayed.

As shown on the tool tip, this button is abbreviation of Delete iSCSI Target. You cannot delete iSCSI Target 000.

The iSCSI Target Security Tab

To create iSCSI Target on an iSCSI port:

• LUN Manager must be installed and enabled, and 

• iSCSI target security must already be enabled on the iSCSI port.

The iSCSI Target Security tab includes a list showing the configuration of the iSCSI ports on iSCSI target security configurations..

Changing iSCSI Target Security

Complete the following instructions to change the iSCSI target security setting of an iSCSI port. Also see the following illustration.

1. In the iSCSI Targets window, select the iSCSI Target Security tab.

2. In the iSCSI Security tab, click the to the left of the name of the of the iSCSI port of interest.

3. Click Change iSCSI Target Security.  The Change iSCSI Target Security dialog box (shown over the top of the tab) is displayed.

4. Click the to set or reset iSCSI Target Security of the selected iSCSI port

5. Click OK to save the changes.  A confirmation dialog box is displayed.

6. Click Close to acknowledge and close the dialog box, and return to the iSCSI Target Security tab.

The Hosts Tab

This tab displays the list of the hosts that are assigned to an iSCSI target or that are able to associated to an iSCSI target. The table below describes the information that is displayed for each listed host.

Changing a Host Nickname

To enter a new nickname for a host or edit an existing nickname:

1. In the iSCSI window, select the Hosts tab.

2. Select the desired host by clicking the to the left of the host name and click Change Nickname.  The Change Nickname window is displayed.

3. In the Change Nickname window, enter a new nickname for the host or edit an existing nickname as needed. A nickname can be 1 - 32 alphanumeric characters. The nickname is used only within Navigator 2 and is not sent to the hosts or arrays.

This function is also accessible by clicking Change Nickname in the iSCSI Target Property window.

The CHAP Users Tab

This tab displays the list of the CHAP (Challenge Authentication Handshake Protocol) users of the hosts.

Showing Details

To refer the detail configuration of a CHAP user, in CHAP Users tab of iSCSI Targets window,  click the of the CHAP User that you want to look at details and click Show Details button.

Creating a  CHAP User

To register a new CHAP user, in CHAP Users tab of iSCSI Targets window, click Create CHAP User button. Create CHAP User window is displayed. Enter the User name, type Secret and retype Secret. Click one or more to the left of the Port (iSCSI Port) where you want to create the CHAP user in the Available Port list.

Notes:

• For some environment of the host communicating by iSCSI, CHAP user is not related the actual user and the user name is the same to the iSCSI name of the host.

• Create CHAP User just register a CHAP user to one or more iSCSI Ports.  It is necessary to assign iSCSI target to the CHAP user to authenticate the host that tries to communicate with the target with the user name and the secret of the CHAP user.  So, after creating a CHAP user, click the of the CHAP user in the CHAP user list and click Edit CHAP User button to assign iSCSI targets to the CHAP user.

To view the details of the CHAP user you create, click the of the CHAP user and click Show Details button in the CHAP User list.

Editing a CHAP User

To register a new CHAP user, select the of the CHAP User that you want to configure and click Edit CHAP User.

To change the user name of the CHAP user, overwrite the user name in User Name field.

To change secret of the CHAP user, select the to the right to Change Secret, type a new secret to Secret field and retype the new secret to Retype Secret  field.

Assign a target to the CHAP user

To view the details of the CHAP user you edit, click the of the CHAP user and click Show Details button in the CHAP User list.

Deleting a CHAP User

To delete CHAP Users, click the of the CHAP Users that you want to delete and click Delete CHAP User button.

iSCSI Target Properties

The details of the iSCSI Target are displayed in this page.

Summary Area

Editing a Target

As shown on the tool tip, this button is an abbreviation of Edit iSCSI Target.

To Edit an iSCSI Target, in upper right of iSCSI Target property window, click Edit Target button. Edit iSCSI Target window is displayed.

This button is the same as the Edit Target button in the iSCSI Target tab of iSCSI Targets window.

The Hosts tab

This tab displays the list of the hosts that are assigned to an iSCSI target or that are able to associate with an iSCSI target.

If the LUN Manager (bundled storage feature) is not installed or enabled in the array, this tab is not displayed.

Changing a  Nickname

The function cannot executed when LUN Manager (option program) is disable.

To set a new nickname to a host or change the nickname of a host, in Hosts tab of iSCSI Target property window, select the host by clicking the tot he left of the list of hosts and click Change Nickname. Change Nickname window is displayed. Enter new nickname of the host. A nickname of a host should be 32 or less alphanumeric characters. The nickname is used only within Navigator 2 and not sent to the hosts nor arrays.

The Logical Units tab

This has the list of the logical units associated to the iSCSI target.

The Authentication tab

Editing  Authentication

To edit the authentication setting of the iSCSI Target, click Edit Authentication.  The Edit Authentication window is displayed.

This button is the same as the Edit Authentication button in iSCSI Targets tab of the iSCSI Targets window.

In the Edit Authentication window:

1. Select authentication method  If ”CHAP, None” or ”CHAP” is selected for Authentication Method, associate CHAP Users to the iSCSI Target later at CHAP Users tab of iSCSI Targets window.  The array can verify the user (of the host trying to access the iSCSI target) by the User Name and Secret of the CHAP user.

2. To set enable mutual authentication or not.  If enable, input authentication setting s for iSCSI target.  If enabled, the host can test the iSCSI target by the User Name and Secret of the iSCSI target.

The Options tab

See Also   (back to top)

The following topics within this online help provide information that may be helpful in understanding the information on this page, and/or may provide additional information that is related, but not required to understand this topic.

   Settings

   Managing RAID Groups

   Managing Arrays