Thecus Technology i Series Manuale Utente

Pagina di 91
 
Chapter 2 Getting started 
 
2.1  Before starting 
 
Before starting, prepare the following items. 
 
1.  Check the “Certification list” in Appendix A to confirm the hardware 
setting is fully supported. 
2.  Read the latest release notes before upgrading. Release notes 
accompany with release firmware. 
3.  A server with a NIC or iSCSI HBA. 
4.  CAT 5e, or CAT 6 network cables for management port and iSCSI data 
ports. Recommend CAT 6 cables for best performance. 
5.  Prepare storage system configuration plan. 
6.  Management and iSCSI data ports network information. When using 
static IP, please prepare static IP addresses, subnet mask, and default 
gateway. 
7.  CHAP security information, including CHAP usernames and secrets. 
(Optional) 
 
 
2.2  iSCSI introduction 
 
iSCSI (Internet SCSI) is a protocol which encapsulates SCSI (Small Computer 
System Interface) commands and data in TCP/IP packets for linking storage 
devices with servers over common IP infrastructures. iSCSI provides high 
performance SANs over standard IP networks like LAN, WAN or the Internet. 
 
IP SANs are true SANs (Storage Area Networks) which allow few of servers to 
attach to an infinite number of storage volumes by using iSCSI over TCP/IP 
networks. IP SANs can scale the storage capacity with any type and brand of 
storage system. In addition, using any type of network (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, 
Gigabit Ethernet) and combining operating systems (Microsoft Windows, Linux, 
Solaris, …etc.) within the SAN network. IP-SANs also include mechanisms for 
security, data replication, multi-path and high availability. 
 
Storage protocol, such as iSCSI, has “two ends” in the connection. These ends 
are the initiator and the target. In iSCSI we call them iSCSI initiator and iSCSI 
target. The iSCSI initiator requests or initiates any iSCSI communication. It 
requests all SCSI operations like read or write. An initiator is usually located on 
the host/server side (either an iSCSI HBA or iSCSI SW initiator). 
 
- 9 -