Quick iSCSI question

mosfet

mosfet

mosfet

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A friend of mine at a company I used to work for just inquired about the new Drobo Pro which has iSCSI functionality, but I don't know anything about iSCSI.

If it (or any other iSCSI storage) is attached to a switch, can multiple workstations connect to it over iSCSI, or can you only have one connected initiator?

ie. would you need a dedicated server serving as the middle man between iSCSI storage boxes and workstations?

Cheers
 
I read up as much as I could before asking, including that page, but I want to make absolutely sure, in plain English what it means, since I know virtually nothing about enterprise storage.

If I have multiple workstations (all running iSCSI initiator software) connected to a gigabit switch and I connect an iSCSI storage device (such as the Drobo Pro) to that same switch, can my workstations all connect to and access the storage device concurrently?
 
mosfet said:
I read up as much as I could before asking, including that page, but I want to make absolutely sure, in plain English what it means, since I know virtually nothing about enterprise storage.

If I have multiple workstations (all running iSCSI initiator software) connected to a gigabit switch and I connect an iSCSI storage device (such as the Drobo Pro) to that same switch, can my workstations all connect to and access the storage device concurrently?
Click to expand...

This is only true if you use a clustering filesystem. iSCSI presents a block-level device to the client, so if you have multiple clients accessing the same target simultaneously without a filesystem that can handle it, you'll corrupt stuff. If you want multi-client accessing a filesystem, you just want a NAS (samba / nfs).
 
It does raise a good question though - just who are appliances like that aimed at? Nobody who wants an enterprise solution would have something without enterprise features (redundancy etc) and I cant think of a use for iSCSI in the home...

So who buys them?
 
iaind said:
It does raise a good question though - just who are appliances like that aimed at? Nobody who wants an enterprise solution would have something without enterprise features (redundancy etc) and I cant think of a use for iSCSI in the home...

So who buys them?
Click to expand...

Guys like us who want something to "play" with (testing esx for example)
 
Prefer Openfiler for my home iSCSI.

However the iSCSI implementation on the Drobo Pro requires that you have the Drobo Pro on a seperate network to your normal network traffic.

Is the way that they have done the automation of the iSCSI configuration.

As such you would need to connect the Drobo Pro to a server/workstation and then have that share the storage out.

I think this is more aimed at the SMB market in reality where they can have 'enterprise features' without having to necessarily have an enterprise price or knowledge.

Looking at one though to match with a mac mini as an expandable iTunes/Elgato Server. Isn't much different in price if the mentioned prices so far are accurate to other 8 bay NAS boxes. Will be using the FW800 though rather then the iSCSI
 
I don't really understand the point of the Drobo Pro. It doesn't seem to know if it's trying to be a SAN, or a DAS box. The iSCSI makes sense from a SAN point of view, but doesn't give any of the other features that you'd want from enterprise hardware, like multiple NICs for bonding etc.

If it's a DAS, then why on earth havn't they put proper interfaces like eSATA or SCSI on it?
 
iaind said:
It does raise a good question though - just who are appliances like that aimed at? Nobody who wants an enterprise solution would have something without enterprise features (redundancy etc) and I cant think of a use for iSCSI in the home...

So who buys them?
Click to expand...

But iSCSI SAN's do have redundancy. I always thought iSCSI was a good choice for enterprise grade storage on a bit of a budget. Clearly HP think the same.
 
They're quite handy for booting and imaging new machines, though I wouldn't buy something that expensive when FreeNAS/etherboot will do it for free.
 
Basher said:
But iSCSI SAN's do have redundancy. I always thought iSCSI was a good choice for enterprise grade storage on a bit of a budget. Clearly HP think the same.
Click to expand...

Oh I know iSCSI SANs do, I'm in the process of implementing one as we speak! (Sun SAN, very good FWIW). But the Drobo doesnt seem to have any of those features, so it wouldnt appeal to me, any my company is relatively small
 
iaind said:
Oh I know iSCSI SANs do, I'm in the process of implementing one as we speak! (Sun SAN, very good FWIW). But the Drobo doesnt seem to have any of those features, so it wouldnt appeal to me, any my company is relatively small
Click to expand...

Ahh sorry - my mistake.
 
Well that's why my ears pricked up when I heard about it, the combination of professional features at a low price with idiot-proof features.

They're a small company (25 employees) with who have no technical staff at all, use a huge amount of data and use consumer, external hard drives for everything.

I worked there for a few months during my placement year and was pretty embarrassed by the situation. I tried to get them to invest in an low-end enterprise solution from a brand name, but they were entirely apathetic to the tune of "if it ain't broke", despite the fact that dropping one of their unbacked up consumer drives would cost them clients.

I thought that a couple of Drobo Pros in the comms rack plugged in to the main switch might be the ideal solution.
 
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