Create Virtual SAN Using Microsoft iSCSI Software Target

This is one of the perfect free tool from Microsoft which was really useful for me to create an SAN virtually for my testing purposes. You can use this for any kind of requirement which are related to SAN Spaces.

Here my requirement was to use this SAN for a windows Cluster as SAN space is an mandatory for it.

Note – This is for testing environments and NOT to be Used in Production.

Download and Install the application first. Download from here

Tool located under administrative tools as below once you installed .

Configure Target

Target is – the central location which holding the main configuration and storage for Virtual SAN.

Lets get create a New …….

Right click on iSCSI Targets , create new Target

Click next to continue

Provide a Name for your New Target and Next to continue.

Here to define IQN Identifiers. This is used to add your identifiers (Other Nodes which will use this Target).you will need to guess this by referring to below syntax as we haven’t setup our client yet

So will come back t this to verify once we configured our client.

The syntax for IQN is – iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:machinename.domainname.com

Here I gave my client’s IQN as I have already setup it.

Click next to proceed and click finish to complete.

Now we need to create Virtual disks for this Target. Get in to Create Virtual Disk wizard to do it.

Give a Name to New Disk and define the path as you wish.it will create a virtual disk in particular location.

Size of the virtual disk to be defined in MB.

Give a description for better identification while you work in Console.

Click finish to complete the disk creation.

Direct to Properties of the New Target. You can see here all the settings you given.

all the initiators you added are shown here. Also you can add more initiators if your other hosts need to use this Target (V-SAN)

Virtual disks are shows here in this tab

More Details on the disks are discoverable in root.

Configure Clients (Initiators) via ISCSI Initiator

This can be setup in most operating systems, tool is available in Windows 7 /Server 2008 by default so you don’t need to install this.

For Other Operating Systems = From the download earlier – get the following file for installation

iscsitargetClient_public.msi

Each and every clients should be configured for accessing the Target we created.

Find iSCSI Initiator at administrative tools and get in to the interface shown below.

Click Yes for the verification massage box as you get it once launching this tool for the first time.

Copy Initiator’s Name of the client by Direct to Configuration tab. Initiator Name is the Unique Name for particular client which we need to include in Initiators list in our ‘Target’.

Go back to Target’s Properties and insert this name in to Initiators list.

Click Add to insert

Paste Name Here which you copied from client and click OK.

Go Back to the Client and direct to ‘Discover’ Tab and click Discover Portal.

Give the IP/DNS Name of the ‘Target’, This is the place to connect to Target from clients.

Here will appear you Portal.

Then next is to connect to our Target. Go to Targets tab and it should appear yours as inactive bby default.

Click Connect to continue and click OK to connect

Now status becomes connected as it was success.

Click ‘Auto configure’ in Volumes and Devices tab. What ever the disks are created in your Target should appear here once it’s success.

Also disks are can be viewed via ‘Devices’ in Targets tab as shown below.

Map Disks to clients

Now we can map disks to each clients as required.

Get in to the disk management utility, it will appear in initialization wizard to disks, check for each disk as required and click ‘OK’ get mapped.

That’s all for configuring Client and our new disks are Ready to Rock and Roll……….. !!!!!!

Now You can create volumes as required.

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