Storage
iSCSI targets based on software open source projects:
FreeNAS and OpenFiler open source projects are both supporting iSCSI target. Both servers can be used for configuring your appliance and connecting VMWare ESX or HyperV host servers. I prefer using OpenFiler because the project has ready to use virtual machines and you can start quickly evaluating the functionalities.
| FreeNas |
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| Description: FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key. The minimal FreeBSD distribution, Web interface, PHP scripts and documentation are based on M0n0wall. |
| Version: 0.686.4 (stable) / 0.69b4 (beta) |
| Link: http://www.freenas.org/ |
| Openfiler |
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| Description:Openfiler is a network storage operating system, fronted by a web based management user interface. With the features we built into Openfiler, you can take advantage of file-based Network Attached Storage and block-based Storage Area Networking functionality in a single cohesive framework. Any industry standard x86 or x86/64 server can be converted into a powerful multi-protocol network storage appliance, replete with an intuitive browser-based management interface, in as little as 15 minutes. File-based storage networking protocols such as CIFS and NFS ensure cross-platform compatibility in homogeneous networks – with client support for Windows, Linux, and Unix. Fibre channel and iSCSI target features provide excellent integration capabilities for virtualization environments such as Xen and VMware. |
| Version: 2.3 |
| Link: http://www.openfiler.com/ |
| Downloads: [x86] - Xen – http://www.rpath.org/rbuilder/downloadImage?fileId=26670
[x86_64] - Xen – http://www.rpath.org/rbuilder/downloadImage?fileId=26671 |
iSCSI targets based on commercial software projects:
| LeftHand’s Virtual SAN Appliance (VSA) for VMWare |
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| Description:Virtualization has created new problems for data storage. More applications running on a single virtual server means that more applications go down if that server fails. VMware has developed virtual machine mobility features like VMware HA, VMotion, and DRS to address these new issues. To take advantage of those features, you need storage: either external storage, which can be expensive and hard to manage, or virtual storage, the affordable, highly available kind that LeftHand’s Virtual SAN Appliance (VSATM) provides.Based on award-winning SAN/iQ® software, LeftHand’s VSA is a VMware Certified Virtual Appliance and provides complete SAN management functionality through the VMware ESX Server. By virtualizing the internal disk capacity of VMware ESX Server and clustering the storage across multiple server hosts, LeftHand’s VSA eliminates the need for external shared storage necessary to implement the advanced features of VMware Infrastructure. Small to medium businesses and remote office customers can lower their IT infrastructure costs and enable higher levels of protection for business critical systems without the purchase of additional hardware. |
| Version: SAN / iQ7 |
| Link: http://www.lefthandnetworks.com/vsa.aspx |
| Documents: |
iSCSI targets based on OEM hardware:
| EqualLogic |
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| Description: EqualLogic’s storage area networks enable fast, flexible storage setup and provisioning while dramatically reducing the time and cost required to manage, maintain and grow a SAN environment – locally or remotely |
| Version: |
Link: http://www.equallogic.com/
PS50E |
