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8/14/2019 StarWind Spotlight Piece Handout http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/starwind-spotlight-piece-handout 1/7 [1] STORAGE SWITZERLAND SPOTLIGHT REPORT STARWIND ISCSI SAN SOFTWARE IS AN EXCELLENT ENTRY LEVEL SAN SOLUTION FOR SMBS Traditionally SAN (Storage Area Network) technology, along with its benets, has been the province of large companies due to the complexity and expenses involved in implementing, maintaining and managing a Fibre Channel SAN. But the introduction of software solutions using Internet SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an Internet Protocol (IP) based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities, has changed this by making it possible and affordable to deploy SANs in the small to medium businesses (SMB) and remote ofce/branch ofce (ROBO) markets. The iSCSI protocol enables the transfer of SCSI packets over a TCP/IP (Ethernet) network. iSCSI is an interoperable solution which enables the use of existing TCP/IP infrastructure and addresses distance limitations (iSCSI can also be used over the Internet). This means the disk drives in your SAN are presented over your existing Ethernet network to server applications as though the disks are local to your physical server hardware. With iSCSI storage a small or midsize company can use any standard IP switches and routers, and the client machines (your servers) can use a software driver called an “initiator” instead of having to purchase the more costly FC HBAs (Host Based Adapters) that larger companies acquire for Fibre Channel storage. iSCSI SANs also allow SMBs to take advantage of things like storage consolidation and virtualization along with SAN performance, scalability and reliability without needing to purchase new proprietary hardware. The key advantage of iSCSI SANs like those offered by StarWind Software is that they work on industry standard x86 servers and transmit their data over standard Ethernet and iSCSI protocols. This facilitates data transfers over intranets; management of storage over long distances and it enables location independent storage and retrieval. A good example of a software-only iSCSI storage virtualization product is StarWind Enterprise Server from StarWind Software. It provides SMBs with a cost effective means to leverage storage virtualization while helping deliver crucial data management services necessary for business continuity. While any 32-bit or 64-bit system running Windows 2000 or later can run the StarWind software and provide iSCSI target devices which can be shared with multiple hosts, the best performance is obtained using a server class OS such as Windows 2003 or 2008 Server. This software makes it possible for servers to share local devices such as disks, tape drives, VTLs (Virtual Tape Library), CD/DVD burners, RAM drives, etc., with multiple hosts over regular Ethernet LAN connections without the need for any special hardware. Joseph Ortiz, Senior Analyst StarWind turns any Windows Server into a SAN, providing reliable Shared Storage for Server Clustering and Server Applications such as VMware, Hyper-V, Exchange, SQL Server or SharePoint

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Page 1: StarWind Spotlight Piece Handout

8/14/2019 StarWind Spotlight Piece Handout

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STORAGE SWITZERLAND

SPOTLIGHT REPORT

STARWIND ISCSI SAN SOFTWARE IS AN EXCELLENTENTRY LEVEL SAN SOLUTION FOR SMBS

Traditionally SAN (Storage Area Network) technology, alongwith its benets, has been the province of large companiesdue to the complexity and expenses involved inimplementing, maintaining and managing a Fibre ChannelSAN.

But the introduction of software solutions using InternetSCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an InternetProtocol (IP) based storage networking standard for linkingdata storage facilities, has changed this by making itpossible and affordable to deploy SANs in the small tomedium businesses (SMB) and remote ofce/branch ofce(ROBO) markets. The iSCSI protocol enables the transfer ofSCSI packets over a TCP/IP (Ethernet) network. iSCSI is aninteroperable solution which enables the use of existingTCP/IP infrastructure and addresses distance limitations(iSCSI can also be used over the Internet). This means thedisk drives in your SAN are presented over your existingEthernet network to server applications as though the disksare local to your physical server hardware. With iSCSIstorage a small or midsize company can use any standardIP switches and routers, and the client machines (yourservers) can use a software driver called an “initiator”instead of having to purchase the more costly FC HBAs(Host Based Adapters) that larger companies acquire forFibre Channel storage.

iSCSI SANs also allow SMBs to take advantage of thingslike storage consolidation and virtualization along with SANperformance, scalability and reliability without needing topurchase new proprietary hardware. The key advantage ofiSCSI SANs like those offered by StarWind Software is thatthey work on industry standard x86 servers and transmittheir data over standard Ethernet and iSCSI protocols. Thisfacilitates data transfers over intranets; management ofstorage over long distances and it enables locationindependent storage and retrieval.

A good example of a software-only iSCSI storagevirtualization product is StarWind Enterprise Server fromStarWind Software. It provides SMBs with a cost effectivemeans to leverage storage virtualization while helpingdeliver crucial data management services necessary forbusiness continuity. While any 32-bit or 64-bit systemrunning Windows 2000 or later can run the StarWindsoftware and provide iSCSI target devices which can beshared with multiple hosts, the best performance isobtained using a server class OS such as Windows 2003 or2008 Server. This software makes it possible for servers toshare local devices such as disks, tape drives, VTLs (VirtualTape Library), CD/DVD burners, RAM drives, etc., withmultiple hosts over regular Ethernet LAN connectionswithout the need for any special hardware.

Joseph Ortiz, Senior Analyst

StarWind turns any Windows Server into a SAN, providing reliable Shared Storage for Server Clustering and Server Applications such as VMware, Hyper-V, Exchange, SQL Server or SharePoint

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It also provides powerful features and options usually foundonly in high end SANs, such as:

• Point-in-time Snapshots with Instant Rollback Ability• Continuous Data Protection (CDP)• Thin Provisioning• Synchronous Data Mirroring

• Remote Replication over an IP network or across a WAN• Support for Windows Clustering (such as used for

Exchange and SQL Server applications)• Networked storage for VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft

Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer and Virtual Iron

• Supports VMware features such as VMotion, StorageVMotion, HA, DRS and VCB

• Unlimited nodes / connections• Unlimited TB Storage Capacity

As a bonus, the initial license of StarWind Enterprise coversinstallation of software on a pair of servers to enablemirroring and replication between them.

Installation of the StarWind Enterprise Server software is avery straightforward, standard Windows installation processand takes about ten minutes to complete, including applyingthe license le to activate the software. At the time ofinstallation you are given the option of installing themanagement console along with the main program. You onlyneed to install the management console on one server. From

there you can use it to manage other StarWind servers inyour environment.

Server Side Setup

One important point to remember is that StarWind uses port3260 for its communications with client systems. This portnumber can be changed at the time of installation of theStarWind software or at a later time via the managementconsole. If you are using a rewall on the StarWind server,you will want to insure that this port, or whichever other one

you may specify, is added to the rewall’s exception list toallow outbound trafc.

Once the software installation is complete, you bring up theStarWind management console and start creating the iSCSIdevice denitions for the devices you want to share on thatparticular server. From the opening menu you click on the

Add Device icon in the top menu bar which brings up thedialog box where you select the device type you want tocreate as seen in the following screenshot.

The rst device usually created is the Image File device. Youspecify the directory in which you want to create the newvirtual disk image le as well as the name for the image le.You can create the target directory manually ahead of timeor the software can do it at the time the le is created. Youalso specify the initial size of the virtual disk and there areoptions for access security as well as encryption presentedlater in the image creation process as seen in the nextscreen shot.

The nal step is to assign the device name that will beexported over iSCSI to client systems. This is the devicename that client systems will see when they scan the serversystem so the names should be descriptive of the device tomake it easier for clients to select the correct device. This isshown in the next screenshot.

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There are a wide variety of other options and settingsavailable for the device denitions that control things likefunctionality and security. It is also possible to increase thesize of a virtual disk on the y if needed as seen in the nextscreen shot. Simply right click on the device icon in themanagement console and select Extend Size from the pop-up menu.

Setting up Snapshots and CDP operations is similar tocreating the disk image le. You click on the Add Device

icon in the top menu bar and select Snapshot and CDPdevice from the dialog box. You then specify the appropriatelocation and le names along with various parameters suchas auto creation and the time interval between automaticsnapshots as seen in the next screenshot.

Once conguration of all devices to be shared over iSCSI iscomplete, you need to prepare the client systems to be ableto see and access these shared devices.

Replication, which StarWind calls Cloning, is set up in asimilar manner. In the rst Add Device dialog box, you selecta device type of Snapshot and CDP device. Then in the nextdialog box that pops up, you select one of the cloningoptions as seen in the next screen shot.

Recoveries of les and folders can be accomplished bymounting existing image les as new virtual disks and thencopying the required les back to their original location.

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Client Side Setup using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator

Client systems that will connect to the shared iSCSI deviceson the StarWind server need to have an iSCSI initiator ofsome type installed on each one of them. You can use thefree Microsoft iSCSI initiator for this purpose and given itswidespread use, we will look at its setup. This is a freedownload from Microsoft, which installs quickly and easily.

Once again it is important to note that the MS iSCSI initiatoralso uses port 3260 for its communications. If you haverewalls on the server and clients, make sure that this port isadded to the rewall’s exception list to allow outboundtrafc. As with the server, the client side can also change theport number used by the MS iSCSI initiator if desired.

Once the MS iSCSI initiator is installed, bring up the MS

initiator Properties box and use the Secret and/or Tunnelbuttons to enter the necessary security information neededto connect to the StarWind server. You can see theseoptions in the next screen shot.

Once those options are set, the next step is to select theDiscovery tab. This is where you enter the DNS name or IPfor the target server hosting the shared storage via theStarWind server software. You can also modify the port usedfor communications on this screen as seen in the nextscreen shot.

Once you have your StarWind target server dened, you’llneed to connect to the individual shared devices using theLog On function as seen in the next two screen shots. Thisis where you also enter any security information needed toconnect to those resources. Be sure to click the box marked“Automatically restore this connection when system boots”in the Log On dialog to insure your shared devices will bepersistent targets that are available even after systemreboots.

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The next step is to bind the shared devices selecting theBound Volumes/Devices tab on the initiator properties dialogbox and clicking on the Bind All button as seen in the nextscreen shot.

The last step in the initiator conguration is to check that theshared devices are showing up as persistent targets underthe Persistent Targets tab.

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Once the MS iSCSI initiator setup is complete, the shareddisk volumes will need to be prepared for use, using thestandard system disk utility to initialize and format theremote volume for use by the local system as seen in thenext screen shots.

Once done with the disk volume preparations, the remotevolume is ready for use and shows up on the WindowsExplorer like any other standard drive. You can see this inthe next screen shot where the new shared volume on theStarWind server shows up on the local system as the F:drive.

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