Fwd: RE: iSCSI: Support Alias in the protocol

["Mark S. Edwards" <marke@muttsnuts.com>]

>Importance: Normal
>Subject: RE: iSCSI: Support Alias in the protocol
>To: "Mark S. Edwards" <marke@muttsnuts.com>
>X-Mailer: Lotus Notes Release 5.0.3 (Intl) 21 March 2000
>From: "John Hufferd" <hufferd@us.ibm.com>
>Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 12:15:13 -0700
>X-MIMETrack: Serialize by Router on D03NM065/03/M/IBM(Release 5.0.8 |June 
>18, 2001) at
>  08/15/2001 01:15:56 PM
>
>
>Mark,
>I understand what you are saying.  You will be setting up LUN "Sets"  which
>you want the initiators to think of as iSCSI Targets that just happen to
>have the exact same LUNs that you are virtualizing to that Initiator.  You
>are also saying that this approach finds Alias very useful.  OK, I can buy
>what you said, just as long as people do not think that Alias and LUNs
>somehow map together, with out such a virtualizing layer.
>
>I think this needs to be posted to the main list.  So if you would, since
>you sent this to just me, please post you statement and my reply to the IPS
>iSCSI Reflector.
>
>.
>.
>.
>John L. Hufferd
>Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM)
>IBM/SSG San Jose Ca
>Main Office (408) 256-0403, Tie: 276-0403,  eFax: (408) 904-4688
>Home Office (408) 997-6136
>Internet address: hufferd@us.ibm.com
>
>
>"Mark S. Edwards" <marke@muttsnuts.com> on 08/14/2001 10:44:33 PM
>
>To:   John Hufferd/San Jose/IBM@IBMUS
>cc:
>Subject:  RE: iSCSI: Support Alias in the protocol
>
>
>
>John,
>
>Perhaps a loose use of terminology, but we are implementing a virtual SCSI
>layer on the target.  In this case, people tend to view a single exported
>LU as a target in its own right and the primary way of understanding it's
>identity is with the alias.  Multiple LUN's behind a virtual target are a
>slightly different matter.
>
>I know the spec does not address issues such as virtualisation, and at this
>stage it is a complication it can well do without.  Perhaps I tossed the
>note off thinking in local terminology and should be more careful to filter
>to terminology to where the group thinks it's at.  However, we have found
>that the group does tend to discuss matters either from the perspective of
>the initiator or by assuming that the protocol is relatively symmetric.
>
>Since we are only producing a target, we seem to have encountered
>a lot of the complicated target issues ahead of many others
>realising how different the initiator and target environments really are.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Mark.
>
>
>At 02:47 AM 8/14/2001 -0700, John Hufferd wrote:
>
> >Mark,
> >Perhaps I misunderstood your note, however, even though you wisely support
> >Alias :-), they do not supply any help with LU/LUNs.  They only permit the
> >customer to have names for his iSCSI Targets (think Raid Controllers, not
> >LUs), however, that is still very useful.
> >
> >.
> >.
> >.
> >John L. Hufferd
> >Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM)
> >IBM/SSG San Jose Ca
> >Main Office (408) 256-0403, Tie: 276-0403,  eFax: (408) 904-4688
> >Home Office (408) 997-6136
> >Internet address: hufferd@us.ibm.com
> >
> >
> >"Mark S. Edwards" <marke@muttsnuts.com>@ece.cmu.edu on 08/13/2001 10:46:35
> >PM
> >
> >Sent by:  owner-ips@ece.cmu.edu
> >
> >
> >To:   ips@ece.cmu.edu
> >cc:
> >Subject:  RE: iSCSI: Support Alias in the protocol
> >
> >
> >
> >At 09:09 PM 8/13/2001 -0400, Black_David@emc.com wrote:
> >
> > >Let me also acknowledge as valid Marj's opinion that anything of
> > >this sort belongs in a management tool rather than the protocol.
> >
> >But it only works if everyone uses the same management tool, or the tools
> >agree upon the location and storage format of the information --  Somebody
> >dig me up from my grave when Tivoli and OpenView merge.
> >
> >As a way of easily identifying virtual LUN's or LU's within a Target Space
> >of potential hundreds or thousands the alias is very valuable.
> >
> >Mark.