[krister]

Hi,

I'm trying to use the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator on a PowerBook running 10.4.9 to connect to a Solaris box (it's running Nevada b61). When I connect from the MacOS X host I get as far as logging in and a session shows up in the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator window. However, I can't find any device on the PB so I can't use the target. I'm assuming I should be able to see something in Disk Utility at this point. On the target host there is no indication of a connection from the initiator on the MacOS X host. I'm pretty sure I've successfully set up the target host because I can access targets from another Solaris machine (Solaris10u3).

Another thing is that discovery on the PowerBook doesn't seem to work. No target was found on the target host. In order to initiate a connection I had to type in the iSCSI target name by hand.

Krister

[SNSryan]

krister, on Apr 7 2007, 01:42 AM, said:

Hi,

I'm trying to use the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator on a PowerBook running 10.4.9 to connect to a Solaris box (it's running Nevada b61). When I connect from the MacOS X host I get as far as logging in and a session shows up in the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator window. However, I can't find any device on the PB so I can't use the target. I'm assuming I should be able to see something in Disk Utility at this point. On the target host there is no indication of a connection from the initiator on the MacOS X host. I'm pretty sure I've successfully set up the target host because I can access targets from another Solaris machine (Solaris10u3).

Another thing is that discovery on the PowerBook doesn't seem to work. No target was found on the target host. In order to initiate a connection I had to type in the iSCSI target name by hand.

Krister

Hello Krister,

Please referance - forum topic 117

thanks,
ryan

[benr]

krister, on Apr 6 2007, 11:42 PM, said:

Hi,

I'm trying to use the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator on a PowerBook running 10.4.9 to connect to a Solaris box (it's running Nevada b61). When I connect from the MacOS X host I get as far as logging in and a session shows up in the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator window. However, I can't find any device on the PB so I can't use the target. I'm assuming I should be able to see something in Disk Utility at this point. On the target host there is no indication of a connection from the initiator on the MacOS X host. I'm pretty sure I've successfully set up the target host because I can access targets from another Solaris machine (Solaris10u3).

Another thing is that discovery on the PowerBook doesn't seem to work. No target was found on the target host. In order to initiate a connection I had to type in the iSCSI target name by hand.

Krister

My experience was the same. Pointing globalSAN at the Portal didn't find anything, Static definition worked and connected, but I can't see the device on the Mac.

Things got worse when I tried to reboot. Perhaps the fact that I marked that Target as persistant had something to do with it but now if I try to start the initiator it does something but the GUI never pops up and I don't see connections on my target box.

I want to do some more indepth testing but don't have time for it right now.

benr.

[Stuart]

globalSAN users, et alia:

Indeed, I recently attempted to assert globalSAN under MacOS 10.5.2 with Solaris 10 05/08 acting as the target, and was met with a misserable experience. The software was completely incapable of detecting or connecting to the Solaris 10 05/08 target (ZFS, with shareiscsi truned on) via the MacOS initiator.

I am a consultant, and had installed it to give it a test run as I have several Mac based clients in the entertainment industry back in California.

I do not know if globalSAN is giving this software away temporarily until they get it ready for prime time, or if they consider this to be a production level product; but absent documentation concerning its interoperability with Solaris, and a non intuitive capability to make it work, I do not see using or recommending this product as a good choice for any serious customers.

Considering the ease of use normatively associative to Apple based software products, it seems abruptly apparent that this product was not designed to fit within that same model.


Stuart

[SNSryan]

Stuart, on May 9 2008, 10:16 AM, said:

globalSAN users, et alia:

Indeed, I recently attempted to assert globalSAN under MacOS 10.5.2 with Solaris 10 05/08 acting as the target, and was met with a misserable experience. The software was completely incapable of detecting or connecting to the Solaris 10 05/08 target (ZFS, with shareiscsi truned on) via the MacOS initiator.

I am a consultant, and had installed it to give it a test run as I have several Mac based clients in the entertainment industry back in California.

I do not know if globalSAN is giving this software away temporarily until they get it ready for prime time, or if they consider this to be a production level product; but absent documentation concerning its interoperability with Solaris, and a non intuitive capability to make it work, I do not see using or recommending this product as a good choice for any serious customers.

Considering the ease of use normatively associative to Apple based software products, it seems abruptly apparent that this product was not designed to fit within that same model.
Stuart

Thanks for the feedback Stuart. Which version of the initiator did you test with?

Have you had the opportunity to read all the information provided on the globalSAN page of our website? Here's a link - http://www.studionet...d...=more&pi=11

You want to read this previous supported targets forum post.

regards,
ryan

[Stuart]

krister, on Apr 6 2007, 11:42 PM, said:

Hi,

I'm trying to use the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator on a PowerBook running 10.4.9 to connect to a Solaris box (it's running Nevada b61). When I connect from the MacOS X host I get as far as logging in and a session shows up in the globalSAN iSCSI Initiator window. However, I can't find any device on the PB so I can't use the target. I'm assuming I should be able to see something in Disk Utility at this point. On the target host there is no indication of a connection from the initiator on the MacOS X host. I'm pretty sure I've successfully set up the target host because I can access targets from another Solaris machine (Solaris10u3).

Another thing is that discovery on the PowerBook doesn't seem to work. No target was found on the target host. In order to initiate a connection I had to type in the iSCSI target name by hand.

Krister

I will tell you one thing, at the risk of sounding elistist or even worse, like a Microsoft Weenie (I am neither), I was able to connect to my Solaris box with extreme ease using Microsoft's iscsi initiator, but this thing is just a gosh darn bear to use.

Stuart

[SNSryan]

Stuart, on Aug 11 2008, 09:06 PM, said:

I will tell you one thing, at the risk of sounding elistist or even worse, like a Microsoft Weenie (I am neither), I was able to connect to my Solaris box with extreme ease using Microsoft's iscsi initiator, but this thing is just a gosh darn bear to use.

Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Could you elaborate? What OS version and which version of the initiator are you testing with?

We have not tested against Solaris targets. Would you be interested in granting remote access to this target so we can do some troubleshooting?

-ryan

[cb@sun]

SNSryan, on Aug 12 2008, 07:02 PM, said:

Hi Stuart,

Could you elaborate? What OS version and which version of the initiator are you testing with?

We have not tested against Solaris targets. Would you be interested in granting remote access to this target so we can do some troubleshooting?

-ryan

Hello Ryan,

I'm not Stuart, but I'm also using globalSAN iscsi Target with Solaris without any problems, after I've installed the latest beta target. I'm running it under OpenSolaris 2008/05 or under Solaris Express CE build 93 and ZFS.

I'm only disappointed of the performance 35 MB/s same HW but Ubuntu 8.0.4 and iscsi 65-80MB/s :-(

HTH,
Christiano

[Stuart]

SNSryan, on Aug 12 2008, 10:02 AM, said:

Hi Stuart,

Could you elaborate? What OS version and which version of the initiator are you testing with?

We have not tested against Solaris targets. Would you be interested in granting remote access to this target so we can do some troubleshooting?

-ryan

Ryan:

I am in the process of upgrading to Solaris 10 05/08 (right now as we speak literally), so I shall conduct a test to see if it works with the currently released version of Solaris, however, follows hereupon a copy of a 'uname -a' instructive to the exact kernel version, and hardware (an e450).

If you would not mind, can you provision a telephone number, and I will be happy to arrange to lend you some hardware to test with as well.

While I have been holistically disappointed with globalSAN until now, I am perfectly willing to work with you and give you access (be it virtual or physical) to hardware to test with.

SunOS e450-01 5.10 Generic_127127-11 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-4

Stuart

[Stuart]

cb@sun, on Aug 12 2008, 12:08 PM, said:

Hello Ryan,

I'm not Stuart, but I'm also using globalSAN iscsi Target with Solaris without any problems, after I've installed the latest beta target. I'm running it under OpenSolaris 2008/05 or under Solaris Express CE build 93 and ZFS.

I'm only disappointed of the performance 35 MB/s same HW but Ubuntu 8.0.4 and iscsi 65-80MB/s :-(

HTH,
Christiano

Well then you got a lot further than I did with it.

I finally was able to get it to connect to the Solaris box (I had to hand type in the target, where Windows was able to find it absent doing that), but then I went into disk utility to try to partition and format it, and it was not there. How did you do that?

Stuart

[Stuart]

Stuart, on Aug 12 2008, 01:39 PM, said:

Ryan:

I am in the process of upgrading to Solaris 10 05/08 (right now as we speak literally), so I shall conduct a test to see if it works with the currently released version of Solaris, however, follows hereupon a copy of a 'uname -a' instructive to the exact kernel version, and hardware (an e450).

If you would not mind, can you provision a telephone number, and I will be happy to arrange to lend you some hardware to test with as well.

While I have been holistically disappointed with globalSAN until now, I am perfectly willing to work with you and give you access (be it virtual or physical) to hardware to test with.

SunOS e450-01 5.10 Generic_127127-11 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-4

Stuart

Oh, I am running MacOS 10.5.4 on a MacBook Pro (Intel of course, being a MacBook).

Stuart

[cb@sun]

Stuart, on Aug 13 2008, 04:32 AM, said:

Well then you got a lot further than I did with it.

I finally was able to get it to connect to the Solaris box (I had to hand type in the target, where Windows was able to find it absent doing that), but then I went into disk utility to try to partition and format it, and it was not there. How did you do that?

Stuart

Hello Stuart,


I used OpenSolaris + ZFS +iSCSI Target, MacPro/MacBookPro, Mac OS X 10.5.4. You can find a lot of howto's using google:

http://www.cuddletec...ntry.php?id=775

Regards,
Christiano

[Stuart]

cb@sun, on Aug 13 2008, 12:28 PM, said:

Hello Stuart,
I used OpenSolaris + ZFS +iSCSI Target, MacPro/MacBookPro, Mac OS X 10.5.4. You can find a lot of howto's using google:

http://www.cuddletec...ntry.php?id=775

Regards,
Christiano

Christiano:

I now have Solaris publishing an iSCSI target, and although I had to MANUALLY paste it into the globalSAN driver (when Windows was able to "find it" automatically, Microsoft's driver I mean for iSCSI), I was unable to figure out how to get MacOS disk utility to provide access to format it.

I looked at the page above you mentioned, and I did not see any information about how to use globalSAN's driver to access a Solaris based iSCSI target. Did I miss something or does that page not have this information?

Thanks for the suggestion to use google, but I have to admit, I am already familiar with google and was looking for information more specific to just being told about that search engine.


Stuart

P.S. perhaps the page was edited since last you reviewed it?

[gmac]

Any update on this thread? I am also attempting to mount a zvol shared via ISCSI, and I am experiencing the same difficulties as the others who posted above.

Using the newest version of the initiator, and running Solaris 10u5 with latest patch cluster applied.

Thanks.

gmac

[mfishbean]

Bumping the thread to see if there has been any progress. Using Solaris 10 U5 and can get globaSan to see the lun but not disk utility. Going to try OPen Solaris build.

[jgmdean]

I've been successfully using a ~300GB sparse ZFS zvol via iSCSI from my MacBook for month or so. I've been using it as a Timefinder disk and copying folders directly to it via both GbE and WiFi with no issues. globalSAN found the iqn first try, all I had to supply was the system name as portal. I even tried mounting it from the Internet via a non-3260 port forwarded on my router, and it worked (slowly). The target system is running OpenSolaris (2008.05 b96 at creation, 2008.11 now) and has been through multiple "pkg image-update"s with no hiccup. I haven't benchmarked but a 80GB backup takes about half an hour via GbE.

Here's the ZFS end:
root@camel:~# zfs get all pool/macbak.karakul
NAME PROPERTY VALUE SOURCE
pool/macbak.karakul type volume -
pool/macbak.karakul creation Mon Oct 20 17:05 2008 -
pool/macbak.karakul used 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul available 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul referenced 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul compressratio 1.00x -
pool/macbak.karakul reservation none default
pool/macbak.karakul volsize 320G -
pool/macbak.karakul volblocksize 8K -
pool/macbak.karakul checksum on default
pool/macbak.karakul compression off default
pool/macbak.karakul readonly off default
pool/macbak.karakul shareiscsi on local
pool/macbak.karakul copies 1 default
pool/macbak.karakul refreservation none default
pool/macbak.karakul primarycache all default
pool/macbak.karakul secondarycache all default
root@camel:~# zfs list pool/macbak.karakul
NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
pool/macbak.karakul 274G 274G 274G -

I really didn't do anything special, just created the sparse zvol with shareiscsi=on and that was it.

The Mac end is a 2.4GHz MacBook Al late 2008, running Leopard OS X 10.5.5 that came installed. Target is formatted as a HFS+ with journaling, EFI single partition via Disk Utility.

I have no idea why everyone's having so much trouble.

I'm working on getting CHAP and IPsec to work, but that's a non-ZFS pain from the OpenSolaris end. It appears the iSCSI and IPsec teams haven't spoken much. I've also tried the iSCSI target under the Sun VMware simulator of Sun's new OpenStorage 7000 series which is also OpenSolaris based and it also "just worked".

(I hope the last doesn't get this message deleted under the "no competing products" clause.)

James

[versatilist]

Has anyone had luck replacing an Xraid (connected via FC LSI720xp) with a Solaris target?

Ideally I'd like to keep the Xraid in the loop as a backup and add a white box pc running solaris with a FC card to host a massive amount of drives.

Which hardware might be best for this (fc card for the solaris box), and which os (solaris flavor) allows FC exports that a mac can read?

Thanks

[Stuart]

jgmdean, on Dec 8 2008, 05:29 PM, said:

I've been successfully using a ~300GB sparse ZFS zvol via iSCSI from my MacBook for month or so. I've been using it as a Timefinder disk and copying folders directly to it via both GbE and WiFi with no issues. globalSAN found the iqn first try, all I had to supply was the system name as portal. I even tried mounting it from the Internet via a non-3260 port forwarded on my router, and it worked (slowly). The target system is running OpenSolaris (2008.05 b96 at creation, 2008.11 now) and has been through multiple "pkg image-update"s with no hiccup. I haven't benchmarked but a 80GB backup takes about half an hour via GbE.

Here's the ZFS end:
root@camel:~# zfs get all pool/macbak.karakul
NAME PROPERTY VALUE SOURCE
pool/macbak.karakul type volume -
pool/macbak.karakul creation Mon Oct 20 17:05 2008 -
pool/macbak.karakul used 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul available 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul referenced 274G -
pool/macbak.karakul compressratio 1.00x -
pool/macbak.karakul reservation none default
pool/macbak.karakul volsize 320G -
pool/macbak.karakul volblocksize 8K -
pool/macbak.karakul checksum on default
pool/macbak.karakul compression off default
pool/macbak.karakul readonly off default
pool/macbak.karakul shareiscsi on local
pool/macbak.karakul copies 1 default
pool/macbak.karakul refreservation none default
pool/macbak.karakul primarycache all default
pool/macbak.karakul secondarycache all default
root@camel:~# zfs list pool/macbak.karakul
NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
pool/macbak.karakul 274G 274G 274G -

I really didn't do anything special, just created the sparse zvol with shareiscsi=on and that was it.

The Mac end is a 2.4GHz MacBook Al late 2008, running Leopard OS X 10.5.5 that came installed. Target is formatted as a HFS+ with journaling, EFI single partition via Disk Utility.

I have no idea why everyone's having so much trouble.

I'm working on getting CHAP and IPsec to work, but that's a non-ZFS pain from the OpenSolaris end. It appears the iSCSI and IPsec teams haven't spoken much. I've also tried the iSCSI target under the Sun VMware simulator of Sun's new OpenStorage 7000 series which is also OpenSolaris based and it also "just worked".

(I hope the last doesn't get this message deleted under the "no competing products" clause.)

James

I have again tried it with MacOS 10.5.6, and am still experiencing problems where Microsoft's iSCSI initiator seems to function properly.



Stuart

[stracy62]

cb@sun, on Aug 12 2008, 12:08 PM, said:

Hello Ryan,

I'm not Stuart, but I'm also using globalSAN iscsi Target with Solaris without any problems, after I've installed the latest beta target. I'm running it under OpenSolaris 2008/05 or under Solaris Express CE build 93 and ZFS.

I'm only disappointed of the performance 35 MB/s same HW but Ubuntu 8.0.4 and iscsi 65-80MB/s :-(

HTH,
Christiano

Ryan - I'd be happy to give you anything you need from a Solaris target point of view. The latest builds of Solaris with the COMSTAR iSCSI target do not seem to work with globalSAN initiator - it fails during partitioning and no IO is transmitted. 100% reproducible.

[elasticpictures]

I have successfully connected to a Sun X4500 running OpenSolaris using the SNS initiator. I had absolutely no problems seeing the target and connecting to the target. My problem is performance. I am getting an average of 95mbps on read, but a horribly slow 35mbps on write. I purchased and installed the Atto XtendSAN initiator and connected to the same target with NO other changes. It has a consistent read speed of 95mbps, however the write performance is consistently at 75-80mbps. Any ideas?