Windows operating systems

Manually configuring an iSCSI device

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You must configure the Windows system that is used during an iSCSI mount operation. The snapshot is mounted from IBM Storage Protect server storage.

Before you begin

Review the following iSCSI requirements before you proceed with this task:
  • During an iSCSI mount, an iSCSI target is created on the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent system. You can connect to the iSCSI target from any system to create a volume that contains the backup data. Also, you can then mount this volume from another system.
  • iSCSI initiator is required on any system that must connect to the iSCSI target.
  • Make sure that an iSCSI initiator is installed on the system where the data is to be restored.
  • Microsoft iSCSI Initiator is not required on the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent system.
Review the following disk and volume requirements before you proceed with this task:
  • If a volume spans several disks, you must mount all the required disks. When mirrored volumes are used, mount only one of the mirrored disks. Mounting one disk prevents a time-consuming synchronization operation.
  • If multiple dynamic disks were used on the backup system, these disks are assigned to the same group. As a result, Windows Disk Manager might consider some disks as missing and issue an error message when you mount only one disk. Ignore this message. The data on the backed up disk is still accessible, unless some of the data is on the other disk. This issue can be solved by mounting all the dynamic disks.

About this task

Complete these tasks to configure the Windows system that is used during an iSCSI mount operation:

Procedure

  1. On the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent system, open port 3260 in the LAN firewall and the Windows client firewall.
    Record the iSCSI initiator name on the system where data is to be restored.
    The iSCSI initiator name is shown in the iSCSI initiator configuration window of the Control Panel. For example:
    iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:hostname
  2. Complete these tasks on the system where the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent (or iSCSI target) is installed:
    1. Start the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent GUI. Complete the Select IBM Storage Protect server and Select snapshot dialogs and click Mount.
    2. In the Choose mount destination dialog, select Mount an iSCSI target.
    3. Create a target name. Make sure that it is unique and that you can identify it from the system that runs the iSCSI initiator. For example: 
      iscsi-mount-tsm4ve
    4. Enter the iSCSI Initiator name that was recorded in Step 1 and click OK.
    5. Verify that the volume you just mounted is displayed in the Mounted Volumes field.
  3. Locate and start the iSCSI Initiator program on the initiator system that was selected in Step 1:
    1. Connect to the iSCSI target:
      1. In the Targets tab, enter the TCP/IP address of the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent (iSCSI target) used in Step 2 in the Target: dialog. Click Quick Connect.
      2. The Quick Connect dialog shows a target that matches the target name that was specified in Step 2c. If it is not already connected, select this target and click Connect.
    2. On the initiator system, go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management.
      1. If the mounted iSCSI target is listed as Type=Foreign, right-click Foreign Disk and select Import Foreign Disks. The Foreign Disk Group is selected. Click OK.
      2. The next screen shows the type, condition, and size of the Foreign Disk. Click OK and wait for the disk to be imported.
      3. When the disk import completes, press F5 (refresh). The mounted iSCSI snapshot is visible and contains an assigned drive letter. If drive letters are not automatically assigned, right-click the required partition and select Change Drive Letters or Paths. Click Add and select a drive letter.
  4. Open Windows Explorer (or other utility) and browse the mounted snapshot for a file restore operation.
  5. After the file is restored, complete these tasks:
    1. Disconnect each iSCSI target by using the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog.
    2. Dismount the volume from Step 2 by selecting the volume in the IBM Storage Protect recovery agent GUI and clicking Dismount.