iSCSI software initiator and software target
The iSCSI software initiator enables AIX® to access storage devices using TCP/IP on Ethernet network adapters. The iSCSI software target enables AIX to export local storage to be accessed by other iSCSI initiators using the iSCSI protocol that is defined in the RFC 3720.
The use of iSCSI technology, often referred to as SAN over IP technology,
allows the deployment of storage area networking over an IP network. iSCSI
is an open, standards-based approach by which SCSI information is encapsulated
by TCP/IP to allow its transport over Ethernet and gigabit Ethernet
networks. iSCSI allows an existing Ethernet network to transfer SCSI commands
and data with total location independence. iSCSI solutions use the following
different, but integrally related, components:
- Initiators
These are the device drivers that reside on the client. They encapsulate SCSI commands and route them over the IP network to the target device.
- Target software
The software receives the encapsulated SCSI commands over the IP network. The software can also provide configuration support and storage-management support.
- Target hardware
The hardware can be a storage appliance that contains embedded storage. The hardware can also be a gateway or bridge product that contains no internal storage of its own.