iSCSI Services Screen
The iSCSI screen displays settings to configure iSCSI block shares.
About the Block (iSCSI) Sharing Protocol
Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) represents standards for using Internet-based protocols for linking binary data storage device aggregations. IBM and Cisco submitted the draft standards in March 2000. Since then, iSCSI has seen widespread adoption into enterprise IT environments.
iSCSI functions through encapsulation. The Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI) encapsulates SCSI commands and storage data within the session stack. The OSI further encapsulates the session stack within the transport stack, the transport stack within the network stack, and the network stack within the data stack. Transmitting data this way permits block-level access to storage devices over LANs, WANs, and even the Internet itself (although performance clould suffer if your data traffic is traversing the Internet).
Adding iSCSI Block Shares
To get started with iSCSI shares, make sure you have already created a zvol or a dataset with at least one file to share.
Go to Shares and click Configure in the Block (iSCSI) Shares Targets window. You can either use the creation wizard or set one up manually.
Block (iSCSI) Share Target Screens
The Sharing screen opens after you click Shares on the main navigation panel.
The Block (iSCSI) Shares Targets widget header shows the status of the iSCSI service, the Wizard button, and the icon button. Wizard opens the Wizard iSCSI wizard on the Target screen. See Target Screens below.
Networking Recommendations
Follow these best practices for a stable and performant network.
The TrueNAS team welcomes contributions from members of the TrueNAS community!
Use the Feedback button on the right side or click
By default, TrueNAS configures the primary network interface for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) IP address management. Consider assigning a static IP address for increased network stability and communication between devices.
Setting Up Fibre Channel
TrueNAS Enterprise
Fibre Channel is a TrueNAS Enterprise feature. Only TrueNAS systems licensed for Fibre Channel show iSCSI Fibre Channel screens and settings found by going to Sharing > Block Shares (iSCSI).
The Fibre Channel feature is available to Enterprise-licensed High Availability (HA) and non-HA systems. Any Enterprise system, equipped with the required fibre channel hardware can implement this feature.
This article provides instructions for VMware VCenter ESXi. If you are using a different platform for your block share backups, use the documentation for that platform for alternative instructions for the ESXi process documented in this tutorial. .
Using an iSCSI Share
Connecting to and using an iSCSI share can differ between operating systems.
This article provides instructions on setting up a Linux and Windows system to use the TrueNAS iSCSI block share.
In this section, you start the iSCSI service, log in to the share, and obtain the configured basename and target. You also partition the iSCSI disk, make a file system for the share, mount it, and share data.
Fibre Channel Screens
Fibre Channel is a TrueNAS Enterprise feature. Only TrueNAS systems licensed for Fibre Channel show iSCSI Fibre Channel screens and settings found by going to Sharing > Block Shares (iSCSI).
Enterprise systems with fibre channel hardware can access fibre channel settings and screens through various iSCSI wizard and share screens.
The Block (iSCSI) Shares Targets widget shows iSCSI shares configured for fibre channels. The Wizard button on the header opens the Wizard iSCSI wizard on the Target screen. See Target Screens - Fibre Channel below.
Increasing iSCSI Available Storage
TrueNAS lets users expand Zvol and file-based LUNs to increase the available storage in an iSCSI share.
To expand a Zvol LUN, go to Datasets and click the Zvol LUN name. The Zvol Details widget displays. Click the Edit button.