Course Description:

This seminar provides a comprehensive examination of the current development of IP Storage and iSCSI protocols.  This includes IPFC, FCIP, iFCP, mFCP and iSCSI where SANs require the combination of Fibre Channel and IP based Storage and servers.  This explains the maze of information available and puts it all together, from making connections to how commands work. All the pieces of an iSCSI system are clearly explained including what it takes to integrate iSCSI components into a working system. In class exercises help reinforce system concepts.  We also look at the trend of the current iSCSI implementations and examine iSCSI analyzer captures from some of the current products available.

Course Prerequisites:

An understanding of current computer interfaces or networks is useful, but not absolutely necessary.

Audience:

This seminar is targeted towards developers, integrators, managers, marketing personnel, technical writers and others with a need for an understanding of storage area networks as implemented using iSCSI technology. The third day is of special interest to developers and integrators that may be required to perform system analysis.

Course Outline:

In-Depth IP iSCSI Protocols

Course Introduction

Storage Networking Basic Concepts

Storage Networking Overview DAS, NAS, SAN & CAS

• Network vs. Storage
• Basic Storage Networks DAS, NAS, SAN, CAS
• LAN, MAN, AN, SmAN
• External & Internal SAN
• Virtual SCSI Cables P-SCSI, FC, SAS, Gigabit Ethernet
• SNIA Shared Storage Model
• Standards Organizations

Storage Networking Concepts

• Circuit Switch vs. Packet Switch
• Connection-Oriented vs. Connectionless
• Layered Protocols
• Flow Control
• Payload Integrity
• Names vs. Addresses
• Segmentation, Convergence & Reassembly
• Hardware Offload

IP Storage

Storage Networking & IP

•  IP-Based DAS, NAS, SAN
• LAN vs. SAN Benefits
• LAN & SAN Information Flow Requirements
• Great Expectations
• TCP, IP, Ethernet Overview
• IP Storage Overview
• InfiniBand and IP Storage

IP over Fibre Channel (IPFC)

• IPFC Overview
• Data Structure
• Error Policy and ARP Handling

Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP)

• FC Fabric Merge
• FCIP Overview
• FCIP Data Structure
• Tunneling Requirements
• Errors & Timers
• Flow Control Considerations R-RDY & TCP Sliding Windows
• FCIP Issues

internet Fibre Channel Protocol (iFCP)

• iFCP Overview
• iFCP Data Structure
• How iFCP Works?
• Name and Address Considerations
• iFCP Address Penalty
• iFCP Address Translation
• iFCP Issues

metro Fibre Channel Protocol (mFCP)

• mFCP Overview
• Why UDP for Campus?

internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI)

• iSCSI Overview
• iSCSI Data Structure
• iSCSI History
• Storage Bridge/Router
• Storage Gateways
• Traditional FC, NAS, and iSCSI Offload
• TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) Overview
• SAN Performance Comparisons
• High Availability and Multi-Path Approaches

IP Storage Emerging Technologies

• Implementation & Standards
• SAN over IP Multicasting
• Z-SAN

 iSCSI Protocol

iSCSI Protocol Overview

• Terms
• iSCSI Headers
• iSCSI Mapping
• iSCSI Phase Collapse
• iSCSI Structure
• TCP/IP Advantages
• iSCSI Security Overview
• iSCSI Boot and Relocation
• iSCSI Sessions and Conections
• iSCSI Operations

iSCSI Performance: Financial

• iSCSI  Return On Investment ROI and Total Cost of Ownership TCO
• State of the Market
• IP SAN Business Case

iSCSI Performance: Technical

• NAS vs. iSCSI
• Storage vs. Network Bandwidth History
• Performance Considerations
• Fibre Channel, iSCSI/TCP/IP/Ethernet Detail Comparisons
• Performance Myths
• Disks Matter Most
• Bandwidth does not equal Speed
• Performance Study

iSCSI Names & Addresses

• iSCSI Entity Model
• Name and Address Terms
• iSCSI Names
• iQN, EUI, NAA
• Alias
• iSCSI IP Address and TP Port Numbers

iSCSI Discovery & Configuration

• iSCSI Discovery Goals and Requirements
• iSCSI Discovery Methods
• Send Targets Command
• SLP, iSNS
• Discovery Domains
• iSNS Query and Registration
• iSNS Example

iSCSI Login & Session Establishment

•  iSCSI Login Process
• Login Negotiation and Phases
• Login Authentication
• Login Transitions
• Login Security
• Discovery vs. Full Feature Phase
• Connection and Session Reinstatement
• Login Example

iSCSI Operations

• Connect and Login
• Full Feature Phase
• Session Termination
• Data Flow
• Read and Write
• iSCSI Commands and iSCSI Messages
• Delivery Ordering
• iSCSI Numbering - Command, Data, Status
• Sessions Tag and the Nexus ITLQ
• Data Stream Marking

iSCSI Security

• iSCSI Security Considerations
• iSCSI Security Mechanisms
• IPSec

iSCSI Error Detection & Recovery

• Error Handling
• Recovery Classes
• Error Types

iSCSI  PDU Formats & Keys

iSCSI PDU Formats

• PDU Formats
• Login & Logout Command & Response
• NOP-Out & NOP-In
• SCSI Command, Data-in, Data-out, Response
• SCSI Task Management Command & Response
• Ready To Transfer (R2T), SNACK Request
• Text Command & Response

iSCSI Keys

iSCSI Traces & Lab

iSCSI Trace Analysis & Lab

• Configure Network & Devices
• Connect components
• Configure iSCSI targets for access
• Install & Run Required Software
• iSCSI Driver(s)
• Familiarize ("get to know" software)
• Install & Run Analyzer
• Capture & Analyze traces
• Have Some Fun

iSCSI & the Internet Protocol Suite

iSCSI & the Internet Protocol Suite Architecture

• Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
• The Internet Protocol Suite (IPS)
• OSI vs. IPS vs. Fibre Channel
• iSCSI Définition 
• iSCSI Data Structures
• TCP Segment Streaming

iSCSI RDMA & Course Summary

iSCSI Extension for RDMA (iSER)

• Storage Networking Today
• What is Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)?
• DMA vs. RDMA
• iSCSI Extensions for RDMA (iSER)

IP Storage & iSCSI Resources

• Standards
• IETF and IPS
• Web sites
• Books

IP Storage & iSCSI Protocols Summary