The IBM Spectrum Virtualize product family, including SAN Volume Controller (SVC) and the Storwize family, has added a new capability to virtualize iSCSI attached backend storage.
This new feature can also migrate data seamlessly from iSCSI controllers to Storwize internal SAS storage, backend Fiber Channel Storage, backend FCoE storage, and vice versa. These capabilities enable data centers that use IP infrastructure to benefit from the enterprise-class storage virtualization features of IBM Spectrum Virtualize products.
Fig 1: Virtualizing multi vendor iSCSI controllers
Fig 2: Data Migration to/from iSCSI controllers
This is good news for users of software defined storage and cloud that depend entirely on Ethernet infrastructure in their data centers and don’t have any Fiber Channel presence!
Virtualization of iSCSI-connected backend storage controllers is a unique capability that IBM Spectrum Virtualize brings to the market, and it’s an industry first! The feature is supported on all SVC and Storwize platforms.
iSCSI storage virtualization via IBM Spectrum Virtualize platforms has some key benefits over storage virtualization over Fiber Channel, including:
- Less-expensive Ethernet-only data center - Use Ethernet for both server and storage networks. Disaster recovery can also be configured over native IP links between local and remote sites, thus eliminating the need for any FC equipment.
- Better security - iSCSI protocol allows CHAP-based (Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol) authentication of iSCSI initiators and targets. CHAP-based authentication can be configured between backend storage controllers and SVC/Storwize nodes. Once configured, iSCSI sessions with SVC/Storwize nodes can be established only after the node authenticates itself with the storage controller, making the environment more secure compared to Fiber Channel, especially for multi-tenant cloud deployments.
- Easier management – Spectrum Virtualize enables you to:
- Isolate Ethernet ports used for iSCSI host attach, virtualization, and data replication on SVC and Storwize
- Administer diverse sets of iSCSI controllers through a single administrative console
- Greater Flexibility – Spectrum Virtualize provides connectivity over both 1G and 10G Ethernet ports. In addition, support for higher speed iSCSI ports (25Gb and 40Gb) and planned sometime in the near future.
- Support for Multiple 3rd party iSCSI controllers – Virtualization of a wide range of backend controllers is supported, including Dell PS series controllers, all Storwize platforms, IBM XIV and A9000 controllers, etc. And support for even more controllers is planned.
- More features supported, including –
- VLAN tagging, Priority Flow Control (PFC) and Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS)
- Stretched cluster and HyperSwap configurations are supported for iSCSI storage
- Higher availability - High availability of backend storage is enforced by SVC during configuration. Depending on the type of backend controller, either both nodes of an I/O group must be connected to an iSCSI target port or connectivity must be established between each node of the SVC cluster to a given iSCSI target port.
These powerful new IP storage virtualization features provided by IBM Spectrum Virtualize allow data centers to choose from a larger set of iSCSI storage controllers and administer them through a single SVC GUI. Configuring iSCSI storage with IBM Spectrum Virtualize platforms is simple and powerful. I’ll provide more details in subsequent blogs.
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