"I want my iSCSI!" Easier said than done.

Computer Technology Review, Nov, 2004 by Chris Short

Keep on Groovin'

"So, iSCSI-Propeller-head-Boy, why do I care?" you ask. Maybe you don't. But let me entice you with what marvels I have seen:

* Take a field engineer's laptop PC frame, with only RAM, Flash memory, an O/S and one or two network ports. Once booted and logged into the network, optionally using a VPN, the field engineer accesses disks located in a secure location half a world away, with the same functionality and performance as regular laptop with local disks. If he loses his "dumb" laptop or it is destroyed, the data is still tucked safely away in that secure location, half a world away, under the auspices of the organization's security policies. (Of note, the Department of Energy announced a few months back that there was a temporary moratorium on laptop computers at certain facilities due to security issues.)

* The same field engineer defaults to simultaneous writes of his data from the field to a primary Linux server and a backup Linux server. He has now completed the onerous task of data backup, which frees the sys-admin to work on a revenue-generating project or other vital task. Needless to say, since the backup Linux server is writing to disk, this makes the tape silo and tape media not only obsolete, but now totally unnecessary (Sarbanes- Oxley Compliance anyone?).

* A handheld wireless PC uses a 240Mb initiator to access any data on any server running target software anywhere on the globe. Any data that can reasonably be transported over the pipes available can now be carried in your pocket--literally, today.

* A home entertainment center is modified using only tools distributed and authorized by the vendor becomes a target (server). Any other device implemented with initiator software, be it a handheld device, a gaming console, a PC or other device can now access the skins for a favorite game or turned into a streaming media center. Ever get tired of hauling those VCR tapes to Mom's house to show her last year's graduation over Thanksgiving? No problem, use the initiator in your handheld (or eventually your smart TV?) to pull the home movies up locally.

Remember, none of this is practical with NFS. No one will ever be able to access a Fibre Channel SAN over a handheld wireless device from any global location. Maybe you only want functionality in your datacenter. But Cinderella is getting antsy, and there is a Ball to go to. So, please, and with apologies to MTV, please, tell your data storage vendors, "I Want My iSCSI!"

You'll thank me later.

Chris Short is vice president of PyX Technologies, Inc. (Concord, CA)

www.pyxtechnologies.com