KERNSAFE - iSCSI SAN Software and Storage Virtualization

What is the recommended medium type for the storage of XenServer?

1. The first recommended medium is Standard Image File device, because it supports unlimited capacity, and easy to be migrated, backup, expended and even we support continues data protection (snapshot) for this medium.
2. The second recommended medium is Virtual Hard File device, except the capacity limitation (2040 GB), it is all the same as the Standard Image File.
3. If you really want to use a physical device, it is also supported, just like ph...Read more

What is the capacity limitation of Virtual Hard Disk (.vhd) file?

The maximum size of VHD is 2040 GB and it have nothing to do with iStorage Server license type, it is just technology limitation.

How to configure Windows 7 Firewall for iStorage Server?

Launch Control Panel -> Windows Firewall.
Click the Advanced settings link.
Select the Inbound Rules tree node.
Click the New Rule... link in actions panel or right click on the blank and select New Rule...
The New Inbound Rule Wizard shows.
Select Port in the Rule Type step and press the Next button.
Select TCP and Specific local ports, type 3260 in the Specific local ports field, then press the Next button to continue.
Select Allow the connection i...Read more

How to apply free license?

"How can I apply free license for KernSafe iSCSI SAN?"

KernSafe free iSCSI SAN was released with almost all single-node features which support creating unlimited targets and a variety of target mediums: standard image disk, physical disk, partition, VHD,  virtual CD/DVD etc. The free iSCSI SAN software not only supports full-featured CHAP and mutual CHAP, but also supports snaps...Read more

Why after I copied some files to iSCSI disk and it looks good, but after I reboot my computer, those files are gone?

Please make sure the initiator has full access from the iSCSI target, you will see it in iStorage Server Management Console after initiator connected.
As iStorage Server can be used for file sharing, we provide three level access rights, Full Access, Virtual Write and Read Only. Seems that your initiator got virtual write access, that's why you are experiencing such issue.

How can I update data from initiator to server’s physical storage device such as disk, partition?

Please first let us explain for some concepts regarding with your questions:
1. As the Windows provide a cache mechanism so when you update the content by third party software (such as iStorage Server and other iSCSI software), the file system will not be updated immediately, so you have to restart server or remount volume, for remounting volume, please refer to:
http://www.kernsafe.com/tech-articles/update-data-files-from-initiators-to-target...Read more

How can I upgrade to a new version?

"I have already an old version of iStorage Server used in my company, how can I upgrade to the newest version?"

In any time, you can visit KernSafe download center to download the newest version:
http://www.kernsafe.com/download.aspx.
To upgrade to the newest version, please do not uninstall your old version, because uninstalling it will remove all the settings that you have made to it.
Just click the setup cabinet executable and run it, just like first installation, the upgrade will perform automatically.

How can I make a tape backup (Symantec Backup Exec) through iStorage Server?

We provide iSCSI SPTI function that can export a tape device to client side as a local attached device, iStorage Server supports BackupExec, discard which backup software do you use, you need to limit the packet size to 65536 at the initiator side, please follow these steps:
Open registry editor, open the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000\Parameters
please note that the 0000 ke...Read more

Why I got an error the IP address and port are in use?

"I am trialing your KernSafe iStorage Server and I'm getting the error "KernSafe iStorage service encountered an error while starting this server, please check if IP address and port are not in use""

You have another application using the same socket port 3260, such as the other brand of iSCSI target software. Please stop it or change the bind port (iStorage Server or the another one) to a different one.

Why it says "chap secret given does not conform to the standard"?

"When I'm going to login by chap ( to have read/write access) i receive this error "chap secret given does not conform to the standard. please see system event log for more information." I'm using Microsoft initiator version 2.08"

This indicates that the CHAP secret you specified is smaller than the minimum size (12 bytes) required by the spec.
Please make your secret more than or equal to 12 characters and less than or equal to 16 characters.

Is there any size limitation in iStorage Server?

"I am in the process of testing your product "iStorage Server" for one of my customers. In order get a realistic picture I would like to create a 2.5 TB iSCSI target and fill it with large video files.
 
Does the free version of your product support such a scenario or do you have a size restriction on the free version."

The free version of iStorage Server has no restriction on size, but generally, windows file system only support 2T volume and file, so only support 2T image/partition based iSCSI target.
If you try to use physical disk bridged device, it is feasible.

Why logging in to an iSCSI target can be slow sometimes?

It is caused by wrong IP address in portal window.

For iSCSI target that was created with option to not inherit from global settings, please edit targets portal settings by right clicking on the target, selecting properties, switching to portal tab and changing portal IP there.

For iSCSI targets with selected option to inherit from global settings, open settings as described above and access portal window.
 
Then check if there is any IP address...Read more

Ho to encrypt disk data in iSCSI SAN

"Ho to encrypt disk data in KernSafe iSCSI SAN?"

Here is a few options to archive this:
1. Use iStorage Server built-in encryption feature to encrypt data in server, which support Windows NTFS encryption and use defined encryption, however, by using this method, you can't encrypt data in the line (Ethernet link).
2. Use KernSafe DiskEncryptor or any third party disk encryption software to encrypt client data.
3. Build IP Sec between iStorage Server and its clients, we provide a whi...Read more

Whats the notes to use KernSafe High Availability iSCSN SAN?

"How can I use / test KernSafe High Availability iSCSI SAN, or what do I need to care?"

While KernSafe iSCSI SAN is active-active high availability iSCSI SAN software, clients can read/write one target at the same time, include Microsoft Windows, Citrix XenServer and VMWare ESX/ESXi. When one iSCSI SAN node failed, another iSCSI SAN node will continue working and ensure the client don’t be interrupted, in this cause iStorage Server will save data for further synchronization, the synchronization is increasing, that means, iStorage Se...Read more

How to backup iSCSI device?

"How to backup an iSCSI device or iSCSI target?"

iSCSI device is datastore used for other business applications such as virtualization and database, so iSCSI device is very important and must be backup.
In KernSafe iSCSI SAN, we can use physical device and virtual images as iSCSI target, so we can treat them as separated:

1. Physical Disks:
   
   • a) User can use hard disk mirror software to create software RAID1, this is built-in feature in Windows, user can easy to ...Read more

backup KernSafe iSCSI SAN configuration data

"How to backup KernSafe iSCSI SAN configuration data?"

The configuration file name is “Users.db”, you can find it in /opt/SuperSAN for Linux based version and for Windows, it is the same file name in the installation folder, to backup it, just copy it into any safe place.
Restore it:
User just need stop iSCSI SAN service, copy back to over overwrite it, and then start service, the configuration will be restored.
To stop/start iSCSI SAN service, for linux based, run the command: service super...Read more