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Introduction
The LIO-VM Storage Engine demo is a set of VMware, KVM, and Qemu compatible virtual machine images that contains a self-configuring iSCSI target mode storage engine (see LIO-Target) that runs on a very large and diverse amount of PC storage software and hardware. When the LIO-VM image boots, the host local storage hardware that is made available to the guest is exported as iSCSI target ports, and made available to both local and remote iSCSI Initiator clients.
Note that the iSCSI target is configured to allow _ALL_ iSCSI Initiators to access _ALL_ iSCSI Target Ports across all available iSCSI Network Portals. By default, the storage devices with filesystems will be exported as READ-ONLY to prevent multiple accesses by non-cluster filesystems. Support for production R/W configurations of this demo are in the works, please stay tuned to the site and lists for more information as this unfolds. Also, if you really know what you are doing when it comes to non cluster filesystem + RW access, please see section IX) below.
i386 Paravirt-Ops JeOS Images (2.6.22-14-virtual)
LIO-JeOS-VMware6 99050274 Bytes
LIO-JeOS-KVM 88605611 Bytes
LIO-JeOS-Qemu 87135808 Bytes
i386 iSCSI/Optical Debian VMware6 Images (2.6.18-5-686)
Debian-LIO-VM-2.9.0.188-RC.zip 186084763 Bytes
Repositories
The source and binary packages are available from the Debian and Ubuntu/JeOS repositories.
The debian/ubuntu binary package names are target-utils, target-modules for binary packages.
For debian/ubuntu source packages, target-source requires module-assistant to build the kernel module from source.
Building the target-utils source currently requires checking out the code and using dpkg-buildpackage from trunk/target Please see the Build README for more information.
FAQ
- I) The .vmx LIO-VM images:
There are two VMware Workstation 6.x/Fusion compatible image available:
Debian Etch 4 i386: (2.6.18-5-686)
JeOS / Ubuntu 7.10 i386: (2.6.22-14-virtual)
- II) What are the host OS requirements to run the LIO-VM Demo for VMware?
Any i386 or x86_64 Linux v2.6 host that can run VMware Workstation 6.
Any Apple Mac-tel hardware that can run VMware Fusion.
Any XP or NT compatible host that can run VMware Workstation 6.
- III) What has been tested?
The LIO-VM has been successfully run on Linux v2.6, MacOSX Leopard, and WinXP/NT.
USB connected flash and SATA/PATA devices.
Internal SATA DVD and External SATA HD drives
External USB DVD/HD devices are also supported.
- IV) What should work?
All USB Direct-Access (flash, USB external PATA/SATA disk drives)
All USB optical drives (CD, DVD, HD/DVD and BD)
All PATA/SATA disk drives
All PATA/SATA optical drives (CD, DVD, HD/DVD and BD)
All PSCSI / FC / SAS hardware with correct host OS drivers.
Basically, if it works locally, and you can bring it into the guest,
you can export it.
- V) Why are there two images?
The Debian image has a work around to allow optical devices to work properly.
Other than this difference, the two images should function as identical for other
devices, host OS storage driver requirements not withstanding. See VI) for
more information.
- VI) What are the limitations?
Currently with external HD optical drives, you need to use the Debian-LIO image
to get USB v2.0 working properly. On MacOSX/Fusion, this seems to be the only
host of the three that work with in USB passthrough mode for USB v2.0 mode
correctly. Otherwise with VMware Workstation 6 with Linux and
Windows guests you need to configure a Virtual CD-ROM by editing the
configuration within the VMware console and saving. At this point you will be
able to boot the demo and it will be detected and configured as usual by LIO-VM.
Other than this limitation for optical devices, everything else should work at
noted in IV).
- VII) What about adding new network / storage configurations after the demo has booted?
For USB storage devices, make sure the LIO-VM instance has focus with VMware. Once
the device is detected by the host OS, VMware will give you an message about the device
going online. Wait 5-25 seconds for usb-storage in the guest to detect the device, and
then run
> /sbin/LIO-demo.sh
to reconfigure the LIO-VM demo. At this point, the storage devices will now to
available as iSCSI Target Ports and Logical Units on the IP storage fabric.
For non USB storage devices, if a new device can be brought online to the guest, run
LIO-demo.sh once they have been registered within the Linux guest SCSI subsystem.
A reboot of the guest may be required to detect changes to the VM.
- VIII) How can I get the latest updates for my iSCSI code?
The LIO-VM images are preconfigured to point at the binary repositories. To update
the system, login to the shell and:
# Stop the stack:
> /etc/init.d/target stop
# Update the repo
> apt-get update
# Install the latest tools
> apt-get install target-utils
# Install the latest kernel modules
> apt-get install target-modules
# The stack will reload..
# Start the LIO stack in demo mode!
> LIO-demo.sh
- IX) I understand that non clustered filesystems cannot allow multiple R/W access from multiple iSCSI initiators, and still want to enable R/W demo mode. How do I do that?
Again, this is at your own risk, so please be careful:
Login to the shell, and edit /sbin/LIO-demo.sh and set the following TPG
attribute:
/sbin/target-ctl settpgattrib demo_mode_lun_access=1
Save this file and exit. Then either make the change take effect with:
> LIO-demo.sh
Note that some iSCSI Initiators will require a disk rescan or reregister to
move from RO -> RW mode if they are already active on the initiator side. Please
refer to your host side SCSI disk subsystem documentation.