Re: iSCSI: Require iSCSI to use packet formats similar to FC, etc??

[Mark Bakke <mbakke@cisco.com>]

Marjorie-

The word "similar" is pretty vague.  If it means that iSCSI should
include the same types of information that the other transports
provide, that's probably required just to get it working.  If it
means that iSCSI messages have to look like Fibre Channel frames
(I don't realy think that's what you mean), that would be a severe
and inappropriate limitation.

I would object to the use of the word "packet", since iSCSI is
built on top of a stream, and does not have packets.

As far as gateways are concerned, I don't see any reason to
be overly restrictive on formats; they will have to be ripped
apart and rebuilt between various SCSI transports anyway.  As
long as the right information is available in any form, there
should be no problem.  Having cobbled up a gateway myself, message
formats are the least of our challenges.

I think that the other requirements already specific (indirectly,
perhaps) that the right kind of information has to be present, so
I would not want to see this requirement added.

--
Mark

"KRUEGER,MARJORIE (HP-Roseville,ex1)" wrote:
> 
> Robert Snively proposes that the iSCSI Requirements document include the
> following requirement WRT gateway devices:
> 
>    iSCSI MUST use packet formats similar to the common
>    packet formats used by other packetized SCSI protocols where
>    possible to allow both simple bridging gateways and more
>    sophisticated translating gateways.
> 
> Comments?
> 
> Marjorie Krueger
> Networked Storage Architecture
> Networked Storage Solutions Org.
> Hewlett-Packard
> tel: +1 916 785 2656
> fax: +1 916 785 0391
> email: marjorie_krueger@hp.com

-- 
Mark A. Bakke
Cisco Systems
mbakke@cisco.com
763.398.1054