RE: iscsi : target port definition

["Eddy Quicksall" <eddy_quicksall@ivivity.com>]

They way I see it is the Target Portal Group is a way for target
administrators to logically group things so the initiator knows which
addresses:ports to use when establishing a nexus.

Isn't that the main purpose?

Eddy

-----Original Message-----
From: Santosh Rao [mailto:santoshr@cup.hp.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 8:38 PM
To: IPS Reflector
Subject: iscsi : target port definition


Hello,

I have a question on the interpretation of the iscsi target port
definition. The iscsi rev 08 defines the iscsi target port to map to an
iscsi target portal group.

Thus, any iscsi target that wishes to allow multiple SCSI paths to be
established to the target node MUST provide at least 2 iscsi target
portal groups.

The above definition of an iscsi target port somewhat alters the
semantics of a target portal group. A target portal group, by
definition, is a collection of a set of network portals within the
target across which a session can be spanned.

Thus, if a target supports a multi-connection session spanning across
all its network portals, such a target would use a single target portal
group to indicate that 1 big fat session pipe could be established to
all its network portals. This, in turn, would have the side effect of
only providing 1 scsi path to the upper layer wedge drivers, if the
iscsi initiators establish a session per target portal group. [which is
the target port].

From an initiator's perspective, what should be the target side
end-point of an initiator's sessions when it may need to support upper
layer wedge drivers ? Should the initiator establish a session per
target
portal group [, in which case the above issue exists] ? Or, should it
establish a session per TargetAddress ??

Regards,
Santosh