Re: iSCSI Naming and Discovery

[David Robinson <David.Robinson@EBay.Sun.COM>]

I think we are in agreement, Jim.

> >So I see the WG needed to resolve two independant issues, the first
> >is how to name a sub-unit at login, the second is how to define
> >the service level name that resolves into an IP/port and what the
> >resolver is.  I think a URL is overkill for the former but might
> >be appropiate for the latter.
> 
> I don't see the reason at all for the first.  Sub-unit are SCSI LUs and
> discovery and naming conventions for those are already established by T10,
> SAM, SPC-x, etc.  The only issue that I believe this WG needs to resolve is
> the mechanisms for the establishment of a connection between initiator and
> target (and whatever authentication/security features are required on top
> of that).

You have just stated an opinion of the answer to the first question:
"its a LU stupid" :-) I think that is a reasonable answer.

> In short, can we split this into two independent questions:
> 
> 1) what datum does an initiator need to establish the IP connection to the
> target?
> 
> 2) where can an initiator get that datum?

I agree, this is a further refinement of what I was thinking as well.

I would propose that the information required for #1 is the IP address
and port number as well as an inband representation of the LU.

The answer for #2 can vary from a static configuration to a distributed
name service. Within the standards space the primary one is LDAP so
we should standarize a schema for IPS. While LDAP is not a true
global infrastrure it is becoming widely deployed in the enterprise
space.  To handle the truely global name space, creating a new DNS
record type might be appropriate as well.  I don't think there is
going to be just one answer to this question.

	-David