RE: Initiator port groups????

["KRUEGER,MARJORIE (HP-Roseville,ex1)" <marjorie_krueger@hp.com>]

Stephen,

> I missed port groups are dynamic across boots.  I think 
> that there
> MIGHT be a need for static mapping (or preference) for 
> configuration.  

I don't think John said portal groups are dynamic, he simple said they are
not currently *required* to be static.  I think it's reasonable to ask that
targets use consistent numbering of portal groups across target boots, ie.
if a group of addresses are in portal group 1 today, next boot the target
should still report them as portal group 1 (unless the address configuration
has changed).

> Example: I have an initiator with two HBAs.  If the 
> connection is
> made from HBA 1 to a certain target, then the connection 
> would be secure,
> but if the connection if mode from HBA 2 to that target, then 
> it would be
> insecure.  So I would want to be able to configure that, and 
> then to verify
> that the correct connection was being made during login.
> 	Also, I could also see the need to try to balance the 
> traffic load
> across the HBAs in a non random way. 

This is a management task that exists today for initiator implementations -
HBA vendors are dealing with it in their "configuration tools" with
proprietary interfaces to their HBAs.

The change you suggest to "initiator name" is not appropriate - portal
groups are only a grouping of IP addresses that can be used for a
multi-connection session, they have no association to the construction of
"initiator port name" (other than indirectly, thru the session construct).

And even if the change you suggest was made, there is no protocol method for
"discovering" initiator names - as Jim points out, there is no protocol need
for such a thing.

Please review the iSCSI MIB and suggest changes the MIB structure which
would aid you in your management needs.

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