RE: iSCSI: Some proposed vendor-specific (X-) keys

[Dennis Young <dyoung@rhapsodynetworks.com>]

I think this is useful besides run time interoperability purpose
(this is a hot button and can be argued either way, just like the
version # of the draft), such as for reporting problems on a remote
device to the device manufacturer.
-Dennis

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bob Mastors [mailto:bmastors@allocity.com]
>Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 11:18 AM
>To: Ken Sandars; Ips Reflector (E-mail)
>Subject: Re: iSCSI: Some proposed vendor-specific (X-) keys
>
>
>I like it.
>Otherwise the user has to configure the initiator with the 
>target type and
>the target with the initiator type.
>It is unlikely that this problem will disappear for a long 
>time if ever.
>As the threads on the C bit has shown there will be lots of ways to
>implement the spec and probably no device will correctly 
>support all possibilities.
>I am already putting "if (vendor)" code in my implementation. 
>Maybe in a few
>years I will not need it. But until then it would be nice if I 
>could dynamically determine
>vendor information for iscsi so the user does not have to configure it.
>Bob
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Ken Sandars" <ksandars@eurologic.com>
>To: "Ips Reflector (E-mail)" <ips@ece.cmu.edu>
>Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 9:43 AM
>Subject: iSCSI: Some proposed vendor-specific (X-) keys
>
>
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> Can all you implementers out there consider this proposal 
>please? This is 
>> intended to be an aid to interoperability. Obviously once 
>the spec is 
>> approved and everyone is fully complient there will be no 
>need for this.
>> 
>> This proposal is in no means intended to go into the 
>specification (unless 
>> people REALLY want it), so feel free to skip this message now ;-)
>> 
>> I suggest three vendor specific declarative keys which 
>MAY/SHOULD be sent 
>> during the login phase (during the operational parameter 
>negotiation stage):
>> 
>> X-vendor
>> X-product
>> X-revision
>> 
>> These all contains strings, eg:
>> 
>> X-vendor=fredsIscsiShop
>> X-product=YetAnotherIscsiTarget
>> X-revision=1.003
>> 
>> These keys follow the SCSI inquiry command fields in terms 
>of names, and are 
>> used to identify the iSCSI node's information.
>> 
>> What does this achieve? I'm looking for an opportunity to 
>provide automated 
>> interoperability between systems which are not yet fully complient.
>> 
>> But I hear you think, "But why don't they just fix them?", 
>and I have to 
>> agree.
>> 
>> However, there are a number of iSCSI products which work 
>wonderfully well 
>> already out there (as long as you don't excite one of their 
>quirks). If you 
>> find out what you are connecting with during login, you can 
>decide what 
>> things you should or shouldn't do with it.
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Ken Sandars
>> Eurologic Systems Ltd
>> ksandars@eurologic.com
>