In this blog post, we will cover how to install and configure iSCSI Target on Windows Server 2019. From Wikipedia, iSCSI is an acronym for Internet Small Computer Systems Interface, an Internet Protocol-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. It provides block-level access to storage devices by carrying SCSI commands over a TCP/IP network. The iSCSI target is the storage on a remote location, which appears to the host system (iSCSI initiator) as a local drive. We shall see all of this illustrated.
Below are the steps used to configure iSCSI Target and Initiator on Windows Server 2019.
Step 1: Open Server Manager
Fire up your “Server Manager” and click on “Add Roles and Features” then click “Next” on the first page of the Wizard that pops-up,
Step 2: Role-Based or Feature-based installation
On this page, choose the “Role-Based or Feature-based installation” radio option and hit “Next“.
Step 3: Choose Server
Select the server you would wich to install the iSCSI Target in. On this guide, we are choosing the local server. Click “Next” after that.
Step 4: Select Server Roles
This next page is titled “Select Server Roles” and has got a list of roles to install. Please go ahead and click on “Files and Storage Services” to expand it. Expand “File and iSCSI Services” and select “iSCSI Target Server“.
Step 5: Add Features
After you choose “ iSCSI Target Server” on the previous step, another pop-up window will come up titled “Add features that are required for iSCSI Target Server?“. Simply click on “Add Features“. Click on “Next” after that.
Step 6: Confirm Selections
The next page is titled “Confirm installation selections“. Look at the list provided and confirm that iSCSI Target Server and others are listed. After that, click “Install“. After everything is successfully installed, click “Close” and your iSCSI Target Server is installed. Let us proceed to configure the iSCSI Target Server.
Step 7: Configure iSCSI Target Folder
We are now going to configure a folder that we shall be connected to by initiators. Create a directory/folder in your desired disk partition. I will create iSCSI-Target-Test in C partition.
Head over to “Server Manager“. Click “File and Storage Services” and select iSCSI from the expanded menu. You will see “To create an iSCSI virtual disk, start the New iSCSI Virtual Disk Wizard” link on the right pane. Click on it. A wizard pops-up.
Step 8: Choose the folder we created
Select “Type a custom path” and browse for the folder we created earlier. Click “Next” after that.
Step 9: Name and describe your virtual disk
This is an easy step of just naming and describing your virtual disk. Click on “Next” after you are done.
Step 10: Set the size of the virtual disk
In this step, apart from setting the size of the virtual disk, you have the option of choosing if the disk will be fixed, dynamically grow or in differencing modes. All of the three are described adequately in the window. Select the one that makes more sense in your set-up and click “Next“
Step 11: Assign iSCSI Target
Since this is a new target, select “New iSCSI target” and click “Next“
Step 12: Name and describe your target
This is yet another easy step of just naming and describing your target. Click on “Next” after you are done.
Step 13: Specify access servers
For security, we have to explicitly allow known initiators to our targets. This page gives us that opportunity. Click on “Add” which opens “Add Initiator ID” pop-up window. For simplicity, use “Enter a value for the selected type” and under “Type” choose IP Address from the drop-down menu. Key-in your initiator IP Address and click “OK“.
Step 14: Authentication between initiator and Target
You can use either of the two CHAP options provided which are well described in this step. Enter username and passwords. Click on “Next” after you are done.
Step 15: Confirm selections and create
On this following page confirm your selections, click create and wait for it to finish.
You should see your virtual disk created in the server manager.
Step 16: Configure iSCSI Initiator
With the iSCSI Target configured, proceed to configure iSCSI initiator on Windows Server 2019:
Conclusion
We have successfully installed the iSCSI Target Server and created a target virtual disk. Next, we are going to use iSCSI initiator and connect to our Target Server.
Finally, if you missed out on the similar previous guides, here they are for you:
- Install and Configure IIS Web Server on Windows Server 2019
- How To Configure Virtual Directory on Windows IIS Server 2019
- Install and Configure NFS Server on Windows Server 2019
- How to Install Active Directory Domain Services in Windows Server 2019
- How To open a port in Windows Server Firewall
