The Scoop on FreeBSD & iSCSI (Currently)
Please see the update to this post
As A Target (Server)
The only available iSCSI target software in FreeBSD is the /net/iscsi-target port. This is the iSCSI target from OpenBSD and is absolutely not suitable for production use (or even most non-production uses).
Problems I’ve come across:
- Does not support CHAP.
- Will not allow multiple connections to the same target (LUN). This is useful in the case of VMWare ESX/ESXi.
- Cannot rehash configuration file. If you add/remove a target you must restart the daemon completely, ending all current connections.
As An Initiator (Client)
The iSCSI initiator in FreeBSD 7.2 (currently) suffers from many issues. These issues prevent it from being suitable for production use. There is, however, a newer version of the iscsi_initiator kernel module shipping in 8.0-BETA1 and the -current branch (HEAD). By nature these versions of the FreeBSD operating system are not suitable for production use.
Problems I’ve come across in FreeBSD 7.2:
- No official documentation. While it is a simple configuration, you have to find procedures strewn about the web.
- Poor performance without tags tweak. I achieved no better than 2MB/s transfer rate without setting tags = 256 in iscsi.conf.
- No rc scripts. Devices must be attached after boot by admin or cron.
- System lockups under loads. Copying files to the iSCSI array via gigabit has repeatedly locked the system up. To test I copied the files from a local disk to the array and had the same result.
Problems I’ve come across in FreeBSD 8.0-BETA2:
- It includes an updated version, but it just flat out doesn’t work. When attaching the target with iscontrol -n targetname the iscontrol process hangs forever and cannot be killed with a -9.
- Still no rc scripts of any kind.
Comments are welcome.
Tags: 8.0-BETA1, cron, FreeBSD, iscontrol, iscsi, iscsi-target, iscsi_initiator, rc
han.hg - September 2, 2009
i have the same problem
are you try this drivers?
http://uminac.com/mirror/ftp.cs.huji.ac.il/users/danny/freebsd/
admin - September 2, 2009
Yes, I have. Those drivers (if you didn’t already notice) are mirrored on my site. They’re not mine, but in this post I give reference to the coder’s home page.
Chudwick3005 - December 20, 2010
It’s from NetBSD not OpenBSD
Penta - January 6, 2011
A port of IET for FreeBSD (http://iscsitarget.sourceforge.net/) is apparently available . http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=26850543
admin - January 9, 2011
I haven’t used it yet, any luck?
Penta - September 8, 2011
Sorry for coming back so late. I have used it and its works fine. It actually now a part of FreeBSD ports, As simple as a pkg_add now. See http://www.randomboot.org/storage/519-iscsi-enterprise-target-iet-on-freebsd.html for instructions.
admin - September 8, 2011
Great news, I’ll have to give it a shot. I had pretty much given up on FreeBSD & iSCSI. Have you had any luck finding an iSCSI initiator that’s better?
Penta - September 9, 2011
I believe the iscsi initiator you mention is the only one. I’m not aware of any others for FreeBSD
BTW to stop a iscontrol session issue a kill -1 and not a kill -9