iSCSI: The Universal Storage Connection is an informative overview and in-depth guide to the emerging iSCSI standard, the technology that enables data storage, access, and management over networks, intranets, and the Internet. The iSCSI protocol reduces the total cost of ownership of shared storage solutions and enables an organization to tie together disparate systems and data, including both server class systems and laptop and desktop systems. Numerous leading technology companies, including IBM®, Cisco Systems®, and Intel®, are currently supporting iSCSI initiatives.

Written for network and data storage professionals, this comprehensive book introduces iSCSI and explores its growing role within the data storage industry. It describes each element of the technology in detail—from session establishment through error handling—and examines the relationship between iSCSI and the SCSI protocol from which it evolved.

Specific topics discussed include:

• iSCSI's use in small office, midrange, and high-end settings

• TCP/IP fundamentals, and how they apply to iSCSI

• The importance of data integrity

• New hardware that addresses bandwidth and latency issues

• iSCSI naming conventions

• The establishment of a communication path between the host system and storage controller

• Commands and data sequencing

• Control of the flow of commands

• Task management

• Error handling

• Companion technologies, including discovery and security processes

• Backup and disaster preparation

• iSCSI performance issues

In addition, the book includes an explanation of the technologies that hardware vendors are implementing to permit direct memory placement of iSCSI messages without additional main processor involvement.

A helpful icon appears throughout the book, mapping out appropriate reading tracks based on your technical level.

Comprehensive, clearly written, and organized for easy access, this iSCSI handbook serves as both an excellent starting point for those involved in data storage solutions and a guide to understanding the technically detailed Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) iSCSI Standards document.

020178419XB09272002

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 5 Ratings

The future of storage networking - 2003-01-17
Reviewer Rating:
This work is a thorough and insightful review of the iSCSI protocol by someone who has been a major contributor to the standard and knows the protocol parameters inside out. I highly recommend this work to anyone who wants to understand the future direction of storage area networking. Over the next few years we will see the convergence of SANs with mainstream IP networking, with iSCSI and IP SANs paving the way for much tighter integration of applications, operating systems, storage and networks. As stated in the book's title, iSCSI will be the universal connection for bringing storage into this synthesis.

Highly Recommended iSCSI Source for Technical Reader - 2003-04-05
Reviewer Rating:
iSCSI is a new SAN architecture that combines two popular network and storage technologies into one. Many technical people found the IETF technical specifications hard to read, since it requires backgrounds from both the networking world and the storage world to fully understand them.

As one of the iSCSI authorities in the IETF, the author has done a very good job in describing the technologies and the ratioale of the specifications one step at a time in a very detailed and organized way. This makes them much easier to understand by the technical people from two different worlds.

I fully appreciate John's efforts for creating such a great works that will be highly recommended for the time to come.

Good Starting Point on iSCSI - 2003-07-02
Reviewer Rating:
John has done a very good job of covering the basics of the iSCSI protocol. This is a good book for someone who is trying to get an introduction to this protocol. However, the material is presented from the viewpoint of someone who has NEVER actually built a storage system. For those people who are trying to either build an iSCSI system or want to get a comparison of this protocol with either Fibre Channel or Infiniband, this is not the right place to start. This is an excellent book for starters but is not good for serious iSCSI implementors.

About the protocol not applications - 2006-03-22
Reviewer Rating:
The author writes detai about the iSCSI protocol but doesn't talk about applcations. Get it if you're into theory but not really useful for how to use iSCSI or manage a SAN.

This Book is really good for iSCSI beginners - 2007-03-12
Reviewer Rating:
This book gives very good information about iSCSI, it is well organized and with simple explanation. I recommend this book for people who just start reading iSCSI.

Browse Similar Topics

Top Level Categories:
Networking

Sub-Categories:
Networking > Storage Area Network