Overview of COMSTAR Features

COMSTAR utilizes a SCSI Target Mode Framework (STMF) to manage target storage devices with the following components:

• Port providers (or plug-ins) – Implement protocols, such as Fibre Channel (FC) and iSCSI.

• Logical unit providers – Emulate various SCSI devices, such as disk and tape devices.

• The libstmf management library – Provides the COMSTAR management interface. The modules that implement the iSCSI functionality do not interact directly with the underlying transport. In a similar way, the modules that implement the transport protocol are unaware of the SCSI-level functionality that is inherent in the packets they are transporting. Some transport examples are Fibre Channel and iSCSI. The framework separates the execution and cleanup of SCSI commands and the associated resources. This separation simplifies the task of writing SCSI or transport modules.

  Use the following to administer these features:

  • The itadm command manages Internet SCSI (iSCSI) nodes within the SCSI target mode framework.

  • The stmfadm command configures logical units within the SCSI target mode framework.

  • The srptadm command manages SCSI RDMA Protocol (SRP) target ports within the SCSI target mode framework.

Identifying COMSTAR Software and Hardware Requirements

• Oracle Solaris storage software and devices

• The group/feature/storage-server software package for the system that provides the storage devices

• Any supported NIC