Welcome to LIO-VM Target Storage Engine!

Introduction:

The LIO-VM Storage Engine demo is a set of VMware compatible virtual machine images that contains a self-configuring iSCSI storage engine that runs on with a very large and diverse amount of PC storage software and hardware.  When the LIO-VM image boots, the host local storage hardware that is made available to the guest is exported as iSCSI target ports, and made available to both local and remote iSCSI Initiator clients.

Note that the iSCSI target is configured to allow _ALL_ iSCSI Initiators to access _ALL_ iSCSI Target Ports across all available iSCSI Network Portals.  By default, the storage devices with filesystems will be exported as READ-ONLY to prevent multiple accesses by non-cluster filesystems.  Support for production R/W configurations of this demo are in the works, please stay tuned to the site and lists for more information as this unfolds.  Also, if you really know what you are doing when it comes to non cluster filesystem + RW access, please see section IX) below.

I) The .vmx LIO-VM images:

	There are two VMware Workstation 6.x/Fusion compatible image available:

	Debian Etch 4 i386: (2.6.18-5-686)
	JeOS / Ubuntu 7.10 i386: (2.6.22-14-virtual)

II) What are the host OS requirements to run the LIO-VM Demo?

	Any i386 or x86_64 Linux v2.6 host that can run VMware Workstation 6.
	Any Apple Mac-tel hardware that can run VMware Fusion.
	Any XP or NT compatible host that can run VMware Workstation 6.

III) What has been tested?

	The LIO-VM has been successfully run on Linux v2.6, MacOSX Leopard, and WinXP/NT.

	USB connected flash and SATA/PATA devices.
	Internal SATA DVD and External SATA HD drives 
	External USB DVD/HD devices are also supported.

IV) What should work?

        All USB Direct-Access (flash, USB external PATA/SATA disk drives)
        All USB optical drives (CD, DVD, HD/DVD and BD)
        All PATA/SATA disk drives
        All PATA/SATA optical drives (CD, DVD, HD/DVD and BD)
        All PSCSI / FC / SAS hardware with correct host OS drivers.

        Basically, if it works locally, and you can bring it into the guest,
	you can export it.

V) Why are there two images?

	The Debian image has a work around to allow optical devices to work properly.
	Other than this difference, the two images should function as identical for other
	devices, host OS storage driver requirements not withstanding.  See VI) for
	more information.

VI) What are the limitations?

	Currently with external HD optical drives, you need to use the Debian-LIO image
	to get USB v2.0 working properly.  On MacOSX/Fusion, this seems to be the only
	host of the three that work with in USB passthrough mode for USB v2.0 mode
	correctly.  Otherwise with VMware Workstation 6 with Linux and
	Windows guests you need to configure a Virtual CD-ROM by editing the
	configuration within the VMware console and saving.  At this point you will be
	able to boot the demo and it will be detected and configured as usual by LIO-VM.

	Other than this limitation for optical devices, everything else should work at
	noted in IV).

VII) What about adding new network / storage configurations after the demo has booted?

	First, make sure the LIO-VM instance has focus with VMware.  Once the device is
	detected by the host OS, VMware will give you an message about the device going online.
	Give for usb-storage in the guest to detect the device, and then run

	> /sbin/LIO-demo.sh

	to reconfigure the LIO-VM demo. At this point, the storage devices will now to
	available as iSCSI Target Ports and Logical Units on the IP storage fabric.

VIII) How can I get the latests updates for my iSCSI code?

	The LIO-VM images are preconfigured to the source and binary repositories.  To update
	the system, login to the shell and:

	# Stop the stack:
	> /etc/init.d/target stop
	# Update the repo
	> apt-get update
	# Install the latest tools
	> apt-get install target-utils
	# Install the latest kernel modules
	> apt-get install target-modules
	# The stack will reload..
	# Start the LIO stack in demo mode!
	> LIO-demo.sh

IX) I understand that non clustered filesystems cannot allow multiple R/W access from
    multiple iSCSI initiators, and still want to enable R/W demo mode. How do I do that?

	Again, this is at your own risk, so please be careful:
	
	Login to the shell, and edit /sbin/LIO-demo.sh and set the following TPG
	attribute:

	/sbin/target-ctl settpgattrib demo_mode_lun_access=1

	Save this file and exit.  Then either make the change take effect with:

	> LIO-demo.sh

	Note that some iSCSI Initiators will require a disk rescan or reregister to 
	move from RO -> RW mode if they are already active on the initiator side.  Please
	refresh to your host side SCSI disk subsystem documentation.

X) Where can I find out more?

	Goto http://linux-iscsi.org/LIO-VM for the latest information.
	Also, join the list @ http://groups.google.com/group/linux-iscsi-target-dev
	and let us know how LIO-VM is useful for you!