Configure iSCSI SAN using FreeNAS 8.2

Scenario

You’ve installed FreeNAS 8.2 in your Home Lab, and now wish to configure iSCSI for shared storage.

Here’s how.

Solution

  1. Open a browser and login to FreeNAS 8.2.
  2. Navigate to Storage > Active Volumes:
  3.  Click Volume Manager.
  4. Enter a Volume Name, select disk(s), select Filesystem type (ZFS has some neat features), then click Add Volume:
  5. Click the Create ZFS Volume button:
  6. Enter a ZFS Volume Name, specify the volume size, then click Add ZFS Volume:
  7. Navigate to Services > Core, and turn on iSCSI:
  8. Click the wrench icon next to iSCSI.
  9. Navigate to iSCSI > Portals, click Add Portal. Select 0.0.0.0 as the IP Address (this means it will listen on all IPs). Click OK:
  10.  Navigate to iSCSI > Initiators, click Add Initiator. Leave ALL in both fields to allow all client connections from any network:
  11. Navigate to iSCSI > Authorized Access, click Add iSCSI Authorized Access. Enter a User and Secret:
  12. Navigate to iSCSI > Target, click Add Target. Enter a Target Name and Alias. Select the Portal and Initiator Group IDs, and Authentication Group number:
  13. Navigate to iSCSI > Device Extents, click Add Extent. Enter an Extent Name and select a Volume:
  14. Navigate to iSCSI > Associated Targets, click Add Extent to Target. Select a Target and Extent to map together:
  15. Navigate to iSCSI > Target Global Configuration. Customise your Base Name, select CHAP for Discovery Auth Method and select your Discovery Auth Group. Leave other settings unless you know what you’re doing. Scroll to bottom of page to Save:
  16. All done. Now you need to connect to the iSCSI SAN using an iSCSI Initiator.
  17. If you get any connection problems, try restarting the iSCSI service here:
  18. If you don’t trust the GUI and want to confirm the service has definitely started, you can run service -e at the shell prompt, and look for istgt:

Comments

  1. Hi,
    you say “Now you need to connect to the iSCSI SAN using an iSCSI Initiator”. Wich IP Adresse must I give bei iSCSI Initiator?

    Thanks

  2. Shamim Ahsan says

    Very helpful. Excellent!

  3. Really Great.. Very helpful post and celar explanation..
    Thanks Dude

    • These posts can take a really long time, so it makes it worthwhile to know it helps others too, opposed to just being a reference for myself.

      Glad you found it useful.

  4. fentastic dude… thank you very very much for posting this with pictures…. really thanks a lot.. I didnt get any single error in doing this…

  5. chiranjeevi says

    Hi ,

    i am not able to start ISCSI services from off to on. Please help me.

    Thanks