KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.

iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

Snapshot is the state of a system at a particular point in time. It refers to an actual copy of the state of a system. Snapshot feature is especially valuable in High-Availability clusters because they cannot bear service stoppages. To avoid downtime, high-availability systems may instead perform the backup on a snapshot—a read-only copy of the data set frozen at a point in time—and allow applications to continue writing to their data. In other words, the time needed to create the snapshot does not increase with the size of the data set, whereas the same for a direct backup is proportional to the size of the data set. In some systems once the initial snapshot is taken of a data set, subsequent snapshots copy the changed data only, and use a system of pointers to reference the initial snapshot. This method of pointer-based snapshots consumes less disk capacity than if the data set was repeatedly cloned.

iStorage Server supports Snapshot feature. It is very easy and convenient to use. You just need to turn on iStorage Management Console and Right Click on the drive you want to take snapshot of.

You can also do it in the Snapshot Manager, which is very convenient to use.

KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.

iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

Read-only can protect the safety of data, however, in many times, only read-only protection is not enough, because some programs are running in the read-only disk and the running process would create files or write data to files. The write operation will fail, which would lead to the abnormal running of these programs. Therefore, KernSafe provides a conception of virtual write, which means the program of read-only users allows the writing in read-only disks, but the writing results only take effect for the user himself.

Turning on Virtual Write feature in iStorage Server is very easy and convenient. After successfully creating a target drive, Right Click on the drive you want to turn on this feature and choose Properties.

Change to Virtual Write tab.

Now chose where you want to place work folder which will contain that virtual data.

Set the maximum size of it.

You can also choose if Virtual Write should work in the Volatile or Persistent mode.

In the Volatile mode, every file that user created will be deleted.

In the Persistent mode every file that user created will be saved and user will be able to access it next time he will work on that drive.

 KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.

iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

High availability is the implementation of technology so that if a component fails, another can take over for it. By using highly available platforms, the downtime for a system can be reduced, and, in many cases, it can be reduced to a short enough time that the users of the system do not see the failure.

Setting High-Availability in iStorage Server is very easy and convenient. After successfully creating a target drive which you want to connect to High-AvailabilityCluster, click on the arrow next to the Create button and chose Application.

In next window chose Failover iSCSI SAN Node, to create a High-Availability cluster.

Chose Base Target.

Click on Edit button to add another target necessary for creation of High-Availability Cluster.

Type IP address of host and chose Target. If necessary, provide an CHAP User Name and Secret.

On the next window chose what type of Synchronization you would like to perform and click Synchronize.    `

After successfully synchronizing your targets you will see in the Applications that Cluster is Running.

Now if the base target will fail, backup target will take over his place allowing users to access data.

Preview of iStorage Server Partition-to-Disk Feature

KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.


iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

Partition-to-Disk Feature on iStorage Server will help you export large partitions as iSCSI targets. On top of that you will be able to construct MBR and GPT partition on client machine and even modify partition table in ways such as re-partition or format and all changes will be saved on to the original target partition.

You can chose options while creating an iSCSI target partition if you want to construct MBR or GPT partition table.

After connecting this target to the client, you can do everything with this partition, just like it was a normal partition on your hard drive, and every change will be saved on to the original target partition.

You can download Trial version of iStorage Server here.

In iStorage Server you can create a Security Images for every Client Machine. Thanks to this option every employee  can have its own private encrypted space where he/she can store important data that can’t be accessed by anyone else.

You can create such image using iStorage Server in just few steps:

1. Open iStorage Server Management Console.

2. Click Create button to create a new target.

3. Chose creation of Hard Disk.

4. Choose Security Images to create an encrypted image.

5. Select where to save the file as well as the size of it.

Checking option Use sparse file on NTFS file system can help you save disk space but it is not recommended to use on when the image file is bigger than 1T bytes.

6. Choose the Authentication Mechanism.

• Anonymous

o   All initiators will get full access permission without any authorization required.

• CHAP (Challenge-handshake authentication protocol)

o   All initiators need to specify a CHAP user and secret to connect to the target. iStorage Server has a built-in user called “Guest”, which is used for initiators without CHAP secret specified.

• IP Filters

o   All initiators will be authorized by the incoming IP address defined by IP Filter roles.

• Mixed

o   Security policy is determined by both CHAP and IP Filters.

If you check Inherit security roles from global settings, all client security roles are form global settings, otherwise, each client will have its own permission.

7. Choose name for your Security Image file.

If you check Report as readonly device when initiator cannot get write access, the system will give you a report when you load the target without write access.

After creating the image, you can check information about it in the General Tab.

Connecting to the Security Image is even easier:

1. Open iSCSI Initiator.

2. Select the Discovery tab page.

3. Press the Discover Portal… button, the Discover Target Portal dialog will appear.

Type the IP address and Port of your server. Default port is 3260.



4. Change to Targets tab.

Select the target in the Targets list, and then press the Connect button.
Then the Connect to Target dialog will appear.

If your iSCSI target is using IP filter or Anonymous authorization, just press the OK button to continue.

Check Add this connection to the list of Favorite Targets, to log-on this target automatically after system boots.


If your iSCSI target is using CHAP user authorization, press the Advanced… button, the Advanced Settings dialog will appear.

Select Enable CHAP log on and type Name and Target secret.

Now you are successfully connected to the iSCSI target.

Open Disk Management (Right click on to Computer, click Manage, from the tree list on the left side choose Disk Management).

An Initialize Disk window will appear.

6. After clicking OK, you can format your new Security Image and use it as if normal hard drive.

You can download Trial version of iStorage Server here.

iStorage Server supports iSCSI SAN for Novell NetWare operating system

iSCSI,  an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage storage over long distances. iSCSI can be used to transmit data over local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), or the Internet and can enable location-independent data storage and retrieval.  It is a popular Storage Area Network (SAN) protocol, allowing organizations to consolidate storage into data center storage arrays while providing hosts (such as database and web servers) with the illusion of locally-attached disks. Unlike traditional Fibre Channel, which requires special-purpose cabling, iSCSI can be run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.

Main benefits of using iSCSI SAN are:

• iSCSI can be run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.
• Simplified and consolidated storage management
• Easier virtualization
• Low-cost hardware requirements
• Scalability and flexibility
• Reduced SAN management training requirements
• Ability to create a SAN from existing direct-attached storage servers
  

NetWare is a network operating system developed by Novell, Inc. It initially used cooperative multitasking to run various services on a personal computer, with network protocols based on the archetypal Xerox Network Systems stack.

NetWare iSCSI includes several important features to help you create and manage a low-cost NetWare SAN:

• Support for standard TCP/IP networks using commodity Ethernet hardware.
• Single point of administration through the browser-based NetWare Remote Manager. This lets you remotely manage your iSCSI SAN.
• Support for the iSCSI draft specification (Ratified Standard Draft 20).
• Support for Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) authentication for initiator identity verification.
• Interoperability with industry standard iSCSI storage servers or targets, including Cisco, Network Appliance, Adaptec and others.
• Easy installation and configuration, especially compared to the complexity involved in installing and configuring a fibre channel SAN.
  

Combing iStorage Server with Novell NetWare will expand the application scope of your Novell NetWare server and workstation, thereby enabling WINDOWS server to expand the storage of your Novell NetWare computer. It also allows you to directly use the storage devices of the existing Windows server for Novell NetWare Server. With IP SAN solution provided by iStorage Server, you may install application and server software, as well as store data required wish you like.

Connecting to the iSCSI target created in iStorage Server is really simple under Novel Remote Manager. Just follow those steps:

1. Open Novell Remote Manager and click on the iSCSI Services.

Click on the Add Target button.

2. Type Network Address, of target the iSCSI.

3. Chose which target you want to add.

4. Confirm selection of your target.

5. Your target is successfully added.

6. From collapse tree menu, click Manage Server and choose Partition Disks. You will see an iSCSI you just added. To create a new partition click Create.

7. Chose partition type. Then click on Create a New Pool or Create a New Pool and Volume.

8. Specify the Pool Size and Pool Name. Click CREATE.

When a window will appear click on OK button to finalize creation of new NSS Pool.

Now, your target device is fully configured and ready to use.

You can browse easily through the drive now using systems File Browser.

iStorage Server supports centralized management using ISO files

KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.

iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

Thanks to iStorage Server you can create a large number of iSCSI targets which actually are ISO files. After creating an iSCSI target a user can connect to it using iSCSI Initiator to log in to the target and use it as a virtual CD/DVD ROM.

This solution can help you create centralized management. A centralized management infrastructure enables you to create and manage server far more efficiently than a local management implementation.

You can store all of your ISO files on to one server, and create iSCSI Targets for other users to create onto them. This will save you time and money because it is easier to manage one server then several of them.

iStorage Server is available for Trial Download here.

iStorage Server helps share data between workstation and lapboard

 
KernSafe iStorage Server is an advanced and powerful, full-featured iSCSI Target software that makes any x86, x64 or even Itanium Windows machine into an iSCSI Target.

iStorage Server is an IP SAN solution that allows you quickly export existing storages such disk images, physical disks, partitions, CD/DVD-ROMs, tapes or any other type of SCSI based devices and even a variety of popular CD/DVD images to its client machines, which delivers immediate benefits allowing storage to be consolidated, virtualized and centrally managed. iStorage Server also provides RAID-1 (mirror) feature, which allows you create two devices for mirror backup, the mirror devices can be local image files or remote iSCSI devices. iStorage Server has been added support for Microsoft Virtual Disk File (VHD) and VHD snapshots at the recent release. So it is an ideal choice for any sized business.

Using KernSafe iStorage Server you can easily share data between workstation and lapboard. You can do it by simply exporting a partition or a whole hard drive in the iStorage Server. You can even chose if you want to share in virtual write mode or in read only mode.

This solution is ideal when you want to securely share some data between computers using existing LAN network or Internet. iServer supports CHAP user authorization as well as IP Filter. You can even combine those two security methods into Mixed one.

You can download Trial version of iStorage Server here.

iStorage Server supports creating a High-Availability iSCSI SAN for VMware ESX and VMware ESXi

VMware ESX and VMware ESXi are “bare-metal” hypervisors, meaning they install directly on top of the physical server and partition it into multiple virtual machines that can run simultaneously, sharing the physical resources of the underlying server. Each virtual machine represents a complete system, with processors, memory, networking, storage and BIOS, and can run an unmodified operating system and applications.

Combing iStorage Server with VMware ESX Server will expand the application scope of your virtual server, thereby enabling WINDOWS server to expand the storage of your virtualized server. It also allows you to directly use the storage devices of the existing Windows server for VMware ESX Server. With IP SAN solution provided by iStorage Server, you may set up operating system, install application and server software, as well as store data required by your virtual machines.

High availability is the implementation of technology so that if a component fails, another can take over for it. By using highly available platforms, the downtime for a system can be reduced, and, in many cases, it can be reduced to a short enough time that the users of the system do not see the failure.

If you want to learn more about iStorage Server HA iSCSI SAN technology for VMWare ESX / ESXi Server, and how to use it, please refer to this White Paper.

You can download Trial version of iStorage Server here.

iStorage Server supports iSCSI SAN for Linux operating systems

iSCSI,  an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage storage over long distances. iSCSI can be used to transmit data over local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), or the Internet and can enable location-independent data storage and retrieval.  It is a popular Storage Area Network (SAN) protocol, allowing organizations to consolidate storage into data center storage arrays while providing hosts (such as database and web servers) with the illusion of locally-attached disks. Unlike traditional Fibre Channel, which requires special-purpose cabling, iSCSI can be run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.

Main benefits of using iSCSI SAN are:

• iSCSI can be run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.
• Simplified and consolidated storage management
• Easier virtualization

Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration, typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License. Typically Linux is packaged in a format known as a Linux distribution for desktop and server use.

Combing iStorage Server with Linux will expand the application scope of your Linux server and workstation, thereby enabling WINDOWS server to expand the storage of your Linux computer. It also allows you to directly use the storage devices of the existing Windows server for Linux Server. With IP SAN solution provided by iStorage Server, you may install application and server software, as well as store data required wish you like.

If you want to learn more about iStorage Server support for iSCSI under Linux operating system, please refer to this White Paper.

You can download Trial version of iStorage Server here.