Section 2 : Storage Networking Technologies

and Virtualization

Direct Attached Storage and

Introduction to SCSI

Chapter 5
EMC Proven
Professional
The #1 Certification Program in the information
storage and management industry
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What is DAS?

Internal Direct Connect

o Uses block level protocol for data access

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External Direct Connect

DAS Benefits
o Ideal for local data provisioning
o Quick deployment for small environments
o Simple to deploy
o Low capital expense
o Low complexity

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DAS Connectivity Options

o ATA (IDE) and SATA
o Primarily for internal bus

o SCSI
o Parallel (primarily for internal bus)
o Serial (external bus)

o FC
o High speed network technology

o Buss and Tag

o Primarily for external mainframe
o Precursor to ESCON and FICON

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DAS Management
o Internal
o Host provides:
o Disk partitioning (Volume management)
o File system layout

o Direct Attached Storage managed individually through the

server and the OS

o External
o Array based management
o Lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for managing data and
storage Infrastructure

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DAS Challenges
o Scalability is limited
o Number of connectivity ports to hosts
o Difficulty to add more capacity
o Limited bandwidth
o Distance limitations

o Downtime required for maintenance with internal

DAS
o Limited ability to share resources
o Array front-end port
o Unused resources cannot be easily re-allocated
o Resulting in islands of over and under utilized storage pools
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Lesson: Introduction to SCSI

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
o Describe SCSI-3 architecture
o Discuss SCSI device models with different port
configurations
o Describe SCSI Addressing

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Evolution of Parallel SCSI

o Developed by Shugart Associates & named as SASI
(Shugart Associates System Interface)
o ANSI acknowledged SCSI as an industry standard
o SCSI versions
o SCSI1
o Defined cable length, signaling characteristics, commands & transfer
modes
o Used 8-bit narrow bus with maximum data transfer rate of 5 MB/s

o SCSI2
o Defined Common Command Set (CCS) to address non-standard
implementation of the original SCSI
o Improved performance, reliability, and added additional features

o SCSI3
o Latest version of SCSI
o Comprised different but related standards, rather than one large
document
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SCSI3 Architecture
SCSI Architectural Model
SCSI-3 Command Protocol
SCSI Primary
Commands

Common
Access
Method

SCSI Specific
Commands

Transport Layer
SCSI-3
Protocol

Fibre Channel
Protocol

Serial Bus
Protocol

IEEE
Serial Bus

Fibre
Channel

Generic
Packetized
Protocol

Physical Layer
SCSI-3
Parallel
Interface

o SCSI command protocol

o Primary commands common to all devices

o Transport layer protocol

o Standard rules for device communication and information sharing

o Physical layer interconnect

o Interface details such as electrical signaling methods and data transfer modes
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SCSI Device Model

o SCSI target device

SCSI communication
involves:
o SCSI initiator device
o Issues commands to SCSI
target devices
o Example:
SCSI host
SCSI
Initiator Device
adaptor

o Executes commands issued

by initiators
o Examples: SCSI peripheral
devices
SCSI
Target Device
Device Service
Request

Application
Client

Device Service
Response
Task Management
Request
Task Management
Response

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Logical Unit
Device
Server
Task
Manager

SCSI Device Model (Cont.)

o Device requests uses Command Descriptor Block (CDB)
o 8 bit structure
o Contain operation code, command specific parameter and control
parameter

o SCSI Ports
o SCSI device may contain initiator port, target port, target/initiator
port
o Based on the port combination, a SCSI device can be classified as
an initiator model, a target model, a target model with multiple
ports or a combined model (target/initiator model). Example:
o Target/initiator device contain target/initiator port and can switch
orientations depending on the role it plays while participating in an I/O
operation

o To cater to service requests from multiple devices, a SCSI device

may also have multiple ports (e.g. target model with multiple
ports)
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SCSI Addressing
LUNs

Initiator
Target

Initiator ID

Target ID

LUN

o Initiator ID - a number from 0 to 15 with the most common

value being 7.
o Target ID - a number from 0 to 15
o LUN - a number that specifies a device addressable through a
target.
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SCSI Addressing Example

Target (Front-end port)
Target t0
Port
Port

Port

LUN

d0

LUN

d1

LUN

d2

Storage
Volumes

Port
Port

Host

Initiator (HBA)
Controller c0

Storage Array

Host Addressing:
Storage Volume 1 - c0t0d0
Storage Volume 2 - c0t0d1
Storage Volume 3 - c0t0d2

Initiator ID Target ID

c0
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t0

LUN

d0