Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS)
RFC 4171

Network Working Group                                           J. Tseng
Request for Comments: 4171                           Riverbed Technology
Category: Standards Track                                     K. Gibbons
                                                      McDATA Corporation
                                                           F. Travostino
                                                                  Nortel
                                                             C. Du Laney
                                             Rincon Research Corporation
                                                                J. Souza
                                                               Microsoft
                                                          September 2005

                 Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS)

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).

Abstract

   This document specifies the Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS)
   protocol, used for interaction between iSNS servers and iSNS clients,
   which facilitates automated discovery, management, and configuration
   of iSCSI and Fibre Channel devices (using iFCP gateways) on a TCP/IP
   network.  iSNS provides intelligent storage discovery and management
   services comparable to those found in Fibre Channel networks,
   allowing a commodity IP network to function in a capacity similar to
   that of a storage area network.  iSNS facilitates a seamless
   integration of IP and Fibre Channel networks due to its ability to
   emulate Fibre Channel fabric services and to manage both iSCSI and
   Fibre Channel devices.  iSNS thereby provides value in any storage
   network comprised of iSCSI devices, Fibre Channel devices (using iFCP
   gateways), or any combination thereof.

Tseng, et al.              Standards Track                      [Page 1]
RFC 4171          Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS)    September 2005

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction................................................... 6
       1.1.  Conventions Used in This Document........................ 6
       1.2.  Purpose of This Document................................. 6
   2.  iSNS Overview.................................................. 6
       2.1.  iSNS Architectural Components ........................... 7
             2.1.1.  iSNS Protocol (iSNSP) ........................... 7
             2.1.2.  iSNS Client...................................... 7
             2.1.3.  iSNS Server...................................... 7
             2.1.4.  iSNS Database ................................... 7
             2.1.5.  iSCSI............................................ 7
             2.1.6.  iFCP............................................. 7
       2.2.  iSNS Functional Overview................................. 8
             2.2.1.  Name Registration Service........................ 8
             2.2.2.  Discovery Domain and Login Control Service....... 8
             2.2.3.  State Change Notification Service............... 10
             2.2.4.  Open Mapping between
                     Fibre Channel and iSCSI Devices................. 11
       2.3.  iSNS Usage Model........................................ 11
             2.3.1.  iSCSI Initiator................................. 12
             2.3.2.  iSCSI Target.................................... 12
             2.3.3.  iSCSI-FC Gateway................................ 12
             2.3.4.  iFCP Gateway.................................... 12
             2.3.5.  Management Station.............................. 12
       2.4.  Administratively Controlled iSNS Settings............... 13
       2.5.  iSNS Server Discovery .................................. 14
             2.5.1.  Service Location Protocol (SLP)................. 14
             2.5.2.  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)...... 14
             2.5.3.  iSNS Heartbeat Message.......................... 14
       2.6.  iSNS and Network Address Translation (NAT).............. 14
       2.7.  Transfer of iSNS Database Records between iSNS Servers.. 15
       2.8.  Backup iSNS Servers..................................... 17
       2.9.  Transport Protocols..................................... 19
             2.9.1.  Use of TCP for iSNS Communication............... 19
             2.9.2.  Use of UDP for iSNS Communication............... 20
             2.9.3.  iSNS Multicast and Broadcast Messages........... 20