N5200 PRO iSCSI on Windows 7

[sylco]

Hi,

I am trying to connect to an iSCSI target set on a Thecus N5200 PRO (V2.00.04) from a Windows 7 station. Everything seems to go fine until I click on the drive and get an “Access error” in a window titled “Location not available”. There is no way to access the content of the drive.

I do use CHAP identification, but I doubt this causes the problem since the iSCSI is connected and seems to be well authenticated.

There is no problem connecting to the iSCSI from any XP Pro station with MS iSCSI Initiator 2.05.

I understand the firmware could be updated, but would that solve the issue. Or is the Windows 7’s default Initiator the culprit?

Thanks!

sylco

[sylco]

More on this issue...

The iSCSI partition of the Thecus N5200 is indeed connected to the Windows 7 installation (using the built-in iSCSI initiator) and the drive can be seen in Windows Explorer as well as in the disk management utility. I can do all sorts of things with the drive. For example, I can analyze it for defragmentation. I can even go to the permissions and change the Ownership and when I do that, I see all the file names being scanned and modified!?!. So, Windows 7 does see the drive and can certainly access the files on it. Nevertheless, if I try to click on the drive in Windows Explorer, I get this window:

Title: “Location is not available”
Text: “Q:\ is not accessible. Access is denied”

Here is the content of the Initiator’s printed report:


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iSCSI Initiator Report
=======================
List of Discovered Targets, Sessions and devices
==================================================
Target #0
========
Target name = iqn.2008-02.xxxx.xxxx:ARRAY1.iscsi0.xxxx.xxxx
Session Details
===============
Session #1
===========
Number of Connections = 1
Connection #1
==============
Target Address = 172.16.1.182
Target Port = 3260
#0. Disk 1
========
Address: Port4: Bus 0: Target 0: LUN 0
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I also tried the free StarPort Initiator and I get the same behaviour.

Could it be a problem with Windows 7 not allowing the view of the content of this drive for security reasons?

I am getting quite desperate as this is a large research team’s storage unit and I need to provide them with access urgently.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as Thecus has not responded to my Support Ticket yet.

Thanks

sylco

[Rievax]

Hello Sylco,

I may be too late for an answer, but by any chance, aren't you trying to access this iSCSI target from BOTH machines? Like a Windows XP and a Windows 7 at the same time? iSCSI is not a protocol for sharing Windows partitions... Windows will lock the LUN to prevent multiple accesses to it (to avoid data corruption).

If that does not answer your question, did you find your answer?

Cheers,

Rievax.