iSCSI

(Internet Small Computer System Interface) Pronounced "eye-scuzzy," iSCSI is a protocol that enables servers to access remote disks as if they were locally attached. iSCSI "initiator" software in the server converts disk block level reads and writes to SCSI commands that are serialized into IP packets that traverse any local IP network or wide area IP network such as the Internet. At the destination side, the iSCSI packets are decoded by the disk drive array into the appropriate commands for the type of disk drives used (SCSI, Fibre Channel, SAS or SATA). See block level.

Network Management Is Required
iSCSI traffic generally runs in a subnetwork or virtual LAN to keep it separated from the rest of the LAN. To increase the transfer rate, network cards and iSCSI disk arrays may support port aggregation. For example, four Gigabit Ethernet ports could function as one 4 Gbps Ethernet channel, providing approximately a 400 Mbytes/sec data transfer rate.

In addition, iSCSI network switches may be used that are built to optimize the forwarding of iSCSI packets. See IP storage, SCSI, Fibre Channel, SAS and SATA.