ISCSI On Synology NAS: Your Setup Guide

Hey guys! Ever wondered how to set up iSCSI on your Synology NAS? You're in luck! This guide will walk you through everything, from the basics to some cool advanced stuff. iSCSI, or Internet Small Computer System Interface, might sound super techy, but trust me, it's not that complicated. Basically, it lets you treat your Synology NAS storage as if it were a local hard drive on your computer or server. This is super handy for all sorts of things, like running virtual machines, expanding storage for your servers, or even just having a centralized storage solution. This guide will focus on how to properly configure iSCSI targets and LUNs on your Synology NAS, how to connect to those iSCSI targets from your computer, and we'll even touch on some best practices to make sure everything runs smoothly. So, whether you're a seasoned tech pro or just starting out, this guide has something for you. Let's dive in and get your iSCSI setup running like a champ!

Understanding iSCSI and Why You Need It

Alright, before we get our hands dirty with the actual setup, let's talk about what iSCSI is and why it's so awesome. iSCSI, as I mentioned earlier, stands for Internet Small Computer System Interface. Think of it as a way to send SCSI commands (the language hard drives and other storage devices use) over a network, usually an Ethernet network. This means your computer can access storage on your Synology NAS as if it were directly connected, even though it's all happening over the network. The primary function of iSCSI is to provide block-level access to storage. Block-level access is super fast and efficient because your computer interacts directly with the storage blocks, bypassing the file system overhead. This makes iSCSI ideal for applications that need high performance and low latency, such as running virtual machines (VMs), database servers, and other applications that require direct access to storage. It's also great for creating a centralized storage solution for your office or home network. With iSCSI, you can consolidate all your storage onto your Synology NAS and share it with multiple computers and servers. This simplifies storage management, makes it easier to back up your data, and reduces the need for local storage on each device. In contrast to file-level storage protocols such as SMB or NFS, iSCSI offers better performance. When you use SMB or NFS, your computer needs to interpret the files and folders, which consumes a little bit more processing power. With iSCSI, the computer interacts directly with the storage blocks, which provides much greater throughput. Additionally, iSCSI supports features like multipathing, which allows you to create redundant connections to your storage, providing higher availability. This means that if one connection fails, the other can take over, and you won't lose access to your data. iSCSI is truly a powerful tool for anyone looking to optimize their storage setup. It offers performance, flexibility, and reliability that can transform the way you use and manage your data.

Prerequisites: Before You Start Setting Up iSCSI

Before we start setting up iSCSI, let's get you prepared. First off, you'll need a Synology NAS, obviously. Make sure your NAS is up-to-date with the latest DSM (DiskStation Manager) version. DSM updates often include performance improvements and security patches, so keeping it current is a good idea. Also, ensure you have enough storage space on your NAS to allocate for your iSCSI targets and LUNs. You can create iSCSI LUNs, which are essentially the virtual disks that your computers will see. The amount of storage you need depends on your usage. Then, you'll need a computer or server that will connect to your iSCSI targets. This can be a Windows, macOS, or Linux machine. Make sure your computer is on the same network as your Synology NAS. This is usually pretty straightforward, but it's important to make sure your devices can communicate with each other. If you're using a firewall, you'll need to configure it to allow iSCSI traffic. iSCSI uses TCP port 3260 by default, so you'll need to make sure this port is open. You may want to consider using a dedicated network for your iSCSI traffic. This is especially important if you're using iSCSI for performance-critical applications. By separating iSCSI traffic from other network traffic, you can ensure that your iSCSI connections have enough bandwidth and low latency. It is also good practice to make sure you have a solid backup plan in place for your data, as iSCSI still follows standard storage practices. Also, write down the IP address of your Synology NAS and the username and password for your Synology NAS admin account. And finally, take a deep breath, and let's get started.

Setting up iSCSI Targets and LUNs on Your Synology NAS

Now for the fun part: creating your iSCSI targets and LUNs. First, you need to log in to your Synology NAS's DSM using a web browser. Once you're logged in, open the Storage Manager application. If you haven't already, you might be prompted to create a storage pool. A storage pool is like a container for your storage. Then, create an iSCSI target. Go to iSCSI Manager and click on the 'Create' button. You'll be asked to provide a name for your iSCSI target. The target name is just a unique identifier for your target, and it is what your computer will use to find the iSCSI target. You'll also need to set an iSCSI target name. Choose a name that makes sense to you, like