David Wysochanski davidwnetapp'com

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iSCSI X-key for enhanced supportability

• David Wysochanskidavidw_at_netapp.com
• March 20, 2006

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Agenda

• What is an X-key?
• What problems are you solving?
• What are the details of the X-key?
• What are the new potential problems?
• What are the next steps?
• Where can I find more info?

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What is an X-key?

• What is an X-key?
• Small protocol extension allowed by iSCSI RFC
• Passed during the iSCSI login sequence
• Two types
• Vendor specific
• Starts with X-
• Anyone can do these easily
• Usually viewed as one-offs
• IETF / IANA blessed
• Starts with X
• Must be described by an Informational RFC
• Will be viewed as more official

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What problems are you solving?

• Enhanced logging
• Easiest to get logs from your own products
• Improve support response
• What version of iSCSI is on the other side?
• Eliminating any back/forth is real savings
• Hours, days, weeks,
• Validate configurations / confirm
  interoperability
• Large deployments (one to many)
• Blade farm of initiators connected to one target
• One initiator connected to many targets

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What are the details of the X-key?

• XNodeArchitecture
• Declarative iSCSI login key
• Analogous to "product tokens in HTTP 1.1
• "User-Agent" / "Server" headers
• Examples
• User-Agent CERN-LineMode/2.15 libwww/2.17b3
• Server Apache/0.8.4
• Possible information
• iSCSI version (driver, firmware)
• OS / kernel version
• Hardware Architecture

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What are the new potential problems?

• iSCSI interoperability
• New key involves login sequence
• RFC compliant vendors should be ok
• Ignore X-keys they dont support
• Security
• Software versions transmitted via plaintext
• Hackers could use info if intercepted
• RFC will address this
• Mandate / recommend a disable mechanism
• Misuse / Abuse of the key
• Historical misuse of User-Agent (browser wars)
• RFC will address this

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What are the next steps?

• Support / confirmation from IPS WG for ID
• Consensus that this is useful / net positive?
• Rather not proceed with independent submission
• Complete Informational RFC
• Interested vendors to implement

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Where can I find more information?

• Current Internet Draft
• http//www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-wysochan
  ski-xkey-iscsi-support-00.txt
• http//tinyurl.com/hgfjl
• Author / Editor
• davidw_at_netapp.com
• IETF IP Storage Working group
• ips_at_ietf.org
• References RFCs
• 3720 iSCSI
• 2616 HTTP 1.1
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useragent