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About LUNs

Leventh
Apprentice

About LUNs

Hello,

I am investigating about gain performance on my RN214, I was reading LUNs on Readsy OS user manual,

Actually I do not have enough information about what is LUN and what for... is it using for increasing performance of NAS device?

 

Could anyone can give info. about detailed LUN specs and if I create LUNs instead of SMB share can I get performance gain,

especially on public access. My aim is increase the performance of my NAS to cloud access.

 

Thanks in advance

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4- Bay (Diskless)
Message 1 of 6

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schumaku
Guru

Re: About LUNs


@Leventh wrote:

Thank you for your reply, to simplify it, can we say that iSCSI initiator LUNs are belong to server systems to use of storage on locally? 


The LUN makes the virtual disk residing on a storage system, the network protocol to make the disk available to one (or multiple system with cluster capabilities on capable NAS system) is iSCSI. So the storage is remote (on a NAS) while the server or any other computer does handle the file system on this LUN locally. The system does not have to be server (the primary usage is in the server business no doubts), it can be any kind of a workstation, a RasPi, ...

 


@Leventh wrote:

I was also thinking that with LUN, i can split raid volume as seperate partitions storage for sharing like on windows os but i think i was wrong. 


Depending on the LUN host/iSCSI server (NAS) technology used, a LUN is hosted on a kind of a partition. Technically this can be file-based LUNs implemented simply a huge file or more flexible as a sparse bundle (not the allocating the full space), block-based LUNs which can reside on a Storage Pool which is again composed of one or multiple RAIDs, even backed by multi-level tiering. Some hard core OS file systems combine and use different technology layers, like simple JBOD, building redundancy, and the like. 


Regardless, one LUN can be accessed by one host, or for the sake by one cluster file system capable systems. the file system level is done on the system(s), not on the NAS. As most usual client or computer OS variants are not cluster capable, this does limit the access to the LUN to one single system. of course, you could re-share the new iSCSI based volume and file system. but for this one does commonly operate dedicated networks with dedicated interface(s) - one for storage, one for the service protocol like SMB again. 

A small ReadyNAS and e.g. a Windows system (Pro, Enterprise probably) allow some experimenting if you desire. Under the line, I'm afraid it won't do what you expect from it.

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Message 6 of 6

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schumaku
Guru

Re: About LUNs

A LUN does provide the block based storage you can access by a single iSCSI initiator- typically by a single unit only (as most OS don't have cluster capability). For the host where the iSCSI initiator is running, the LUN is again block based storage which the host can format to one of it's native file system. 

 

It's not for file an folder sharing, neither on the LAN, nor on the WAN, nor on the cloud. 

Message 2 of 6
Leventh
Apprentice

Re: About LUNs

Dear schumaku,

Thank you for your reply, to simplify it, can we say that iSCSI initiator LUNs are belong to server systems to use of storage on locally?

As i understand it's not suitable for my purpose what i want to use of it.

I was also thinking that with LUN, i can split raid volume as seperate partitions storage for sharing like on windows os but i think i was wrong. 

Message 3 of 6
StephenB
Guru

Re: About LUNs


@Leventh wrote:

 

Thank you for your reply, to simplify it, can we say that iSCSI initiator LUNs are belong to server systems to use of storage on locally?


Not completely sure of your meaning.  But a LUN amounts to a dedicated virtual disk, that can only be used by one device at a time - generally a server (or a VM running on a server).

 

As far as the NAS storage is concerned, the LUN is just a big file.  The iSCSI software on the NAS makes it available to the iSCSI initiator on the server.  The LUN has to fit on one NAS volume, it is not spread across multiple RAID groups.

 


@Leventh wrote:

i can split raid volume as seperate partitions storage for sharing like on windows os but i think i was wrong. 


Windows lets you export network shares (not partitions).  The NAS also similarly lets you set up Network shares.  Both give you access controls.  So I am confused on what you are actually wanting to do.  Can you clarify with more details?

Message 4 of 6
Leventh
Apprentice

Re: About LUNs

Hi StephenB,

 

To clarify, I was thinking how can i increase the performance of the ReadyNAS using it with public cloud file transfers (readycloud), while i was reading readyOS user manual in some part of it mentions LUN settings, so i wanted to ask;

What is the purpose of using LUN on ReadyNAS devices?

Thx.

Message 5 of 6
schumaku
Guru

Re: About LUNs


@Leventh wrote:

Thank you for your reply, to simplify it, can we say that iSCSI initiator LUNs are belong to server systems to use of storage on locally? 


The LUN makes the virtual disk residing on a storage system, the network protocol to make the disk available to one (or multiple system with cluster capabilities on capable NAS system) is iSCSI. So the storage is remote (on a NAS) while the server or any other computer does handle the file system on this LUN locally. The system does not have to be server (the primary usage is in the server business no doubts), it can be any kind of a workstation, a RasPi, ...

 


@Leventh wrote:

I was also thinking that with LUN, i can split raid volume as seperate partitions storage for sharing like on windows os but i think i was wrong. 


Depending on the LUN host/iSCSI server (NAS) technology used, a LUN is hosted on a kind of a partition. Technically this can be file-based LUNs implemented simply a huge file or more flexible as a sparse bundle (not the allocating the full space), block-based LUNs which can reside on a Storage Pool which is again composed of one or multiple RAIDs, even backed by multi-level tiering. Some hard core OS file systems combine and use different technology layers, like simple JBOD, building redundancy, and the like. 


Regardless, one LUN can be accessed by one host, or for the sake by one cluster file system capable systems. the file system level is done on the system(s), not on the NAS. As most usual client or computer OS variants are not cluster capable, this does limit the access to the LUN to one single system. of course, you could re-share the new iSCSI based volume and file system. but for this one does commonly operate dedicated networks with dedicated interface(s) - one for storage, one for the service protocol like SMB again. 

A small ReadyNAS and e.g. a Windows system (Pro, Enterprise probably) allow some experimenting if you desire. Under the line, I'm afraid it won't do what you expect from it.

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