This topic provides the supported and tested Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.2 limits. The following tables display the tested limits and the enforced limits where applicable.

In addition, the following limits apply:

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.2 Support Boundaries

Base Configuration

Item Limit Enforced Comment

iSCSI target instances per appliance

64

Not enforced

 

Initiators that can connect to the same iSCSI target instance

16

Enforced

When used with MPIO, you can connect no more than 4 sessions per initiator.

iSCSI initiators per appliance

64

Not enforced

 

Virtual disks per appliance

512

Not enforced

 

Virtual disks per iSCSI target instance

128

Enforced

 

Simultaneous sessions

64

Enforced

 

Snapshots per virtual disk

128

Enforced

There is a limit of 512 snapshots per independent iSCSI application volume and 64 snapshots for file share volumes. If the iSCSI virtual disks and file shares are on a common volume, the iSCSI snapshot limit is 448 (512 – 64).

Locally-mounted virtual disks or snapshots per appliance

32

Enforced

 

Fault Tolerance

Item Limit Enforced Comment

Failover cluster nodes

5

Not enforced

 

Error recovery level (ERL)

0

Enforced

 

Multiple connections per session (MC/S)

Not supported

Enforced

 

Simultaneous connections

64

Not enforced

 

Multipath Input/Output (MPIO)

Supported

 

 

MPIO paths

4

Not enforced

 

Virtual disks over MPIO per initiator on a stand-alone server

60

Not enforced

There is an initial delay after creating the disks before they appear to the Virtual Disk Service and the Disk Management because PnP first detects the devices and then MPIO detects the paths for each disk. This happens only one time per disk per appliance.

Converting stand-alone iSCSI Target to failover cluster or vice versa

Not supported

 

 

Network

Item Limit Enforced Comment

Maximum number of NICs

4

Not enforced

Applies to NICs that are dedicated to iSCSI traffic, rather than total number of NICs in the appliance.

Network port speed

1 Gbps

Not enforced

Tested limits are due to hardware availability.

IPv4

Supported

 

 

IPv6

Supported

 

 

TCP offload

Supported

 

 

iSCSI offload

Not supported

 

 

Jumbo frames

Supported

 

 

IPSec

Supported

 

 

iSCSI Virtual Disks

Item Limit Enforced Comment

Converting iSCSI target virtual disk to dynamic disk from initiator

Not supported

 

 

Fixed VHD format

Supported

 

 

Maximum size for virtual disk

16 TB

Enforced

 

NTFS

Supported

 

 

Windows Operating Systems on which the VDS and VSS Hardware Providers are Supported

Operating system Limit Enforced

Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64

Supported

Enforced

Windows Server 2003 SP2 x86

Supported

Enforced

Windows Server 2008 (RTM+SP1) x64

Supported

Enforced

Windows Server 2008 (RTM+SP1) x86

Supported

Enforced

Windows Server 2008 SP2 x64

Supported

Enforced

Windows Server 2008 SP2 x86

Supported

Enforced

Windows Storage Server 2008 x64

Supported

Enforced

Windows Storage Server 2008 x86

Not supported

Enforced

All client operating systems (Windows XP, Windows Vista)

Not supported

Enforced

Target Provider Interoperability

iSCSI target version iSCSI provider version Supported

3.1

3.1

Supported

3.2

3.1

Not supported

3.2

3.1 (in-place upgrade)

Not supported

3.1

3.2

Supported

3.2

3.2

Supported

Note
In-place upgrades from Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.1 to Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.2 are not supported. To upgrade to 3.2, you must first uninstall 3.1.

iSCSI Target Virtual Disk Compatibility

Created in version Mounted in version Supported

3.0

3.1

Not supported

3.0

3.2

Supported

3.1

3.2

Supported

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target Snap-in Interoperability

Snap-in installed on Managing iSCSI target on Supported

Windows Storage Server 2008

Windows Storage Server 2008

Supported

Windows Storage Server 2008, stand-alone server

Windows Storage Server 2008, failover cluster node

Supported

Windows Storage Server 2008, failover cluster node

Windows Storage Server 2008, stand-alone server

Supported

Miscellaneous

Item Supported

Install 3.2 snap-in on Windows XP or Windows Vista

Not supported

Install 3.2 snap-in on x86 version of Windows Storage Server 2008

Not supported

Use 3.2 snap-in to manage 3.1 target

Not supported

Use 3.1 snap-in to manage 3.2 target

Not supported