Freenas8.0.3, Win 2k3 and XP connected trough iSCSI-Refresh problem

[Rikja]

Dear all,

My current scenario:

- A Freenas 8.0.3 in virtual machine (guest of ESXi4.1): 20 GB of SO - Rest for Storage
- A Virtual machine (guest if ESX as well) Windows 2k3 Server R2 SP2 connecting with iSCSI intitiator to the freenas.
- A Windows XP SP3 (guest of ESX as well) connecting with iSCSI intitiator to the freenas.

Using different targets at the freenas (a target for Win 2k3 Server, the other for the XP computer). Either equipment (PC and Server) connects to the same volume of the FreeNas. So it appears a new Drive in the computer and the server (example E:\) where I can share folders and files.

When I'm writing information through the Computer XP in E:\Folder, I see the changes in the files and folders (date modifications, contents, size, etc) obviously. When I go to the server, I don't see the change in the files (it appears an old version of the files, with old contents, old date of creation of some days ago, and so on...). It seems to be a problem of Refresh of the window or something like that.

As a result of the issue, I have problems on the backups at the server, because I'm saving wrong information.

I will appreciate any help on that.

Thanks in advance.

 

[survive]

Hi Rikja,

If I'm understanding you correctly what you are doing is a virtually guaranteed way to corrupt your (shared) volume.

What you are doing with iSCSI is perfectly fine if the computers connecting to the drive are cluster-aware (e.g. Vmware ESXi) and have a method of working out things like file locks & metadata updates between themselves, but the 2 systems you are doing this with simply are not.

Why aren't you just using a CIFS share for this, that would be the correct way to share some drive space between 2 Windows boxes.

-Will

 

[Rikja]

Many thanks Survive,

So what you mean is that the only way to share a volume freenas is with 2 equipment in Cluster :o. In this case, I can not connect a line of different computers to the same share (freenas volume) with iSCSI. Is that correct? If so, I will test the connection through CIFS and let you know.

Thanks a milion! ;)