iSCSI HD

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iSCSI HD allows owners of high definition capable hardware (e.g., BluRay players) and software to access their media across an IP network.

Watching BluRay Media over iSCSI HD.

Watching HD-DVD Media over iSCSI HD.

Contents 1 Requirements 1.1 Server 1.2 Client 2 Virtual machine environments 3 Networks 4 iSCSI HD prototype 4.1 Target 4.2 Initiators 5 See also 6 External links

Requirements

The requirements for iSCSI HD are:

Server

• A server acting running LinuxIO with iSCSI on Linux v2.6 with an HD optical drive, e.g. BluRay.
• A modern Linux v2.6 kernel, supporting a wide and diverse array of architectures, in order to export storage objects as complete logical block devices across IP storage networks.

Client

• A client that is capable of HD media playback, has a GigE network connection, and can mount storage via an iSCSI Initiator.
• Windows with its built-in Initiator was used for the prototype.
• Linux, is unfortunately still lacking good HD playback software.

Virtual machine environments

In the context of virtual machines running iSCSI HD initiator traffic, the primary requirement is that the underlying video hardware is available to the guest so that HD media can be decoded. Depending on the availabe hardware, this could be done in software initially for the VM, and then accelerated down to the host.

Also note that iSCSI DVD playback is available already today with guest VM environments, as there are no restriction on the video hardware.

Networks

• IPv4/IPv6: iSCSI HD has been tested over IPv4 and IPv6 networks and is stable.
• WiFi: iSCSI HD has been tested over wireless networks. Unfortunately, iSCSI HD slightly exceeds the bandwith requirements of 802.11n wireless hardware, which causes some jitter. With the proper tuning and software player buffering logic, accessing HD media across 802.11n iSCSI wireless networks should soon become a reality.

iSCSI HD prototype

Target

As of September 2007, LIO is running on Linux on a Sony PlayStation 3 (on the Cell processor PPE).

• w2ww.linux-iscsi.org: LIO v2.9.0.57 on Linux/ppc64 2.6.23-rc5 (iscsi-target-module-2.6.25-2.9.0.295-1.powerpc.rpm)
• T10 WWN: iqn.2003-01.org.linux-iscsi.playstation3.cell:sn.73b073c4e157

Status: ACTIVATED  Execute/Left/Max Queue Depth: 0/1/1  SectorSize: 2048  MaxSectors: 32
Parallel SCSI Device Bus Location: Target ID: 0 Channel ID: 0 LUN: 0
Vendor: SONY     Model: PS-SYSTEM   302R Rev: 4084        Type: CD-ROM
ANSI SCSI revision: ffffffff  Unit Serial:   DIRECT  EXPORTED

Status: ACTIVATED  Execute/Left/Max Queue Depth: 0/1/1  SectorSize: 2048  MaxSectors: 240
Parallel SCSI Device Bus Location: Target ID: 0 Channel ID: 0 LUN: 0
Vendor: TOSHIBA  Model: DVD/HD  X807616  Rev: MC08        Type: CD-ROM
ANSI SCSI revision: ffffffff  Unit Serial:   DIRECT  EXPORTED

Initiators

Two Initiator machines were used, both with Windows32, using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator v2.xx. As a soft DVD player, Cyberlink PowerDVD v7.3 was used with SlySoft AnyDVD HD 6.1.x.x to eliminate region codes and copy protection.

Initiator 1

Core 2 Duo v1.8Ghz at 2.16Ghz w/ DDR2 memory (Conroe) with ATI Radeon X1900

Initiator 2

Apple Macbook Pro with Core 2 Duo 2.16Ghz (Merom) with ATI Radeon Mobility X1600

See also

• PlayStation 3 and other Platforms
• LinuxIO and Initiator

External links

• Cyberlink PowerDVD
• SlySoft AnyDVD HD