Overview
ISO/IEC 11989:2010 - Information technology - iSCSI Management API specifies a vendor-neutral Application Programming Interface (API) for discovering and managing iSCSI resources on a system. The standard defines an object-oriented management model and data types to expose iSCSI initiators, targets, logical units, HBAs and discovery/configuration parameters. It is intended for vendors who deliver drivers or plugins that provide iSCSI resources to an operating system.
Key Topics
- Object model and identifiers: standardized Object IDs (IMA_OID) and Object ID lists for enumerating managed resources.
- Library and plugin architecture: interfaces for management libraries and plugin components that expose iSCSI functionality.
- Node and HBA concepts: distinctions between shared vs non-shared nodes, logical HBA (LHBA) and physical HBA (PHBA) properties.
- Initiators, targets and LUNs: representations for target OIDs, logical unit OIDs, and handling software vs hardware initiators.
- Discovery and addressing: formats for IP properties, target address, static discovery targets, ISNS discovery support and discovery address properties.
- Session and connection parameters: structures for iSCSI session/connection configuration and management.
- Types, constants and statuses: standardized data types (e.g., IMA_UINT, IMA_WCHAR, IMA_DATETIME) and status codes for API calls.
- Security and download properties: definitions covering IPsec properties, PHBA download images and related configuration fields.
- Property and visibility functions: APIs for querying object properties and visibility control for management tools.
Applications
ISO/IEC 11989:2010 is practical for:
- Storage driver and OS vendors implementing iSCSI stacks or exposing iSCSI resources through a standardized management API.
- SAN management tools and orchestration platforms that need a consistent way to discover/configure iSCSI initiators, targets and LUNs across vendors.
- Enterprise storage integrators and system administrators who require vendor-neutral APIs for automating iSCSI configuration, HBA firmware management and discovery methods.
- Developers of plugins that integrate hardware HBAs, software initiators or discovery mechanisms into the host management layer.
Benefits include improved interoperability, consistent resource discovery, and easier automation of iSCSI configuration and monitoring across diverse vendor implementations.
Related Standards (if applicable)
- Other iSCSI and SCSI ecosystem specifications and networking/security standards used in storage area networks and host-side management. These complement the ISO/IEC 11989 API for end-to-end iSCSI deployment and management.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 11989, iSCSI Management API, iSCSI API, storage management, SAN, HBA, initiator, target discovery, storage drivers, vendor-neutral.