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One option for a home lab/server/NAS is to use a Mac Mini oder Studio with external Thunderbolt gear like the OWC Thunderbay Flex 8 and a Thunderbolt 10GbE SFP+ adapter. Every solution has advantages and disadvantages, of course, and with a Mac, especially a Mac Mini, there are obviously advantages in terms of ecosystem, computing power & power consumption, but you often read that macOS is simply not meant for server operation.

One of the relevant issues is the creation of LUNs as iSCSI targets. I would need this, because I'd also want to use my server for production work, not just for file storage, media-related things (like Plex) and other services (e.g. Vaultwarden). For the latter three, macOS plus Docker or native installations is probably a fine solution, provided you're using proper Thunderbolt devices.

For high-bandwidth fast-access production work, however, my client Mac would need to connect via iSCSI for local mounting, and you can do that with third-party initiators on macOS, even if the best/fastest option will cost you a decent amount of money.

But can you create a LUN on macOS? On turnkey solutions like a Synology NAS it's a simple process via DSM's SAN Manager. On Linux you have tgt or scsi-target-utils to create targets, but those are not available via macOS package managers, so I assume that either they haven't been ported, or macOS is simply not suited.

Is there any solution for macOS, a solution that is stable, e.g. after reboots?

JayB
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  • If you need iSCSI support, you unfortunately have to look elsewhere. Direct Attached Storage support is limited. It works great for workstations or legacy servers, but block level storage protocols like iSCSI is just lacking. – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 14:39
  • Please reopen the topic: it is not a duplicate. The topic "iSCSI mounts on macOS" is about mounting existing iSCSI targets on macOS, this (my) topic is about using macOS to create those iSCSI targets in the first place, and my OP makes that perfectly clear, including the topic title ("create" vs. "mount"). Thank you. – JayB Jun 11 '23 at 17:07
  • It’s the same - iSCSI is simply not supported. This means creating a LUN or initiating a target. You need a 3rd party ( and very costly) solution. – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 17:44
  • Ah, it seems we're getting somewhere. What is that 3rd party solution for creating a LUN on macOS? (That's why I opened this topic after all.) I know that Atto's software is an initiator. So that's one part of the equation already covered in the other topic. The second part of the equation is: what is the app or program to use to create the LUN, if you're on macOS? – JayB Jun 11 '23 at 18:35
  • The first one is in my comments on the question: GlobalSAN. The others are listed in the answers. – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 18:37
  • Those are all initiators for client-side access. (Unless they have dual functionality, which I didn't see.) I'm looking for a way/app/program/CLI to create a logical disk (LUN) on macOS (iSCSI target on a Mac Mini server), which can then be initiated/mounted on other computers (clients). – JayB Jun 11 '23 at 18:58
  • They seemed to have updated their site as they offered something to create targets as well. It appears the situation is worse as they have EOL’d their initiator because there simply isn’t support for iSCSI targets or LUNs in macOS – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 19:03
  • I reopened and answered the question for you. – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 19:11

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There is no iSCSI support in macOS.

This includes both creating an iSCSI LUN (server) or an iSCSI initiator (client). This has been the case since OS X 10.4 back in 2007/08.

Speaking from personal experince, to create iSCSI LUNs on an Apple FC Array, I needed to repurpose an XServe with FreeBSD to make this happen. The solution offered by GlobalSAN was cost prohibitive.

Why Apple decided to not make iSCSi available in macOS is ultimatly something only they can answer. However, my theory is that macOS is a desktop OS and not something that resides in a datacenter where iSCSI is most prevalent. Block level storage access is critical for some apps, and while fast, it’s not as fast as directly connected technologies like USB and Thunderbolt.

Allan
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    I'm putting this here: https://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/iscsi-target … it's not the normal Daemon Tools, but a separate app (iSCSI Target)… and it says there: "Install up to 3 servers on Windows, Mac and Linux" and "Deploy up to 3 iSCSI Servers". (Can't say if this works; maybe they have trial version.) PS: it's Intel only, and code-signed in 2014. PPS: installed their trial, and it's just an initiator… the 3 iSCSI Servers seems to be referring to sharing the iSCSI target via a web server. – JayB Jun 11 '23 at 19:19
  • Thanks, @JayB. That’s one I haven’t heard of and I’ll definitely keep in my notes for my retro builds. But, if you scroll down the page, it references Snow Leopard (10.6) and their splash screens reference 2014. – Allan Jun 11 '23 at 19:25