Is iSCSI across network wise?

Question

I need an opinion in regards to mapping a QNAP iSCSI LUN in Location A to Server in Location B and find out if its wise to execute this plan or will I end up bottle necking my VPN connection between both sites?.

My plan was to create a iSCSI LUN on the NAS located in Location A and initiate the connection on the server in Location B... REAL question for is; When user saves a file (10GB) will that come across the network from A->B then back to A? or is the server smart enough to tell the network packets to store the files in the device located in same A location?

The type of hardware invlolved

• QNAP NAS (TS-EC880U) in Location A
• Server 2012R2 Server in Location B

Answer 1

No, it is not a good idea. iSCSI is mainly intended for fast local networks. If you use a VPN, the delay in the packets will most likely make the access too slow to be useful. If you want to share files, use a file based protocol like NFS or CIFS, not a disk based protocol.

There is no way for the server to know that the packets originated at the same location. Even if it was the same IP address, the packets are already sent, and it is not possible to refer to the content.

Answer 2

When user saves a file (10GB) will that come across the network from A->B then back to A?

With iSCSI, yes. Which makes the answer to:

or is the server smart enough to tell the network packets to store the files in the device located in same A location?

No.