---
title: Charmhub | Deploy Ceph Iscsi using Charmhub - The Open Operator Collection
description: Deploy the latest version of Ceph Iscsi on any cloud. Gateway for provisioning
  iscsi devices backed by ceph.
url: https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi
---

# Ceph Iscsi

[OpenStack Charmers](https://charmhub.io/publisher/openstack-charmers "View all packages from OpenStack Charmers")

* [OpenStack Charmers](https://charmhub.io/publisher/openstack-charmers "View all packages from OpenStack Charmers")
* [Cloud](https://charmhub.io/?filter=cloud)
* [Storage](https://charmhub.io/?filter=storage)

Platform:

23.04

22.10

22.04

21.10

21.04

20.10

20.04

quincy/stable 99

```
juju deploy ceph-iscsi --channel quincy/stable
```

[Learn to deploy on juju >](https://juju.is/docs/juju/manage-applications)

---

Share your thoughts on this charm with the community on discourse.

[Join the discussion](https://discourse.charmhub.io/)

# Overview

The ceph-iscsi charm deploys the [Ceph iSCSI gateway service](https://docs.ceph.com/docs/master/rbd/iscsi-overview/). The charm is intended to be used in conjunction with the [ceph-osd](https://jaas.ai/ceph-osd) and [ceph-mon](https://jaas.ai/ceph-mon) charms.

**NOTE**: This charm is deprecated. No new features will be introduced.

**Important:** This documentation supports version `3.x` of the Juju client.
See the [OpenStack Charm
guide](https://docs.openstack.org/charm-guide/latest/project/support-notes.html#breaking-changes-between-juju-2-9-x-and-3-x) if you are using the `2.9.x` client.

# Usage

## [Configuration](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-configuration)

See file `config.yaml` for the full list of options, along with their descriptions and default values.

## [Ceph BlueStore compression](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-ceph-bluestore-compression)

This charm supports [BlueStore inline compression][ceph-bluestore-compression] for its associated Ceph storage pool(s). The feature is enabled by assigning a compression mode via the `bluestore-compression-mode` configuration option. The default behaviour is to disable compression.

The efficiency of compression depends heavily on what type of data is stored in the pool and the charm provides a set of configuration options to fine tune the compression behaviour.

> **Note**: BlueStore compression is supported starting with Ceph Mimic.

## [Deployment](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-deployment)

We are assuming a pre-existing Ceph cluster.

To provide multiple data paths to clients deploy exactly two ceph-iscsi units:

```
juju deploy -n 2 ceph-iscsi
```

Then add a relation to the ceph-mon application:

```
juju integrate ceph-iscsi:ceph-client ceph-mon:client
```

**Notes**:

* Deploying four ceph-iscsi units is theoretically possible but it is not an officially supported configuration.
* The ceph-iscsi application cannot be containerised.
* Co-locating ceph-iscsi with another application is only supported with ceph-osd, although doing so with other applications may still work.

## [Actions](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-actions)

This section covers Juju [actions](https://jaas.ai/docs/actions) supported by the charm. Actions allow specific operations to be performed on a per-unit basis. To display action descriptions run `juju actions ceph-iscsi`. If the charm is not deployed then see file `actions.yaml`.

* `add-trusted-ip`
* `create-target`
* `pause`
* `resume`
* `security-checklist`

To display action descriptions run `juju actions ceph-iscsi`. If the charm is not deployed then see file `actions.yaml`.

## [iSCSI target management](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-iscsi-target-management)

### [Create an iSCSI target](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-create-an-iscsi-target)

An iSCSI target can be created easily with the charm’s `create-target` action:

```
juju run --wait ceph-iscsi/0 create-target \
   client-initiatorname=iqn.1993-08.org.debian:01:aaa2299be916 \
   client-username=myiscsiusername \
   client-password=myiscsipassword \
   image-size=5G \
   image-name=small \
   pool-name=images
```

In the above, all option values are generally user-defined with the exception of the initiator name (`client-initiatorname`). An iSCSI initiator is essentially an iSCSI client and so its name is client-dependent. Some initiators may impose policy on credentials (`client-username` and `client-password`).

> **Important**: The underlying machines for the ceph-iscsi units must have internal name resolution working (i.e. the machines must be able to resolve each other’s hostnames).

### [The `gwcli` utility](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-the-gwcli-utility)

The management of targets, beyond the target-creation action described above, can be accomplished via the `gwcli` utility. This CLI tool has its own shell, and is available from any ceph-iscsi unit:

```
juju ssh ceph-iscsi/1
sudo gwcli
/> help
```

## [VMware integration](https://charmhub.io/ceph-iscsi#p-26695-vmware-integration)

Ceph can be used to back iSCSI targets for VMware initiators. This is documented under [VMware integration](https://ubuntu.com/ceph/docs/vmware) in the [Charmed Ceph documentation](https://ubuntu.com/ceph/docs).

# Bugs

Please report bugs on [Launchpad](https://bugs.launchpad.net/charm-ceph-iscsi/+filebug).

For general charm questions refer to the [OpenStack Charm Guide](https://docs.openstack.org/charm-guide).

---

[Help improve this document in the forum](https://discourse.charmhub.io/t/ceph-iscsi-docs-index/11222) ([guidelines](https://discourse.charmhub.io/t/how-to-write-docs-our-documentation-guidelines-for-contributors/1245)). Last updated 2 years ago.