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I have a pair of Server 2016 VMs in a failover cluster running the File Server and iSCSI Target Server roles. Previously each role was separately defined in the Failover Cluster Manager, but due a need for the iSCSI Target Server to be able to store its virtual disks on the same storage as the File Server cluster volume, the iSCSI Target Server Service/Server Name/Storage was transferred to the File Server role.

After the transfer I am no longer able to add new iSCSI disks via the Server Manager application. The New iSCSI Virtual Disk Wizard says there are no eligible servers available. The iSCSI Target Server itself continues to function and allows initiators to connect, and I am able to add iSCSI virtual disks and targets via PowerShell without issue. The new disks and targets created via PowerShell do show up in Server Manager. And if I transfer the iSCSI Target Server Service/Server Name/Storage back to the iSCSI Target Server role, Server Manager does allow me to add new iSCSI disks.

Does anyone know what (if anything) can be done to allow me to manage the iSCSI Target Server via Server Manager? I've tried moving the role to the other node in the cluster, and relaunching the Server Manager just in case there was cached data but it still doesnt allow me to add new iSCSI virtual disks.

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I see similar issue posted on technet. Is there any chance to see what does Event Log show?

For the case, from my experience, Microsoft iSCSI target is too slow. Currently, I use StarWind Virtual SAN Free that delivers really fast iSCSI server with the additional functionality of cache and log-structured file system (snapshots, dedupe, etc.). I suggest you try it since it solves the problem having a single management console: iSCSI server can be installed on whatever host you will to run it and then you can manage the server from any host at all using web GUI. StarWind Virtual SAN allows using PowerShell as well if you want to.

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  • My and Saman111's issues seem to be entirely different. For instance from his screenshots, the server names do show up in the New iSCSI Virtual Disk Wizard. Also he isnt running a failover cluster. And no, there is not anything relevant in the event logs on the computer running Server Manager or on the primary node of the iSCSI Target Server cluster except for security logon audit events when I attempt to add a new disk.
    – Muh Fugen
    Mar 23, 2017 at 0:09
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    I am aware of StarWind (i use it for VTL) however its high availability solution isnt practical as it involves mirroring the data, compared to Microsoft's which can share an already redundant volume between the two nodes. Microsoft also supports deduplication, and file system snapshots are not important to me.
    – Muh Fugen
    Mar 23, 2017 at 0:09
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    OK. In that case, have you tried an implementation of StarWind on hosts and redirect iSCSI storage to your guest VM directly?
    – Mr. Raspberry
    Mar 23, 2017 at 16:31
  • I dont understand, are you suggesting I use StarWind's iSCSI Target Server to basically act as a middle man in between Microsoft's iSCSI Target Server and the initiators?
    – Muh Fugen
    Mar 23, 2017 at 16:37
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    I meant why have you moved iSCSI Target Server to the File Server role when you could just redirect iSCSI target to File Server?
    – Mr. Raspberry
    Mar 24, 2017 at 8:00

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