COMPUTING > Cloud Servers > Unified storage > Selecting the network protocol

13.3 Selecting the network protocol Cloud Server Pro service guide

With the Unified Storage service it is possible to use one of three network protocols:
  • iSCSI
  • CIFS
  • NFS
The network protocol you choose is definitive and cannot be changed after the service is activated. The main difference between the protocols is that while the CIFS (for Windows) and NFS (for Linux) manage the space of the Unified Storage service as if it were a shared folder, the iSCSI protocol manages the service as if the space were a physical disk connected to the Cloud Server. The iSCSI protocol in fact, after the configuration, requires the formatting of the assigned space. We recommend the iSCSI protocol only when you have clustering software suitably installed and configured when more than one single Cloud Server is connected to the Unified Storage service.

iSCSI

The iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) protocol requires the use of a driver, called initiator that is identified through an alphanumeric code called iQN. Before you request the activation of the iSCSI protocol you need to get the iQN (iSCSI Qualified Name) alphanumeric code. The process for getting the iQN code varies depending on what operating system is used by the Cloud Server (see guide).

CIFS

The CIFS (Common Internet File System) protocol is only available on Windows (Windows 2003, Windows 2008 and Windows 2012) operating systems.

NFS

The NFS (Network File System) protocol is often associated to Linux operating systems.