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Is where way to attach network disk as direct without creating VHD etc? I want to connect drive directly from one computer to other by network by like iSCSI but without creating VHD.

Not acceptable:

  1. Drive Bender
  2. iSCSI (it is creating VHD drive)
  3. Mapping as network drive (direct only like iSCSI but without creating VHD)
  4. CLI-only linux
  5. FreeNAS, TrueNAS, XigmaNAS, UNRAID, XPEnologi etc

Highly likely Windows/Windows Server program

Andy
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    Exactly what is the nature of this "network disk"? – Michael Hampton Jun 08 '21 at 10:46
  • Disk of another computer shared to local network – Andy Jun 08 '21 at 10:49
  • And what do you mean by "direct"? Why is a normal file share not sufficient? – Michael Hampton Jun 08 '21 at 10:51
  • I should add this disk to pool program which network disks not allowed (only direct). Direct I mean it present in the system like regular drive. – Andy Jun 08 '21 at 10:58
  • You can use iSCSI, with the required Windows limitation of using a VHD, or you can remove the drive from the other computer and put it in this computer. Or a Linux iSCSI target can use a physical disk. Remember that network block storage such as you are asking for can only be shared to a single computer. The limitation of exclusive use by the initiator is not avoidable. The target cannot use the disk for its own purposes while it is mounted by the initiator. This is probably why Microsoft chose to limit iSCSI targets to VHD virtual disks. – Michael Hampton Jun 08 '21 at 13:29
  • Can you give me a link where I can read about Linux & iSCSI. Free Linux priority – Andy Jun 08 '21 at 22:31
  • There are various options to use as an iSCSI target. You can use LIO target on linux, which is free and easy to deploy. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ISCSI/LIO – Stuka Jun 20 '21 at 13:31

1 Answers1

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iSCSI might still do the job in your case. For Windows, try Starwind VSAN which has a free version and can export your disk over iSCSI to another machine. The only thing, you do not need to create a virtual disk but just export a physical drive. Here's a guide: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/help/PhysicalHardDrives.html

Strepsils
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