> # Transparent Initiator Mode

> Each iSCSI host is presented as one virtual Fibre Channel host (that is, one Fibre Channel N port). The benefit of transparent mode is it allows a finer-level of Fibre Channel access control configuration. Because of the one-to-one mapping from iSCSI to Fibre Channel, each host can have different zoning or LUN access control on the Fibre Channel storage device.

> When an iSCSI host connects to the IPS module or MPS-14/2 module, a virtual host N port (HBA port) is created for the host . Every Fibre Channel N port requires a unique Node WWN and Port WWN.

> After the virtual N port is created with the WWNs, a fabric login (FLOGI) is done through the virtual iSCSI interface of the IPS port. After the FLOGI is completed, the virtual N port is online in the Fibre Channel SAN and virtual N port is registered in the Fibre Channel name server. The IPS module or MPS-14/2 module registers the following entries in the Fibre Channel name server:

> - IP address of the iSCSI host in the IP-address field on the name server
> - IQN of the iSCSI host in the symbolic-node-name field of the name server
> - SCSI_FCP in the FC-4 type field of the name server
> - Initiator flag in the FC-4 feature of the name server
> - Vendor-specific iSCSI GW flag in the FC-4 type field to identify the N-port device as an iSCSI gateway device in the name server.

> When all the iSCSI sessions from the iSCSI host are terminated, the IPS modules or MPS-14/2 modules perform an explicit Fabric logout (FLOGO) to remove the virtual N-port device from the Fibre Channel SAN (this indirectly de-registers the device from the Fibre Channel name server).

> For every iSCSI session from the host to the iSCSI virtual target there is a corresponding Fibre Channel session to the real Fibre Channel target. There are three iSCSI hosts, and all three of them connect to the same Fibre Channel target. There is one Fibre Channel session from each of the three virtual Fibre Channel hosts to the target.

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