Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure (AZ-800) Practice

The minimum recommended available bandwidth for a network suitable for iSCSI traffic is 1 Gbps. iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface) is a protocol that encapsulates SCSI commands within TCP/IP networks, allowing for data transfer over existing Ethernet networks.

When considering iSCSI implementations, a bandwidth of 1 Gbps is generally regarded as the baseline necessary to ensure adequate performance for typical workloads. This capacity allows for sufficient throughput and latency characteristics to handle storage traffic effectively without introducing major bottlenecks.

While lower speeds, such as 100 Mbps, may technically work for minimal iSCSI setups, they are not reliable for most production environments due to potential performance degradation, especially under load. Higher bandwidths like 10 Gbps or 40 Gbps might be more suitable for enterprise environments with more intensive storage and data transfer needs, but they exceed the minimum recommendations. Deploying a network with at least 1 Gbps ensures that the iSCSI traffic can be managed efficiently while providing headroom for growth or fluctuations in workload.