---
name: "cfiscsi"
section: "4"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cfiscsi"
---

# cfiscsi(4)

CAM Target Layer iSCSI target frontend

## NAME

**cfiscsi** – CAM Target Layer iSCSI target frontend

## SYNOPSIS

To compile this driver into the kernel, place the following lines in your kernel configuration file:

**device cfiscsi** **device ctl** **device iscsi**

Alternatively, to load the driver as a module at boot time, place the following line in [loader.conf(5)](/loader.conf/5.md):

```
cfiscsi_load="YES"
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **cfiscsi** subsystem provides the kernel component of an iSCSI target. The target is the iSCSI server, providing LUNs backed by local files and volumes to remote initiators. The userspace component is provided by [ctld(8)](/ctld/8.md). **cfiscsi** is implemented as a [ctl(4)](/ctl/4.md) frontend and uses infrastructure provided by [iscsi(4)](/iscsi/4.md).

## SYSCTL VARIABLES

The following variables are available as both [sysctl(8)](/sysctl/8.md) variables and [loader(8)](/loader/8.md) tunables:

- *kern.cam.ctl.iscsi.debug*

  Verbosity level for log messages from the kernel part of iSCSI target. Set to 0 to disable logging or 1 to warn about potential problems. Larger values enable debugging output. Defaults to 1.

- *kern.cam.ctl.iscsi.maxtags*

  The number of outstanding commands to advertise to each iSCSI initiator. Current implementation is not very accurate, so do not set this below 2. Defaults to 256.

- *kern.cam.ctl.iscsi.ping\_timeout*

  The number of seconds to wait for the iSCSI initiator to respond to a NOP-In PDU. In the event that there is no response within that time the session gets forcibly terminated. Set to 0 to disable sending NOP-In PDUs. Defaults to 5.

## SEE ALSO

[ctl(4)](/ctl/4.md), [iscsi(4)](/iscsi/4.md), [ctl.conf(5)](/ctl.conf/5.md), [ctld(8)](/ctld/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **cfiscsi** subsystem first appeared in FreeBSD 10.0 as part of the [ctl(4)](/ctl/4.md) driver. It was split off of [ctl(4)](/ctl/4.md) in FreeBSD 12.0.

## AUTHORS

The **cfiscsi** subsystem was developed by Edward Tomasz Napierala ⟨*trasz@FreeBSD.org*⟩ under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation. This manual page was written by Enji Cooper ⟨*ngie@FreeBSD.org*⟩.