How to Delete an iSCSI Target on the Initiator (iSCSI Client)

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: iscsi-initiator-utils 6.2.1 on AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux 9 and 10 and RHEL 9 and 10; open-iscsi on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 and Debian 13

When an iSCSI disk is no longer needed, remove it from the client (the initiator) in the right order: stop using it, log out of the target, and delete the saved target records so the server does not log in again at the next boot. Skipping the first steps can hang the server or damage data.

Steps

1. List the active sessions and note the target name (IQN) and portal address:

   iscsiadm -m session

   Example: tcp: [1] 10.0.0.50:3260,1 iqn.2026-09.com.example:storage.lun1
2. Stop using the disk: unmount its file systems, remove them from /etc/fstab, and if it is part of LVM, move the data off and remove it from the volume group (vgreduce, then pvremove). If multipath is used, flush the device: multipath -f mpatha.
3. Log out of the target:

   iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2026-09.com.example:storage.lun1 -p 10.0.0.50:3260 -u

4. Delete the node record so it is not used at boot:

   iscsiadm -m node -T iqn.2026-09.com.example:storage.lun1 -p 10.0.0.50:3260 -o delete

5. If the storage server is gone completely, delete its discovery record as well:

   iscsiadm -m discoverydb -t sendtargets -p 10.0.0.50:3260 -o delete

6. Check that nothing is left: iscsiadm -m session should report no active sessions, and iscsiadm -m node should no longer list the target.

Common problems

• Logout fails or hangs: something still uses the disk. Check lsblk, findmnt and pvs, and stop it first.
• The target comes back after reboot: the node record still exists (step 4), or a startup setting logs in to every discovered target. Check node.startup with iscsiadm -m node -T IQN -p PORTAL.
• Boot waits for the missing disk: an fstab line still refers to it. Remove it, or add nofail,_netdev to iSCSI entries in future.

Official documentation: Configuring an iSCSI initiator (Red Hat) and open-iscsi.