Windows Server 2012 Support

[PeteCrid]

Hi folks,

we're currently looking at repurposing our P4300 cluster (currently unused) in a Windows Server 2012 testbed, with a view to rolling it out  as the storage for a production cluster later in the year. We've bheen tryiong to work around all sorts of issues (kernel panics on the FOM, compatibility issues with the dsm and vss, and various CSV incompatibilities).

I figured the best bet might be to just see if anyone knows if/when Windows Srever 2012 will be an officially supported OS for P4000 clusters, and whether there's updated drivers and storage node patches in the pipeline?

If anyone else has managed to get a testbed 2012 cluster working with P4300 storage, I'd be grateful of any pointers, and whether you too are seeing a bizarre issue where adding volumes to a cluster shared volume results in tehm reporing as Online (No Access). I can't find any otehr reference to this CSV disk state anywhere in teh googleverse!

Thanks in advance fro any input.

P.S. This thread has been moved from HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to HP StoreVirtual Storage / LeftHand. - Hp Forum Moderator

[David_Tocker]

Dude, just run Server 2012 on the node itself - its just a DL180/380/??? in disguise. As far as I know server 2012 in a storage server role will support more features than the P4000 architecture anyway.

If it disappoints, just load the P4000 software back onto the node.

When we were first sold on the P4000 we were told all sorts of (lies) promises about how it would work by the local HP rep. (VMM 2006/2010/2012 integration, dedupe eventually, blah blah blah. all bullsh**t at this point)

Microsoft are promising much of the same of server 2012 - it will be interesting to see if they can fulfill their promises.

Still use the P4000, as a regular old generic san - still wish we had gone netapp - mind you they made a lot of promises too..

After seeing Microsoft's presentation on server 2012, am expecting to see P4000 become completely redundant for Microsoft shops shortly.

**EDIT** *Futures removed*

Personally, I dont believe it - I don't think HP have the ability to produce what we want, when we want it. They are a couple of years behind now, and it will take an absolute miracle for them to catch up.

I would be embarassed to be working on the P4000 team at this point - they seem to have lost all ability to innovate and achieve (their last great output is a P4000 with SSD's, whoopdy doo.)

Regards.

David Tocker

[David_Tocker]

Just to make it clear for those out there that may read too deeply into my comment - The P4000 is great hardware, and performs great.  Just dont expect any form of integration with System Centre VMM, SCOM, CM or any other 'management tools' aside from the CMC, as HP have not seen fit to release any form of API/Provider that allows you to automate even some of the steps of provisioning etc.

So, in a nut shell - the gear works well, performs well, but is going to be a maintenance hog if you are building and collapsing virtual machines - and dont get me started on unique diskid's with clustering and the P4000's thin provisioning - If you are even considering building a VDI enviroment on P4000 using Microsoft servers etc, then don't - you have been officially left out in the cold. (If you purchased P10000 however, you are looked after)

SCVMM 2012 was in alpha/beta/rc for a -long- time, The P4000 team had a fair 'heads-up' really, so no apologies for my lack of confidence in the future of the product at this point.

[Emilo]

Sever 2012 is not yet supported.

checking the software compatibility matrix
 
http://h20272.www2.hp.com/Pages/spock2Html.aspx?htmlFile=hw_iscsi.html&lang=en&cc=US&hpappid=hppcf

[Steve Burkett]

There's mention of SAN/iQ 10.0 being targeted for release at the end of 2012 in this HP Customer Advisory, so hopefully that'll be enough time for them to certify Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 compatibility.

Guess we wait.

[Arndell]

Has anyone been lucky enough to get the FOM working on Server 2012 Hyper-V?

We seem to be getting the "kernel panic" error on boot :(...

Just wondering, anyone know what linux distro and version is being used for the FOM virtual machine?

[David_Tocker]

Im about to try it now, ill let you know how I get on...

[David_Tocker]

Well for a start, the CMC does not appear to work under server 2012. They have only had about a year to get that working so Im guessing that we may be waiting for a while for a working FOM.

[oikjn]

I would imagine this support is comming in 10.0.  Hopefully someone from the product group is watching this forum and this missing support lights a fire under their ass to get 10.0 released ASAP... like october and not december as "late" 2012.

For their sake, I hope they also include the SMI-S standard to integrate with hyper-v or they will lose feature parity between SAN/iq and all the other options out there.

[Northwoods]

To bring some official words from HP.:

"Announcing Microsoft Windows Server 2012 support with HP LeftHand SAN/iQ software version 10.0 releasing in late Fall 2012.  To use your HP P4000/StoreVirtual SAN Solutions on Windows Server 2012, you must upgrade your storage system to 10.0 first and then upgrade to Windows Server 2012. SAN/iQ software version 10.0 is the first version that will support Windows Server 2012 and will include the latest set of SAN/iQ features and performance enhancements. SAN/iQ 9.5 support for Windows Server 2012 will be delivered shortly after the SAN/iQ 10.0 release. Stay tuned for the general availability date for SAN/iQ software version 10.0."

Per: https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=P4000SW

So support will come with SAN/iQ 10 for Server 2012. Just wish they would offer up dedup, compression, and dead space reclamation. I guess that's still a pipe dream or a *fill in the blank competitor* away.