topic Choice of Storage in Disk Enclosures

Choice of Storage

Deepak Seth_1 — Tue, 03 Jun 2003 20:10:10 GMT

We are cuurently using EMC disks for all our HPUX systems.As a part of cost saving we are planning to use some cheaper disk storage solution . We presently have 5 development systems with all of them have 1 FC and couple of FWD cards . What would be good efficient and really cost effective solution keeping in mind following things :

- Servers can share the disks from same disk array - no need to buy a individual unit for each dev system.

- Achive a good throughput.

- ready to spend few bucks on adding another FC,if needed.

- add more disk space to new systems

Re: Choice of Storage

Peter Mattei — Wed, 04 Jun 2003 04:40:26 GMT

Hi
Are you using EMC PowerPath or just HP-UX Pvlink?
In case of Pvlink you can easily attach VA7410 which are ideal under HP-UX. It scales up to 105 FC disks. See http://www.hp.com/products1/storage/products/disk_arrays/midrange/va7410/index.html
You can also consider the EVA3000 or EVA5000.
The EVA3000 scales up to 56 FC disks and has a very attractive price tag.
The EVA5000 scales up to 240 FC disks and offers features like Continuous Access EVA (remote replication) See http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/eva3000/index.html and http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/enterprise/index.html

In any case you need dedicated FC HBAs for the individual arrays! In the case of the EVA you also need SecurePath SW to handle the IO pathing and transparent failover.
!!! PowerPath cannot coexist on the same server with any other IO path failover SW like SecurePath or AutoPath !!!

Cheers
Peter

Re: Choice of Storage

Ray Ball — Wed, 04 Jun 2003 11:37:04 GMT

What is your SAN infrastructure, i.e., what kind of switch/director and HBA models are you currently using?

Re: Choice of Storage

Oleg Khoroshylov — Wed, 04 Jun 2003 12:48:06 GMT

I would consider proven HP line of VA7110 and VA7410 storages or new EVA line which as I know is seen as coming to replace VA in future.

BR,
OK

Re: Choice of Storage

Deepak Seth_1 — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 14:56:22 GMT

Actually iam looking for something like HVD10 (something like old jamica box) . No SAN,No PROTECTION. May be a direct connect of FC to array.

Re: Choice of Storage

Oleg Khoroshylov — Fri, 06 Jun 2003 06:47:42 GMT

Try to see DS2405. This is JBOD which holds up to 15 FC disks and uses FC interface for connection to host.

BR,
OK