MSA1000 with no HBA/fiber to hosts - is this possible?

[Hayden Warnock]

Im setting up an MSA1000 for a client who wants to only use Ultra3SCSI (VHDCI cables) to connect two seperate DL380/DL580s to the drives. Not in a clustered situation, just two seperate hosts accessing mirrored logical drives. I have advised to go down the fiber route, but they would like it ip and running ASAP without any more purcahses.

Reasearching the possibility of using the Ultra3 SCSI interface to connect to two seperte hosts, hasnt answered my questions as I believe this is an unusual and non standard situation, and there isnt anything in the docco that mentions it is possible.

Thanks for any help.

H

[raadek]

Hi,

I am not sure what are you trying to accomplish.

The MSA1000 as such supports only FC connectivity (direct or via SAN switch). I believe you could 'downgrade' it by replacing the controller, effectively changing it into the MSA500 G2 box. Then you would have also clustering capability via SCSI interfaces.

But does it make sense? I believe not. In my opinion it's better to add just an HBA.

If you are after a simple SCSI-attached enclosure then the only option is this:
MSA30 Dual Bus [302970-B21]
Seven bays are connected via Bus 1 & seven others via Bus 2.

Rgds.

[Hayden Warnock]

Yeah, the client knows the MSA1000 is designed to run with HBAs, and in the mediun term, I will be setting this up for them in this way. The result they are after is to have the storage up (even as JBOD) ASAP, ie now, without the HBAs, (as the MSA1000 was delevered to us with out any) and to just see the disks via the SCSI interfaces on the proliants.

So is it possible for two seperate SCSI controllers on two seperete servers, to see the 14 disks in the storage enclosure, without using the fiber fabric/MSA1000 controller? I believe not, but im putting it out there incase.

Thanks

H

[Hayden Warnock]

Maby a little more detial is needed.

I would like to use the A and B Ultra3 SCSI interfaces on the MSA1000, the ones that I believe are used for adding more storage enclosures ie (MSA30) to the MSA1000 controller.

Thanks again for your responce raadek

H

[raadek]

I've never heard about anyone using expansion ports for host connection - I believe it won't work (basically it connects additional shelves to the controller(s), so it is very likely these ports do not 'see' hard drives in the main enclosure at all)

[John Kufrovich · Accepted solution]

Hayden,
No, you can't attach SCSI cable from Smart Arrays to a MSA1000. If you want to attach via SCSI cables then your options is MSA30 MSA500G2 or MSA20.

jk