Single SAN fabric with two Storages

[chindi]

Hi , We are planning to procure two storages one for performance and other for Data dumping / Archival purpose. Is it a preferred solution to go with ?? We already have chalked out our IOPS requirement , POC done . What initially we were looking at is one single Storage with SSD / SAS both for performance and data Archival . BOM is going on toss , instead can we go for 2 Storages , 1 with SSD and other with SAS disks in one sinlge SAN fabric ? Is it recommended ? What would be the drawbacks of the same ?

[Sheldon Smith · Accepted solution]

Two storage arrays will require more power and more connectivity (fiber channel and/or IP) than a single array. Also require more management overhead. Plus the additional dollars for an additional storage chassis.

The 3PAR StoreServ arrays are designed for a mixed workload environment. With a multi-tier storage environment (SSD, SAS, SATA), the array could provide optimal storage of data, with highly active data on tier-0 (SSD), and lightly-used (unused) data on tier-2. It is likely that even with storage requiring performance, not all of it needs to be on tier-0.

Consider a 4-node (or more) StoreServ array. With only two nodes, performance is degraded while a node needs to reboot, say for a firmware upgrade.
Talk to HP Sales about a multi-tier configuration including the HP 3PAR Adaptive Optimization license for automatic movement of data between storage tiers.

[CalvinZito]

I agree with Sheldon.  A single array that can have multiple storage tiers saves power, cooling, management costs, etc.  That is the best path.   And HP 3PAR StoreServ is the best midrange and high-end array in the industry per DCIG - an independent analyst firm that does a Buyers Guide. Here's a recent blog post from my team talking about the latest mid-range DCIG Buyer's Guide. 

That said, without knowing more about your requirements (e.g. max IOPS requirement, total capacity, capacity that needs high performance, near-line archive capacity, etc), it's tough to make a solid recommendation on what HP Storage product will best address your requirements.  Our entry array family, the MSA, might also be a good fit.  Here's a link to another blog post that can help you understand the MSA at a high-level.  The MSA also can support tiering but the overall performance as an entry array won't match the 4-node (7440c or 7400c) 3PAR products.

If you know your performance requirements, you might look at the MSA2040  QuickSpec as well as the 3PAR StoreServ QuickSpec. There is also an MSA1040 but I'm going to avoid link overload and assume either MSA2040 or 3PAR are what you should be looking at. They will both have some max performance numbers that you can use as a guideline to determine which product is a better fit for you.

And if you aren't already talking to an HP Partner or an HP Sales Rep, feel free to send me an email and I'll get you connected with someone that can help.