Choice fault-tolerant SAN

[pdv_1]

Hello!
There are 4 servers HP DL380G5, OS - vmWare vSphere 4. For optimal usage of resources and possibilities of a hypervisor it is necessary to select the common storage. The main condition - maximum fault tolerance.

Question.
Has selected HP StorageWorks 2000fc G2 as the array of disks. Estimate my choice.
What it is in addition necessary to buy for the organisation fault-tolerant SAN?

[Eemans Dany]

Hi,

Perhaps the first question must be, what must be fault tolerant

To have a fully redundant storage you must have :
Storage device with redundand disks, redundand controllers, redundand powersupply, redundand disk cabinets, redundant FC cards, redundant FC switches, redundant...

In short, for each component you need, you must have 2 for redundancy.

An MSA 2000FC is only a part of a redundant san storage.
Perhaps a vendor can assist you in your search.

Dany

[Jan Soska]

Hello,
MS2000 is not internally absolutelly fault tolerant - backplane is shared. Try midrange arrays as HP EVA. They are without SPOF.

Jan

[Steven Clementi]

You need to define your level of desired Fault Tolerance.

Do you need Disk Shelf Fault Tolerance? If so, you don't want an MSA.

Are you ok with Disk Fault Tolerance? If so, the MSA might work out well for you.

Most of the components in the MSA are fault tolerant. Dual Controllers, dual power supplies, etc.

Disk Arrays in general are disk fault tolerant. The MSA provides for RAID 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 (and maybe some others).



Steven

[pdv_1]

I cannot precisely tell, what level of fault tolerance is necessary for me. I have no operational experience with SAN. For 4 ESX servers the common storage providing functionality vSphere Advanced or Enterprise (vMotion, DRS, DPM) is necessary. Much to our regret experts which are not accessible to me can to advise components for such SAN.
I to assume that can is necessary:
1. MSA2324fc G2 with two controllers, two power supply units and two FC adapters
2. Two commutators FC
3. For 4 servers on 2 FC adapters = 8
4. Commutative cords

It is enough of it for creation of the fault-tolerant common disk array?