Starter san using MSA2xxx gear

[c222]

Hi,

I'm looking at moving my organization into the san world with some starter gear from HP. Our SAN needs are small now, but I need to create a flexible architecture that I can attach more disk/lun/tray capability to it in the future.
My current needs are to attach 4-6 hosts to a san.


I was planning on purchasing a pair of 16 port entry level san switches like the brocade300's (or hp/cisco equivalent) and then purchasing a pair of MSA 2324fc or similar trays with redundant controllers for multipathing. Each connected host would also have dual HBA's for redundant connections to the san switches.

My question really has to do with the capabilities of the MSA2xxx series SAN offering from HP. I have previous experience with the MSA15xx series gear and can say I was VERY unimpressed with its price/performance and flexibility.

I have experience with large EMC and Hitachi disk systems, and while they delivered good performance their prices were not appropriate for a entry level setup.

I've been the victim of overpromises and underdelivering on san gear in the past. I guess what I am looking for is some frank opinions/discussions on the capabilities and (especially) the known limitations of the HP MSA2xxx series gear.

Your opinions are appreciated.