Differences between MSA1000 SB SAN & MSA1000 Starter SAN

[Paul_637]

I think it's just dawned on me the difference between the two (other than different HBA models £2k price difference) but am seeking clarification.
Is it because the 2/8q switches can't be connected to other switches to form a fabric?
I'm trying to figure out options to both virtualise storage (so storage can be expanded small bites at a time as required) and replication to another storage device.

We currently already have a two clusters, one with a Cluster Storage Array/Win2k and the other with an MSA500/Win2k3 but it seems almost expensive to convert one of these to a fibre-based SAN as it is to buy a full kit!

I'm not after heaps of storage for massive amounts of servers, just trying to mangage storage better rather than having some servers with storage they'll never need (but you can't get less than 36Gb these days easily) and some that are crying out for capacity.

Replication seems to come in at around £1.5k per server so I wondered if it would be possible to buy two MSA1000 SBS kits, fit two HBAs to each server and connect one HBA to each SBS kit, utilising windows software mirroring to mirror each pair of logical drives (one per MSA).

Is this feasible or am I mad considering it?

Realistically I can't see them wanting to add more than 6 or 7 servers to the SAN for quite some time so I'm not /too/ fussed with the imposed limit of the SBS solution, providing some sort of sensibly-prices replication is in place.

Thoughts appreciated...

Paul

[Steven Clementi]

Paul:

As you noticed, there are no major differences between the 2 "kits".

It seems though that there is a starter kit that has 2/8V switch option which is probbaly more the route I would travel if I ever though I might have more hosts on a fabric in the future.


You should be able to convert the 500 to a 1000 relatively easy. All you would need are the controllers and the SAN Switches. You existing Shelf and drives are all usable (supposedly).


I do not see any reason why you would not be able to mirror to Logical drives from seperate MSA's. I don't thik your mad, but HP also has OV Storage Mirroring which will replicate your data for you without any major interaction after the initial set up. It will also switch over roles from the primary server to the backup server automatically in the event of a failure.


More thoughts to come..

Steven

[Paul_637]

Do you happen to know the difference between the Q200 & FCA 24214 HBAs? Is there a similar restriction in that the Q200 will *only* connect to the SBS SAN solution?

[Steven Clementi]

Paul:


It seems that the Q200 can ONLY be used to connect to the MSA1000 Storage Array, no other HP Storage products (EVA, XP, etc.).

The 2214 has full compatibility with most Storageworks producks, if not all.

They (the Q200) can only be used on 32bit Intel-based servers, with only Windows and Linux support.

The 2214 works with Netware as well.


Steven

[Steven Clementi]

Additionally, it looks like the 2/8q SAN Switch is not brocade based, but can't seem to find anything more on it.

Probably similar to the MSA 6port SAN Switch originally released with the MSA. It to was not B-based.

Highly doubt there's any compatibility between them. (2.8q vs 2/8V or similar)


Steven

[Paul_637]

Thanks for the clarification - this has endes weeks (if not months!) of head-scratching trying to figure out why they cost so differently!

Oh well, the only way I can see OV miroring being cost-effective is to replicate the server function as well as the data, but then you need another server to carry out that function whilst the original is down.

In our case I think data integrity is the more important factor (for now) which means that it looks like 2 x SBS kits @ around £4.2k each or so give us the flexibility (using my initial idea of mirroring in software / OS) of replicating across two locations for a per-server cost of around £600 or so, whereas to achive the same with "full" MSA SANs would be 2 x £6k for the SAN Starters, plus £1500 or so per server for the replication software, plus a server to replicate to.

Costs seem to mount up quickly...

Paul

[Craig Howe_1]

Hi Guys

We are also looking at the MSA 1000 SB kit for a test enviroment for Polyserve. Is the 8q switch that comes with the kit not a brocade? If it isn't what is it exactly? I can't seem to find any info on it.

Polyserve have a specific hardware compatibility list.(eg They don't support the older Fabric 6 - Gazooks switch that came with the MSA 1000 previously)

thanks

[Steven Clementi]

Craig:

Not sure what the switch is yet. I haven't been able to find much on it either. It doesn't look like brocade basedo n some screen shots I seen in the Management guide.


I would look to get a kit with the 2/8V or the MSA 2/8. Has polyserve tested and approved Secure Path yet? or MPIO?


Steven

[Basil Vizgin]

2/8q SAN Switch -- is QLogic switch, wich cannot be cascaded.