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Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

 
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Jibey Jacob
Occasional Advisor

Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

With protocols like iSCSI, iFCP, etc. now available over IP, it should be possible to achieve unparalleled storage redundancy by replicating data over the Internet across all my datacenters. Obviously, this would require high bandwidth and redundant links to the Internet from those datacenters.

Are these some of the things being done with iSCSI, etc. in datacenters these days?

Now I also understand the deeper implications of Net Neutrality. ISPs would want to prioritize this type of SAN traffic and charge their customers a lot of money for doing so.

But here's my question: Does HP have iSCSI or iFCP or iSNS hardware and software that would allow me to geographically distribute my RAIDs?

Thanks.
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Uwe Zessin
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

iSCSI is a client/server protocol and is not/cannot be used by HP products for array-based data replication. iSCSI is used by servers (like Windows, HP-UX, VMware ESX) to access an iSCSI storage array - or access a Fibre Channel storage array via an iSCSI/FC gateway.

iSNS is the iSCSI Name Server and is a way to locate iSCSI targets - not related to replication.

iFCP was McData's way to link SAN islands. Now that it belongs to Brocade, I doubt that it has a great future.

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HP typically uses simple a FCIP gateway from QLogic or the Brocade Multiprotocol Router or some CISCO stuff to link Fibre Channel based SAN islands.

HP's current iSCSI storage arrays do not offer any controller based replication - the competition has their own implementations.
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Jibey Jacob
Occasional Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

Great. Then, I'll use FCIP. I just hope my ISPs will give me the bandwidth I would need. Now, the Internet backbone - that would be a whole different ballgame. Perhaps there should be some kind of prioritizing algorithm running on those routers after all :)

Does QLogic or Brocade or Cisco FCIP products work with IPv6? I intend to use IPv6 within my datacenters and expose them to the Internet using some kind of 6-to-4 technology.

Thanks.
Jibey Jacob
Occasional Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

Holdup, timeout, or whatever.

What was I thinking? Why are these ISPs whining about not being able to legally and openly prioritize IP traffic?

I've been asking for the broad deployment of IPv6 on Internet nodes - which obviously would include all backbone IP routers - since 2000/2001. IPv6 has QoS built in for just this kind of purpose.

And I'm not just talking about SAN traffic. I can see all kinds of IP traffic peacefully transported on a QoS enabled Internet.

With an open, ratified and secure standard like IPv6 available, its just preposterous that these ISPs would just not upgrade their routers so that the whole planet can benefit. What's their whole rationale for wanting to prioritize IP traffic any other way? I just don't get that at all.

What will it take for the whole Internet backbone to be upgraded to IPv6? I've pointed out the advantages in security that IPv6 offers in other forums, but we also need a QoS enabled Internet.

What's holding back the broad deployment of IPv6?

Thanks.
Haggisnneeps2
Frequent Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

Maybe they don't want people using the internet to replicate Terabytes of SAN traffic over the internet as the majority of customers would lose out on bandwidth to a minority of bandwidth hungry companies.
Or maybe upgrading or enabling IPv6 on all their routers would cause too much disruption. Maybe its the reasons you can't think of that are holding it back rather than the reasons you can think of?
Jibey Jacob
Occasional Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

Actually, with IPv6 QoS, there would be no issue of anyone losing out on bandwidth.

And the reason for ISPs not upgrading to IPv6 is this: there are a handful of people that are living honest lives, and the rest are just copycats - they just copy everything these honest people do. This happens with the full knowledge of bank employees, government employees, stock exchanges, etc.

Now, there are also a handful of people that are coming up with truly innovative ideas for the planet to move forward. Again, those people are being impersonated by the majority. If ISPs upgraded their routers to IPv6 with it's built-in support for encryption, better security through the inclusion of the hardware MAC address in the IPv6 address, better mobility support, etc. these copycats would lose their avenue of information to rip off the handful of people that are living responsible lives.

I hope you're not a copycat.
Haggisnneeps2
Frequent Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

I'm not sure i follow what you're saying (although i am all for innovation)

If there was profit in it then i'm sure they would do it - but if i think what youre saying is correct, theres more profit in not doing it because the more lax security allows for easier access to and distribution of what-should-be-protected/private data?

I dont think i'm a copycat but i do on my network what i consider to be best practise and am always looking for new ways to improve all aspects of the network with a minimum of disruption in a critical live environment

I do think, however, that new ITIL and change management processes can be overly restrictvie and have the wrong kindo of people in the chain (ie non technical) but again that is a backstop to stop people just upgrading things willy nilly because its a better technology. thoery and practise are very different beasts.

Consider all the support staff everywhere who have no exposure to IPv6 and will have to be trained. Consider all the things that could go wrong and suddenly IPv6 is to blame (even though it may not be to blame!)

One step at a time as long as its a forward step

I am interested to hear more though about the copycat theory you're talking about. What happens with the full knowledge of bank and governement employees etc?Copy everything - what does that mean?
Jibey Jacob
Occasional Advisor

Re: Linking RAIDs in SANs in geographically dispersed datacenters

The copycat theory goes like this: for example, there are a handful of people out there using the Internet the way it should be used, like online shopping, banking, etc. And then we have these copycats that hack into the PCs of these honest people and steal the cookies, contents of the browser's temp folder, etc. and copy them to their own PCs to make it look like they've not been doing anything illegal, while at the same time they're involved in all kinds of illegal activities, and not only on the Internet.

This happens with the full knowledge and cooperation of banks, insurance companies, the police, stock exchanges, etc. that are filled with this kind of copycats.

IPv6 can put a stop to all this.