MSA 1040 SAS on an ethernet network

[CampusAvicenne]

Greetings,

Our provider made a mistake purchasing MSA 1040 DC SAS  STRG that doesn’t work on our actual network because it uses SAS when all our network uses ethernet.  We are really new in this domain and we have no experience in SAN technologies. 

We are facing two choices :

I) Returning back the SAS server  to our provider and purchase a new storage server:

1- Is there a simple  HP solution to store and manage our files (a server containing a software solution and a storage space). Our needs are very simple, we just need to share the storage space on our server so that our employees  can store / retrieve  the videos on/from the server.

2- Is there a storage server that can be directly managed from a windows 7 station with an FTP Client? Or, is it possible to manage an HP storage server (using ISCSI 1GB port) from an HP Compaq Elite on which we installed a Windows server 2008 R2 ?  I need to mention that we have a Catalyst 2960 switch having 1Gb ports.

II) Keeping the MSA 1040 DC SAS LFF strg :

In this case, how can we connect to SAS server (switch, cables, server and software solution).

Please, help!

Thank you.

[Torsten.]

Other than the MSA 204x the connection method of the MSA 1040 is fixed and cannot be changed.

You have the choice:

FC / SAS / 1G iSCSI / 10G iSCSI

HP MSA 1040 2-port Fibre Channel Dual Controller LFF Storage1 E7V99A

HP MSA 1040 2-port Fibre Channel Dual Controller SFF Storage2 E7W00A

HP MSA 1040 2-port SAS Dual Controller LFF Storage3 K2Q90A

HP MSA 1040 2-port SAS Dual Controller SFF Storage4 K2Q89A

HP MSA 1040 2-port 1G iSCSI Dual Controller LFF Storage5 E7W01A

HP MSA 1040 2-port 1G iSCSI Dual Controller SFF Storage6 E7W02A

HP MSA 1040 2-port 10G iSCSI Dual Controller LFF Storage7 E7W03A

HP MSA 1040 2-port 10G iSCSI Dual Controller SFF Storage8 E7W04A

You need to order the model you need, probably the 10G iSCSI (for future faster use) ?

[CampusAvicenne]

Hi Torsten,

I had a talk with one of HPE consultant but he said that we need  HP Proliant DL180 G9 but to this is point I am not able to find a documentation to show me how to connect this proliant with our MSA 1040 SAS. Can you help me ? 

Thanks

[CalvinZito]

I'm confused about what you want and what you're being told.  An MSA 1040 with SAS connection to your host doesn't need switches - it effectively allows you to direct connect with a SAS cable your MSA to your host.  How many servers are you trying to use with your MSA 1040?  What specifically are your hosts? If they are ProLiants, all you need is SAS cables to connect to the MSA. 

And I have no idea why you're being told you need an ProLiant DL180.  

Here is a link to the MSA 1040 User Guide. A few things to look at:

• Figure 6 on page 14 shows the back of the MSA 1040 with the SAS host ports. 
• Page 28 starts a section on how to connect MSA 1040 with SAS to hosts.  It has lots of instructions as well as diagrams that show different number of hosts.  
• One additional thing to mention is something called a SAS "fan-out-cable" that we only support with the MSA 1040 that allows you to double the number of hosts.  Fan-out cables are discussed in multiple places in the User Guide if that's something you need. 

If you didn't get the cables you need, be sure to use the supported SAS cables that are in the MSA 1040 QuickSpec. Not sure why but the in the User Guide it uses "fan-out" cable and in the QuickSpec there's no dash (fanout) - so if you are searching the PDFs to find those terms. 

Connecting your MSAs via SAS is the easiest way - really, you'd use iSCSI only if there are more servers to connect than what is supported with SAS or the servers your connecting don't support SAS. 

Hope that helps!

[CampusAvicenne]

Hi HPEStorageGuy, 

- How many servers are you trying to use with your MSA 1040? 

Well, 0 server.  We wanted a storage server that can work with our computers (HP compaq Elit) directly to store and retreive videos.

 But, by mistake,  we got MSA 1040 SAS  and we are currently searching a solution to make it work. 

We have only one server proliant but we are using it for http requests (in the DMZ) and it is not possible to connect the MSA with it (for security reasons). 

- And I have no idea why you're being told you need an ProLiant DL180.

The consultant said it is compatible with MSA 1040 SAS  and I can connect them using HP H241 12Gb 2-ports Ext Smart Host Bus Adapter 726911-B21. 

We don't have HP storage experts in our country and we keep looking for a solution.  

[CalvinZito]

So if I understand you, you have PCs that you want to have shared access to files, like video files, right?  MSA isn't an option for that.  It is a block-based storage array that connects to a SAN (or directly to servers via SAS).  You need a file sharing or NAS solution. Unless you have a server application (like Windows Storage Server) that provides file services using the MSA as the storage connected to the server, it isn't an option for what you're trying to do. 

So if what I said is correct, you need a NAS solution.  In the HPE Storage portfolio, the HPE StoreEasy could address what you want.  Here are a few links to help you learn more:

• Here's a link to a blog post I have with lots of information about StoreEasy including demo videos
• HPE StoreEasy Storage QuickSpec

The other option is to use an inexpensive 3rd party NAS solution - one that I hear a lot of small companies use is Synology.  

But based on what you've said, MSA, even with iSCSI, is not going to address what you want without more work of connecting it to a server that has file serving capabilites.  

[CampusAvicenne]

We decided to keep the MSA 1040 SAS and as we have only a budget of 6000 Dollars to fix this issue, we found that the best solution is to buy a new HP proliant server with an  HP H241 12Gb 2-ports Ext Smart Host Bus Adapter 726911-B21  integrated.

To avoid waiting 3 months to import the proliant, we searched on proliant servers available in my country. There is proliant DL 380 that I could verify its compatibilty with Ext Smart Host Bus Adapter 726911-B21  in  Page 3 :  Quickspec 

We received an expert today and he said we have HD SAS ports on or MSA (product no: K2Q90A),  and we need 2 cables like this one :  External HD Mini SAS to SFF-8644 cable on amazon . I couldn't find its equivalent on HP site.  He said Mini-SAS HD to Mini-SAS Cables listed in page 27 of Quickspecs are not going to work. 

I would like to confirme the correctness of this solution with you. I still need the reference of the cable if the solution is correct. 

On the proliant, we will use a Windows server 2008 R2. Is there a driver that we need to puchase so that windows server 2008 reconize the bus adapter ? 

Thank you very much for your help

[CampusAvicenne]

I think I found the cable : is it this one :  http://www.technopolis.com.au/products/23321-20m-external-mini-sas-high-density-to-mini-sas-cable.aspx