wanted: general info about upgrading an MSA SAN...

[Tom Lyczko]

We have an MSA 2012i G1 SAN for which we're planning to obtain and install P2000 G3 controllers...

1) Does anyone know how long HP will support the MSA P2000 G3 controllers?? We're upgrading to get the vSphere VAAI etc. features and whatever other advantages are in the G3 controllers...also cheaper than buying a new SAN...

2) Can anyone describe what hardware must be purchased to add / daisy-chain an MSA 70 to an MSA P2000 G3 SAN -- besides the MSA 70 enclosure and disk drives per se??

Thank you, Tom

[Johan Guldmyr]

Hi,

1) I suppose you could check how long HP supported the MSA2000 G1 controllers and make some kind of assumption from that. AFAIK there hasn't been any announcements of a G4. But, these MSA2000/P2000 are made by a company called dothill. If they have newer products on the way maybe that's an indication.

2) http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12652_div/12652_div.html is the quickspecs for the MSA70.

A cable. And from the quickspecs:

"Supports attachment of up to five (5) dual I/O MSA70 behind a Small Form Factor P2000 G3 (149 SFF drives for a total of 89.4TB SAS or 74.5TB SAS MDL or SATA ) (NOTE: MSA70 is NOT supported behind a P2000 G3 (LFF))"

So you'll need the dual I/O modules and, is the MSA2012i G1 a LFF enclosure? If so, you cannot use the MSA70 with that. Maybe a D2000 enclosure instead?