MC/SG: which shared disks are you using?

[Enrico Venturi]

Hello colleagues,
I'm in progress of choosing a new hardware platform for our cluster (we provide a product based on the MC/SG software).
I'd like to know, just for my personal knowledge, what's the most popular disk shared technology used with MC/SG.
Thanks for your replies.
Enrico

[Justo Exposito]

Hi Enrico,

We are using Disk Array FC60 at this moment (without any problem), but we are thinking to change to a EVA or to a Thunder from Hitachi data system in order to implement SAN technology and to improve the throughtput.

Regards,

Justo.

[Eugeny Brychkov · Accepted solution]

The most popular is FC disk connect now. People, who work on fibre channel arbitrated loop using FC hubs are migrating to fabric switched environment using FC switches. This technology is called SAN - storage area networks, and it's separate from LAN (local area networks, in opposite to NAS - network attached storage). Modern arrays/switches are capable of running at 2GB/s speed, and this means that theoretically you can achieve about 200mb/s throughtput. In addition, in switched environment each connection is separated to point-to-pont connection, so there will be no collisions and connection will work with maximal speed.
Current HP products include: EVA, VA71x0 (entry level), VA74x0 (mid-rage level) and XP256/512/1024 (high end). Solution to move to is dependent on your requirements. You can explore HP web-site, reading manuals, and then call HP to check which standard solutions they provide
Eugeny

[harry d brown jr]

Venturi Enrico,

You should take care of this:

This member has assigned points to 91 of 175 responses to his/her questions.

You can find your previous posts in your profile:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/TopSolutions/1,,BR62571!1!questions,00.html

live free or die
harry

[Christopher McCray_1]

Hello,

For me, I absolutey LOVE my XP512, and from what I've read, the XP1024 should be even better.

The only thing maybe discouraging you from buying one of these depends on your budget or the amount of storage you need because there is no sense in buying something with a total capacity of 70+ TB if you don't need that much.

And with all due respect to Justo and his experience, I also have an FC60, but it isn't used for anything in production anymore because we have had nothing but problems with it. Even HP indirectly agreed to our view when they gave us a handful of marketing groups for our XP512 for free and told us to keep the FC60.


Just my $0.02
Chris

[jagdeesh]

Hi Enrico,

I prefer you to go for VA7XX0. I have 2 VA7100 and fabric switches. I implemented SAN Environment using these and Having theree 2 node Clusters. Its been working fine without any problem. If u want to go for a SAN, go with VA(Mid Range). If you can offord you may go for XP Strage(High Range Storage)

...Jags

[John Poff]

Hi,

We've used several EMC arrays in our MC/SG clusters. We're looking at getting a large new disk array, and we're looking at the EMC 8830 and the HP XP1024. We have several remote sites that run small MC/SG clusters and we use some older EMC 3330 arrays in those sites. Our next remote site opens soon and we've decided to use an EMC CX400 array. We've been happy with everything we've had so far.

JP