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List:       gfs-devel
Subject:    [gfs-devel] Re: [gfs-users] Any one with hardware recommendations?
From:       "Michael J. Declerck" <declerck () sistina ! com>
Date:       2001-01-24 6:29:27
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OK, I'll try and make this short and sweet.  If you want to used shared SCSI
you really want an enclosure that supports ACTIVE-ACTIVE versus 
ACTIVE-PASSIVE.  ACTIVE-ACTIVE means that it was designed to handle host 
requests on both host ports simultaneously.  There are some units out there
that support more than 2 host ports.  I have seen units that report to 
support up to 8 ACTIVE host ports.  Beware of units that are ACTIVE-PASSIVE.
They tend to die under multi-initiator loads (2+ hosts accessing the same
unit).

Unfortunately, I only have experience with a single vendor's ACTIVE-ACTIVE
RAID unit and we really are not at liberty to name them.  This is mostly 
because we are actively working with them to improve there product and it is
not ready for primetime yet (IMO).

It actually turns out that ACTIVE-ACTIVE SCSI RAID devices are nearly as 
expensive some of the new smaller FC RAID arrays that are becoming available.
We are currently testing a small FC RAID array (8 x 18 GB drives with 
removable GBICs) that will retail for about $13,000.  The real cost comes in
not so much on the disk end as the HBAs and the switch to interconnect them.

For a simple FC network based upon a hub I have had good experiences with
High Velocity's Bullet 600 hub (www.fasthubs.com) which is a 6 port DB9 copper
hub that retails for just under $600.

On the HBA end the best prices I have seen are in the mid $600 range and 
extending up to $2100 (ouch).

For a low to moderate performance GFS setup I would look at using GNBD and a
dedicated network if possible.

This may not be the answers you are looking for, but they are the best I can
provide at this time.  As Sistina tests and certifies more equipment we will
let the list know.
 
chris.anderson@dotwap.com said:
> I'm looking for a list of hardware that works with GFS, with emphasis
> on shared-SCSI (as and FC setup, while nice, is also quite a bit more
> expensive). I have discovered (the hard way, naturally), that IBM
> EXP300 disk enclosures and ServeRAID-4H controller cards can't be made
> to work with this, barring an act of a particularly benevolent
> $DEITY_OF_CHOICE.

> So, what have people found to work? 



---
Michael Declerck, declerck@sistina.com   +1.510.823.7991


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