Xserve RAID
http://www.apple.com/xserve/raid/
Fibre channel switch
http://www.qlogic.com/products/fc_san_switchs.asp
other companies make these - we tested the 5200
Xserve RAID
http://www.apple.com/xserve/raid/
Fibre channel switch
http://www.qlogic.com/products/fc_san_switchs.asp
other companies make these - we tested the 5200
More Xserve RAID info:
http://images.apple.com/xserve/raid/...choverview.pdf
http://images.apple.com/xserve/raid/..._datasheet.pdf
more fibre switches:
http://www.sandirect.com/brocadepage.htm
http://www.sandirect.com/emcswitches.htm
fibre channel info
http://www.storagesearch.com/fcswitches.html
I drew a diagram of the proposed network layout.
Each mac should ideally access files only on its own RAID set- to maximise performance, but all volumes will mount on desktops of all macs.
----
We dont have multiple XServe RAIDS to test but we believe that multiple units can also be plugged directly into the fibre channel switch, and shared between computers.
Is the XServe RAID expensive?
If you consider that each single XServe RAID - configured as 6 RAID sets, you get 4 volumes with 800GB and 2 volumes with 1200GB.
You are getting a LOT of storage capacity in one unit.5.6TB
The retail price of the largest XServeRAID is $13000.
Using this to drive 6 Catalysts is then ~$2000/server.
Add 8 port Fibre switch. $2000
Fibre channel cards are about the same cost as scsi cards
A SCSI disc array with 800GB capacity using 140GB drives at $600/drive is 5*600= $3000
The XServe RAID is 50% cheaper per RAID set for the same drive size than using SCSI.
And you can network this between multiple macs, you cannot do this with SCSI.
Hi,
Which Raid Levels did you run the Xserv on?
Regards,
Jan Opseth
RAID 0.Originally Posted by Jan Opseth
No redundancy
Another possible nice thing with this, is that you can rent Xserve RAID systems from a number of vendors....
Originally Posted by samsc
I know you folks have planty to but do you have the time/"wanto" too
test raid 5? to see any performance drops/or rices?
Can u change stripe sizes on an Xserv Raid?
Regards,
Jan O
Last edited by Jan Opseth; 18-03-2005 at 12:20 AM.