Oops - not sure what I was thinking. I spaced the win2k part - sorry.
What we're doing with gfs is:
linuxBox LinuxBox LinuxBox
\\ || //
\\ || //
\\ || //
\\ || //
\\ || //
\\ || //
\\ || //
FiberChannelArray
where each LinuxBox mounts the same slices out of the array, and a lock
server manages access to the slices for all connected nodes. I'm told
future releases of gfs will incorporate a redundant lock-serving
mechanism into the nodes themselves.
If *only* there were a driver for win2k... Or better, if you could just
figure out how to migrate off of win2k as a server.
-Christopher
On Thu, 2003-03-13 at 19:58, Greg Freemyer wrote:
> Chris,
>
> GFS can do a block level export to Win2K such that Win2K presents the Virtual Disk as a local disk?
>
> i.e.
> create a tiered environment of
> Win2K servers <==> GFS Server <==> FC array.
>
> With the end result that Win2K sees the drives as local, and the only SAN infrastructure is between the GFS server and the array.
>
> I find that hard to believe, but if so, I really would like to know about that.
>
> Like Steve, I have some Win2K apps I have to support that require local drives, and putting every Win2K box on a SAN is very expensive.
>
> And yes that is exactly what HPs VR product does:
>
> Win2K servers <= Ethernet => VR Server <= SAN => FC array
>
> Greg
>
> >> Sistina's GFS will do this as well. We employ it here with good results.
> >> GFS can live happily in LV2.
>
> >> --
> >> Christopher Barry
> >> Manager of Information Systems
> >> InfiniCon Systems
> >> http://www.infiniconsys.com
>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Greg Freemyer [mailto:freemyer@NorcrossGroup.com]
> >> Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 6:56 PM
> >> To: LVM Mailing list
> >> Subject: re[2]: [linux-lvm] Core questions from a LVM neophyte...
>
>
> >> Just to re-iterate, HPs Virtual Replicator does this. (IIRC $10K)
>
> >> They like you to put a MSA-1000 FC Array behind your VR server (IIRC $15K
> >> entry), but it supports/exports any FC array or local disk solution.
>
> >> It does not provide any RAID aspects.
>
> >> If you want to know more, e-mail me off-list.
>
> >> Greg
> >> (HP certified SAN architect)
>
>
> >> >> I'm interested in a block level export. The exported space will be
> >> used
> >> >> as the disk part of an Hierarchical Storage Manager that is backed up
> >> by
> >> >> qualstar tape libraries. We have several such systems and I would
> >> like
> >> >> to try to consolidate the disk portions of each into a "SAN" like
> >> >> environment. At the same time, we are also looking at more customer
> >> >> disk based storage. I have several storage servers (hopefully
> >> running
> >> >> Linux soon but running W2K now) that need access to large areas of
> >> >> storage. I would like to carve and export virtualized chunks for
> >> this
> >> >> as well.
>
> >> >> The main reason for the block level export is that the software we
> >> use
> >> >> does not support "NAS" type network disks. They only support
> >> "locally
> >> >> attached" drives. iSCSI would at least appear as a local SCSI disk.
>
> >> >> For management purposes, I would like to have a single way to export
> >> >> everything. This may or may not be feasible at present.
>
> >> >> - Steve
>
> >> >> > Stephen,
> >> >> > What do you want it for - backups? Why not samba over GigE?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > --
> >> >> > Christopher Barry
> >> >> > Manager of Information Systems
> >> >> > InfiniCon Systems
> >> >> > http://www.infiniconsys.com
> >> >> >
> >> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> >> > From: Stephen Perkins [mailto:perkins@netmass.com]
> >> >> > Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 4:14 PM
> >> >> > To: linux-lvm@sistina.com
> >> >> > Subject: RE: [linux-lvm] Core questions from a LVM neophyte...
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Hi all,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > > I have built a very cool NAS box, and want to use LVM2
> >> >> > > on it. My machine is as follows:
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > Tyan Thunder i7500 w/ 2-2.4GHz XEON processors.
> >> >> > > 2GB RAM
> >> >> > > 3ware Escalade 7500-12 IDE RAID controller
> >> >> > > 12-160GB Maxtor IDE HDs
> >> >> > > System on a separate 20GB Maxtor HD
> >> >> > > Floppy, slimline CDROM, and a DVDRW drive.
> >> >> > > All in a 12-bay chassis from
> >> >> > > http://www.rackmountpro.com/productpage.cfm?> prodid=1460
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > This
> >> >> > > config gives me 1.8TB of RAID 5 for under
> >> >> > > $8K - not too shabby.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > This is a superb value and I'm very interested in your
> >> >> > proposed "how-to"
> >> >> > site.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I am wanting to deploy some larger virtualized storage in a mixed
> >> >> > Linux/W2K environment. Is anybody out there exporting
> >> virtualized
> >> >> > volumes to Win2K boxes? If so, how? I checked HyperSCSI and they
> >> do
> >> >> > not appear to have a Win2K client (although a beta is supposed to
> >> be
> >> >> > coming soon). I have not yet found target information for Linux
> >> along
> >> >> > with a known interoperable Win2K initiator. Anybody doing it?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Disk performance is not so much an issue for me since the disk
> >> arrays
> >> >> > will be replacing large tape libraries. Even with pathetic
> >> >> > performance,
> >> >> > they should behave much faster than large AIT libraries.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Question 1: Is it possible today to:
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Have a large IDE RAID5 array that is virtualized through LVM and
> >> then
> >> >> > exported to a Dynamic Disk on Win2K over a LAN (not necessarily
> >> WAN)?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I believe iSCSI and HyperSCSI would both work... However I have not
> >> >> > found the approporiate interoperable software drivers.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Question 2: The system that is described above is a linux system
> >> with
> >> >> > direct attached storage. It is a SPOF. Any inexpensive
> >> >> > solutions that
> >> >> > would allow the Linux portion to be clustered for active/pasive
> >> >> > failover? Is FC the only alternative here?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > TIA,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > - Steve
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> >> > linux-lvm mailing list
> >> >> > linux-lvm@sistina.com
> >> >> > http://lists.sistina.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> >> >> > read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
> >> >> >
>
>
>
> >> >> -- NextPart --
> >> >> Attached File: c:\program
> >> files\goldmine\MailBox\Attach\gaf\smime(2).p7s
>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> linux-lvm mailing list
> >> linux-lvm@sistina.com
> >> http://lists.sistina.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> >> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> linux-lvm mailing list
> >> linux-lvm@sistina.com
> >> http://lists.sistina.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> >> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
>
> _______________________________________________
> linux-lvm mailing list
> linux-lvm@sistina.com
> http://lists.sistina.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
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