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QRPike
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Q: Will XSAN See : Promise Technology VTrak M200F

Hey Guys,

Currently I have 1x Xserve RAID, its about 7TB of storage. I came across a 'Promise Technology VTrak M200F' for pretty cheap and I can throw 1-2TB drives each in it and make around 16TB of storage, for still pretty cheap.

I was wondering if this model is actually compatible with Apple XSAN. I am very new to SAN's. I Just got the xserve raid setup in a SAN this last week, but our storage needs are extraordinary.

Thanks All!

Xserve's, Mac OS X (10.6.5), Promise Technology VTrak M200F

Posted on Dec 8, 2010 12:16 PM

by jmyres,Solvedanswer
jmyres jmyres
Level 1 (80 points)
A:
There are many standard, fibre channel storage arrays that will work in an Xsan, Apple only officially supports and warranties the Promise Vtrak E/J. You could possibly build a basic Xsan with an XSR and the M200F, but you'd need at least one more server, a fibre switch, two ethernet switches, and fibre cards and Xsan licenses for every attached computer.

It might be easier to try SanMP instead. It's not as capable as Xsan, but it's easier to configure and you'll get more mileage out of the gear you already have.

JM

Posted on Dec 8, 2010 10:28 PM

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QRPike

Q: Will XSAN See : Promise Technology VTrak M200F

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  • by jmyres,Solvedanswer

    jmyres jmyres Dec 8, 2010 10:28 PM in response to QRPike
    Level 1 (80 points)
    Dec 8, 2010 10:28 PM in response to QRPike
    There are many standard, fibre channel storage arrays that will work in an Xsan, Apple only officially supports and warranties the Promise Vtrak E/J. You could possibly build a basic Xsan with an XSR and the M200F, but you'd need at least one more server, a fibre switch, two ethernet switches, and fibre cards and Xsan licenses for every attached computer.

    It might be easier to try SanMP instead. It's not as capable as Xsan, but it's easier to configure and you'll get more mileage out of the gear you already have.

    JM

  • by QRPike,

    QRPike QRPike Dec 9, 2010 1:53 PM in response to QRPike
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2010 1:53 PM in response to QRPike
    Great, so basically any SFP Fiber attached storage will be usable by XSAN?

    Are there any that you recommend over others? I currently have a san setup with Xsan and like the admin capabilities so I think I will stick with that.

    Thanks!!

  • by jmyres,

    jmyres jmyres Dec 9, 2010 6:07 PM in response to QRPike
    Level 1 (80 points)
    Dec 9, 2010 6:07 PM in response to QRPike
    It would probably be irresponsible to say "every", but the list of arrays people are successfully with using with Xsan would at a minimum include Promise, Active, and Infortrend. Other similar arrays will work as well. There are some things to keep in mind though:

    -Apple only supports and warranties Promise Vtrak. This is important if your company requires the purchase of support for critical infrastructure.

    -Don't mix different RAID chassis, at least within in the same Data storage pool. Some installations use a different chassis for Metadata, but staying as consistent as possible is important to minimize compatibility problems and maintain even performance across your arrays.

    JM