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dgbinpc
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Q: If I already have an XSAN, can I mount it as Windows Server Drive letter?

I am Mac-familiar, but not well-versed in XSAN. If a customer says they have an XSAN, I presume that could be any number of storage devices across multiple platforms, that are organized and managed by XSAN software. Is that a correct analysis?

Can I take that that (or part of that) available storage and make it available to a windows server 2008 environment so it shows up as a mounted drive letter?

Thanks for your assistance!

Posted on Oct 26, 2011 5:30 PM

by Christopher Collins,Solvedanswer
Christopher Collins Christopher Collins
Level 1 (50 points)
A:

Your understanding of Xsan is kind of flawed. Xsan is a filesystem that clusters together fiber channel based storage. Xsan doesn't just manage the filesystem, it IS the filesystem. To make a volume be available on another platform/OS, that platform needs to have compatible software to support seeing see the file system on that storage.

 

Xsan though is based on another product called StorNext by Quantum. They make a cheaper client only version of StorNext for connecting Windows and Linux machines to Apple based Xsans. It's called StorNext FX. You need to purchase a license for this though.

Posted on Oct 27, 2011 11:42 AM

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dgbinpc

Q: If I already have an XSAN, can I mount it as Windows Server Drive letter?

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  • by Christopher Collins,Solvedanswer

    Christopher Collins Christopher Collins Oct 27, 2011 11:42 AM in response to dgbinpc
    Level 1 (50 points)
    Oct 27, 2011 11:42 AM in response to dgbinpc

    Your understanding of Xsan is kind of flawed. Xsan is a filesystem that clusters together fiber channel based storage. Xsan doesn't just manage the filesystem, it IS the filesystem. To make a volume be available on another platform/OS, that platform needs to have compatible software to support seeing see the file system on that storage.

     

    Xsan though is based on another product called StorNext by Quantum. They make a cheaper client only version of StorNext for connecting Windows and Linux machines to Apple based Xsans. It's called StorNext FX. You need to purchase a license for this though.

  • by dgbinpc,

    dgbinpc dgbinpc Oct 27, 2011 12:40 PM in response to Christopher Collins
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2011 12:40 PM in response to Christopher Collins

    Thanks for taking the time to reply...yes I figured I had not totally grasped the filesystem aspects, but it does sound like StorNext FX is what I need to examine. Thanks again!