XSAN 3 INSTALL GUIDE?

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XSAN 3 INSTALL GUIDE?

Hi,

I have been trying to find an install guide to Xsan 3 and can't find any specific info, everything I am finding is Xsan 2.x info. Is there any info/install guide for Xsan 3 that someone can point me to, because I am having a real hard time trying to find one online.

We are planning to build a 10.8/Xsan 3 based system from scratch and I am trying to get some more info to help me design it correctly. In previous versions, the suggestion has been to dedicate an entire controller to the Metadata Volume and maybe a Render drive, is that still the suggestion? The basic Xsan 2.3 install guide seems to indicate that you can use three drives from one of the Controllers that will be used for the Data Volume, for your Metadata Volume (so one controller could be used to control both your Metadata Volume and part of your Data Volume, is that correct?) Have they removed the requirement to dedicate an entire Controller to the Metadata Volume?

Should I just assume that the original suggestions for overall design, should hold true for Version 3, which are: 2 MDC's (one primary and one backup), where the back up should be used to create/share the Network versions of the Data Volumes, 1 controller should be dedicated to Metadata Volume plus maybe a Render Volume (as mentioned above), but this Controller shouldn't be used as part of the Data Volume, the User directory is created and housed on the Primary MDC and a 2nd version should be created on the BMDC, just in case.

Also, they suggest that each machine be connected to the same Network Time Server on the Public Internet, to keep all machines timed correctly, but our plan (Kind of forced by the MPAA) was to only connect these Xsan Machines to a Private (non Internet Connected) Network without an Internet connection, so what is the best approach to keeping all the machines timed correctly, if that can't be connected to a Network Time Server?

Do you really need to have individual User Logins, can everyone login into one general account? If individual Network User Accounts are used for Both XSAN Fiber Connected and Network Connected Users, doesn't that slow down the entire system, because none of a Users information is local to that machine, everything within that User Account is stored on the Server? How big does the Server Boot drive have to be to save all these User Accounts?

Are the User Logins now saved locally, on each computer and just verified at Login? That would make it faster, but require each machine to have a copy of each User Account.

There are a lot of design questions (like these) that I am trying to figure out before hand and having an Install Guide to reference (like they use to create for V1 or V2) would be very helpful.

Can anyone direct me to an XSAN 3 Install guide.

Thanks

Kalagan

Posted on Sep 20, 2012 1:16 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 1, 2012 12:28 AM in response to Kalagan

There isn't a new Install Guide yet as far as I know. The version 2.3 one is current for topology requirements. Changes and some XSan 3 specific stuff is found here under Other Services.

We are planning to build a 10.8/Xsan 3 based system from scratch.

I'd call Small Tree and see what they think you need based on your budget and requirements, especially if you don't already have a bunch of FC hardware purchased.

In previous versions, the suggestion has been to dedicate an entire controller to the Metadata Volume and maybe a Render drive, is that still the suggestion?

The topology is all the same. Two dedicated MDC servers recommended, at least one required, the metadata drives should be mirrored, and everything is fibre channel. Also recommended is independent ethernet for metadata, separate from the ethernet network for internet/file sharing.

basic Xsan 2.3 install guide seems to indicate that you can use three drives from one of the Controllers that will be used for the Data Volume, for your Metadata Volume (so one controller could be used to control both your Metadata Volume and part of your Data Volume, is that correct?)

I don't know what you mean by using an MDC drive for data. XSan is a SAN, it uses fibre channel LUNs only for data.

Have they removed the requirement to dedicate an entire Controller to the Metadata Volume?

No.

Should I just assume that the original suggestions for overall design, should hold true for Version 3,

Yes.

what is the best approach to keeping all the machines timed correctly, if that can't be connected to a Network Time Server?

Server has a network time server. Set that up and point all computers to sync to it. As long as all computers are synced, it doesn't really matter if the time is correct so long as it's the same on all computers.

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