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12499
August 26th, 2009 09:00
Can I use the PowerPath and Navisphere Server Utility to manage two AX series disk array
Hi, all
We have TWO cluster systems (One is the 2-node Windows server 2003 clustering, and another is the 2-node Windows server 2008 clustering), these two cluster systems are using the AX150i disk array now. We have installed the Power Path and Navisphere Server Utility at these four servers. And we have purchased a new AX4-5 disk array just, and want the current four servers use the new AX4-5 disk array and the original AX150i simultaneously, can we use the current installed Power Path and Navisphere Server Utility for the new AX4-5 Disk Array at these four servers?
Thanks
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Dev Mgr
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August 26th, 2009 11:00
Do you have the AX4-5 (FC), or the AX4-5i (iSCSI)?
The main thing is that EMC's Clariion range uses active/passive controllers. This means that only the storage processor that owns the virtual disk/lun can access the virtual disk in question. So if you are doing a direct-connect (whether it's iSCSI or Fiber Channel), all servers in a single cluster need to access the same storage processor (singular) or processor (plural); you cannot have 1 server connecting to SPA, and the other to SPB, as the server that connects to the SP that owns the disk will be the only one able to talk to the disk (and cluster failover will most likely not work).
So to connect 2 clusters you can:
- connect 1 cluster to SPA (each node to 1 port on SPA) and the other cluster to SPB. This does mean that if SPA goes down, the cluster attached to it goes down with it, or vice versa for SPB
- you use 1 switch; an FC switch if you have an FC array or a Gbit ethernet switch if you're using iSCSI. Plug in all servers into this (iSCSI NICs or FC HBAs), plug in at least 1 port per SP into this and if it's FC, zone the switches (EMC doesn't allow multiple initiators in a single zone, so a wide open FC switch isn't good).
- you implement redundant switches (e.g. 2 FC HBAs or 2 NICs for iSCSI). You'll want 2 isolated networks/fabrics (when using iSCSI this also means 2 different subnets; one for each switch). Each server has 1 NIC/HBA going to one switch and the other NIC/HBA going to the other switch; again, with FC, you'll have to zone the switches.
StevenYang
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August 26th, 2009 12:00
Thank you for your reply!
I have the AX4-5i. And I have 2 switches to connect two disk array and four servers. Please see the below topology:
We have installed powerpath and navisphere server utility at four servers for AX150i currently, we plan to add the AX4-5i and connect them as the above topology, can we use the current installed powerpath and navisphere server utility at four server for the new AX4-5i?
Dev Mgr
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August 26th, 2009 13:00
That implementation you have should work (I do assume each vlan uses a different subnet), but you can simplify by doing:
- Switch 1: 1 VLAN (or 'wide open') 1 subnet and all 4 servers have a link to it, and SPA0 and SPB0 from both arrays to this switch as well.
- Switch 2: 1 VLAN (or 'wide open') 1 subnet (different from the subnet used on Switch 1) and all 4 servers have a link to it, and SPA1 and SPB1 from both arrays have a link to this switch as well