Moving Our StoreVault/Netapp S500 to a Separate Switch
Good morning Experts,
Really need your help here. We have an obsolete StoreVault/Netapp S500 SAN. Currently, this appliance is directly connected to our LAN (oversight on my part, initially). There are three LUN's created on this. Two of the three LUNs are critical, one holds our Exchange 2010 databases, and the other holds our files (file share). Both of these servers (Exchange and file server) uses MS iScsi Initiator to connect to the LUNs. I would like to move this appliance to a separate Gbit switch, and naturally creating different IP subnet for this device and anything that connects to it. I can definitely separate this, if the LUNs weren't already there with production data. Wtih that said, could someone please give me some detailed instructions on how to do this without having to delete the LUNs. Especially with our Exchange 2010 databases. Also, this would mean my two servers will require 2 NICs, which they both have. I need to ensure that both of these servers' traffic would flow/travel correctly. File server LAN traffic needs to go to the correct NIC/IP, and Exchange mailflow needs to go to the correct NIC/IP. Quick info on the Exchange server. It's an Exchange 2010 Std server with only the MB role installed. The Exchange databases and logs are stored on one of these three LUNs.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Wilmette
Really need your help here. We have an obsolete StoreVault/Netapp S500 SAN. Currently, this appliance is directly connected to our LAN (oversight on my part, initially). There are three LUN's created on this. Two of the three LUNs are critical, one holds our Exchange 2010 databases, and the other holds our files (file share). Both of these servers (Exchange and file server) uses MS iScsi Initiator to connect to the LUNs. I would like to move this appliance to a separate Gbit switch, and naturally creating different IP subnet for this device and anything that connects to it. I can definitely separate this, if the LUNs weren't already there with production data. Wtih that said, could someone please give me some detailed instructions on how to do this without having to delete the LUNs. Especially with our Exchange 2010 databases. Also, this would mean my two servers will require 2 NICs, which they both have. I need to ensure that both of these servers' traffic would flow/travel correctly. File server LAN traffic needs to go to the correct NIC/IP, and Exchange mailflow needs to go to the correct NIC/IP. Quick info on the Exchange server. It's an Exchange 2010 Std server with only the MB role installed. The Exchange databases and logs are stored on one of these three LUNs.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Wilmette
Paul Solovyovsky
If you use snapdrive you can disconnect fibre, setup a the new ip. You would then create a new iscsi connection using snapdrive and re-map the LUNs to the correct drive letter. If you don't have snapdrive the process is more manual but should not be an issue since iscsi and fibre are block level and you should be able to map them on the system.
ASKER
I am not using Snap Drive. So, would you know the exact procedure to do it without Snapdrive? Thanks.
I haven't used the S500 but had it done with Netapp FAS units
Are you using Ontap or the S500 GUI?
1. Make sure you have a backup of the LUNs
2. Disconnect the LUNs
3. Enable iSCSI protocol and ensure that the S500 interface is on the new subnet
4. Install network card on server and configure MS iSCSI initiator (Do not put default gateway and take netbios off to ensure that it doesn't route and only stays on the broadcast domain
5. Ensure you have the right permission on the LUN and iGroup for the servers to connect to the LUNs
5. Connect the LUNs with the same drive letters and you should be set.
If you have space you could try a flexclone and then split it so that you're working with copied data. Once tested deleted original LUNs.
Are you using Ontap or the S500 GUI?
1. Make sure you have a backup of the LUNs
2. Disconnect the LUNs
3. Enable iSCSI protocol and ensure that the S500 interface is on the new subnet
4. Install network card on server and configure MS iSCSI initiator (Do not put default gateway and take netbios off to ensure that it doesn't route and only stays on the broadcast domain
5. Ensure you have the right permission on the LUN and iGroup for the servers to connect to the LUNs
5. Connect the LUNs with the same drive letters and you should be set.
If you have space you could try a flexclone and then split it so that you're working with copied data. Once tested deleted original LUNs.
ASKER
I am using the StoreVault Manager as my gui to manage the LUNs. The other thing I do not have is space (sorry.). OK, so your instructions are simple enough. Just a few questions.
1. For my Exchange 2010 server, I would assume I first have to stop all Exchange services, then disconnect from the LUN via MS iScsi Initiator. After everything is recreated, and my Exchange server has the 2nd NIC configured (correctly to connect to the S500), what do I need to check to ensure that my Exchange mailflow is correct? I guess my question is, is there a place within Exchange Management Console that shows which IP address or NIC is associated with all of the Exchange services?
2. On the file server, what service do I need to stop before disconnecting the iScsi (via MS iScsi Initiator) initiator? The file server is Windows Server 2003 R2, and the LUN that's connected has 2 folders that are shared. Is there a Sharing service that I need to stop before disconnecting?
3. On your step 4, you mentioned to take netbios off, do you mean within the TCP/IP propertites of the NIC?
Thanks,
Wilmette
1. For my Exchange 2010 server, I would assume I first have to stop all Exchange services, then disconnect from the LUN via MS iScsi Initiator. After everything is recreated, and my Exchange server has the 2nd NIC configured (correctly to connect to the S500), what do I need to check to ensure that my Exchange mailflow is correct? I guess my question is, is there a place within Exchange Management Console that shows which IP address or NIC is associated with all of the Exchange services?
2. On the file server, what service do I need to stop before disconnecting the iScsi (via MS iScsi Initiator) initiator? The file server is Windows Server 2003 R2, and the LUN that's connected has 2 folders that are shared. Is there a Sharing service that I need to stop before disconnecting?
3. On your step 4, you mentioned to take netbios off, do you mean within the TCP/IP propertites of the NIC?
Thanks,
Wilmette
1. For my Exchange 2010 server, I would assume I first have to stop all Exchange services, then disconnect from the LUN via MS iScsi Initiator. After everything is recreated, and my Exchange server has the 2nd NIC configured (correctly to connect to the S500), what do I need to check to ensure that my Exchange mailflow is correct? I guess my question is, is there a place within Exchange Management Console that shows which IP address or NIC is associated with all of the Exchange services
Stop the services before start the process. Exchange will use current IPs network settings as this is how it gets out currently. Disable DNS, Netbios, WINs for the iSCSI initiator interface to avoid dns issues.
2. On the file server, what service do I need to stop before disconnecting the iScsi (via MS iScsi Initiator) initiator? The file server is Windows Server 2003 R2, and the LUN that's connected has 2 folders that are shared. Is there a Sharing service that I need to stop before disconnecting?
t
I would unshare the share and reboot, this way no one can get into it. Once reconnected reshare the folder
3. On your step 4, you mentioned to take netbios off, do you mean within the TCP/IP propertites of the NIC?
yes
Stop the services before start the process. Exchange will use current IPs network settings as this is how it gets out currently. Disable DNS, Netbios, WINs for the iSCSI initiator interface to avoid dns issues.
2. On the file server, what service do I need to stop before disconnecting the iScsi (via MS iScsi Initiator) initiator? The file server is Windows Server 2003 R2, and the LUN that's connected has 2 folders that are shared. Is there a Sharing service that I need to stop before disconnecting?
t
I would unshare the share and reboot, this way no one can get into it. Once reconnected reshare the folder
3. On your step 4, you mentioned to take netbios off, do you mean within the TCP/IP propertites of the NIC?
yes
ASKER
Paul,
If you don't mind, just a few more questions. I have been reading up a bit more on SAN redundancy through the use of 2 switches. It looks like some sort of MPIO software is necessary in order to set up this redundancy scenario. Here's the scenario I'm thinking of:
1 Server, with 3 NICs -
NIC 1 = LAN (production)
NIC 2 = SW 1
NIC 3 = SW 2
S500, with 2 NICs -
NIC 1 = SW 1
NIC 2 = SW 2
With this setup, if SW 1 fails, naturally I would like an automatic failover to SW 2. If possible, I wouldn't mind load balancing if both switches are online. With that said, is there an MPIO software available (open source would be nice..) that can perform this task? Thanks again for your help.
If you don't mind, just a few more questions. I have been reading up a bit more on SAN redundancy through the use of 2 switches. It looks like some sort of MPIO software is necessary in order to set up this redundancy scenario. Here's the scenario I'm thinking of:
1 Server, with 3 NICs -
NIC 1 = LAN (production)
NIC 2 = SW 1
NIC 3 = SW 2
S500, with 2 NICs -
NIC 1 = SW 1
NIC 2 = SW 2
With this setup, if SW 1 fails, naturally I would like an automatic failover to SW 2. If possible, I wouldn't mind load balancing if both switches are online. With that said, is there an MPIO software available (open source would be nice..) that can perform this task? Thanks again for your help.
You would setup failover on the switches. Depending on the type of switches you have you can setup the iscsi software initialtor to go to two switches. These can either be trunked to two different switches as with the cisco 3750G ot you can trunk the switches together and create a larger layer 2 broadcast domain so that you would have failvoer but not link aggregation
ASKER
Paul,
Attached is what I have in mind for our setup. For drawing simplicity, I only included 1 server. The only catch is that the switches we are thinking of getting are unmanaged Netgear JGS524 switches. I don't believe unmanaged switches can do what you described above. However, would an MPIO DSM software of some sort be able to perform this type of failover? Sorry, to be asking so many questions. I'm fairly new to this whole SAN redundancy architecture.
Thanks!
SAN.jpg
Attached is what I have in mind for our setup. For drawing simplicity, I only included 1 server. The only catch is that the switches we are thinking of getting are unmanaged Netgear JGS524 switches. I don't believe unmanaged switches can do what you described above. However, would an MPIO DSM software of some sort be able to perform this type of failover? Sorry, to be asking so many questions. I'm fairly new to this whole SAN redundancy architecture.
Thanks!
SAN.jpg
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ASKER
A few questions...
From the S500:
1. Is there anything required in order to properly set up multipathing - such as licensing or any specific configuration within the S500. The S500 is running OnTap 7.2.1S10R1, and the host is using StoreVault Manager 3.2.
2. Just curious - within StoreVault Manager\StoreVault Network Settings, I see the IP configuration for both E0a and E0b tabs. I also see the Group Interfaces button (see S500 Network Interfaces.doc)right above the two interface tabs. What is Group Interfaces? Could this have anything to do with multipathing?
From the Host server (Windows Server 2008 R2 - using default MS iScsi Initiator software) :
1. I used the Discovery tab to add both of the S500's IP addresses, and associating it with the NICs on my server (see iScsi Settings.doc). However, on the Targets tab, I only see 1 instance of the Discovered Targets. Is that correct?
2. If I proceed with connecting the 1 instance that shows, I do have the option to check the Enable multi-path (see iScsi Settings.doc 3rd pic)option, which is what I did and associated 192.168.21.23 to 192.168.21.28. However, after connecting the LUN and tried to simulate a failure (by just disabling the NIC on the server with IP address of 21.28), my connection to this LUN is no longer available. This tells me that multipath isn't really working, or I have incorrectly configured Multipath. Any ideas?
iScsi-Settings.doc
S500-Network-Interfaces.doc
From the S500:
1. Is there anything required in order to properly set up multipathing - such as licensing or any specific configuration within the S500. The S500 is running OnTap 7.2.1S10R1, and the host is using StoreVault Manager 3.2.
2. Just curious - within StoreVault Manager\StoreVault Network Settings, I see the IP configuration for both E0a and E0b tabs. I also see the Group Interfaces button (see S500 Network Interfaces.doc)right above the two interface tabs. What is Group Interfaces? Could this have anything to do with multipathing?
From the Host server (Windows Server 2008 R2 - using default MS iScsi Initiator software) :
1. I used the Discovery tab to add both of the S500's IP addresses, and associating it with the NICs on my server (see iScsi Settings.doc). However, on the Targets tab, I only see 1 instance of the Discovered Targets. Is that correct?
2. If I proceed with connecting the 1 instance that shows, I do have the option to check the Enable multi-path (see iScsi Settings.doc 3rd pic)option, which is what I did and associated 192.168.21.23 to 192.168.21.28. However, after connecting the LUN and tried to simulate a failure (by just disabling the NIC on the server with IP address of 21.28), my connection to this LUN is no longer available. This tells me that multipath isn't really working, or I have incorrectly configured Multipath. Any ideas?
iScsi-Settings.doc
S500-Network-Interfaces.doc
ASKER
It looks like grouping the interfaces is the answer..Check out the attached document, which I got from Netapp's site. Grouping the two interfaces to make a virtual interface with 1 IP address would allow redundancy - maybe? If that's the case, then my SAN network diagram would need to change as well - basically daisy-chaining the two switches (you eluded to this from the earlier post). I am going to give this a shot, but do have more questions (as always). Would grouping cause any downtime? Meaning if I have hosts connected to it right now, would it drop my hosts' connection to the LUNs? One of the host is an Exchange server, so I definitely don't want this to happen. Thanks!
StoreVault-Config-Guide.pdf
SAN-Updated.jpg
StoreVault-Config-Guide.pdf
SAN-Updated.jpg
Sorry for the delay, on vacation currently. You can setup a VIF (virtaul interface) on the Netapp, this will allow you to team the nics. There is only downtime if you have the S500 currently in production as you may need to place it in the VIF which may need to reset the interface for a few seconds.
ASKER
I got a chance to play around with the Win2K8 iScsi and MPIO, and figured out how it works. Doesn't look like I need to team up the NIC's on the SAN. Of course that is a good option just in case. Thanks again for your help.