Pkafkas
asked on
HP SAN Hardware question
Hello:
We are running out of space on our SAN, for backups, and are looking to add another hard drive cage. We use our SAN for files storage and Vmware hard drive space. We currently have the following installed at our faciltiy.
1. HP Prolient DL320 G5.
2. 16 port Fiber SAN Switch.
a. HP StorageWorks 4/8 SAN Switch.
3. HP StorageWorks MSA 1500 CS.
4. HP StorageWorks MSA 20.
a. 12-Sata Drives (all drives are used).
b. All Sata Drives are 500 GB.
c. However only have 4X500 GB Sata drives being used for backups.
i. Hence we use 1.5 TB for backups.
d. The remaining 8 hard drives are set in raid-5 for the 'Production' partition.
My question is if we purchase another HP StoreageWorks MSA20 hard drive cage (so we can add storage space to our existing backup and production setup), will we need to Setup a separate Raid-5 partition on the new MSA 20? Also will we need to setup a new Raid-5 partition array, for the 'production' side, on the new HP Storageworks MSA 20 cage?
Or can those extra drives be added to the already existing raid-5 configuration? Keep in mind that this will be on a brand new MSA 20 Hard drive cage.
We are running out of space on our SAN, for backups, and are looking to add another hard drive cage. We use our SAN for files storage and Vmware hard drive space. We currently have the following installed at our faciltiy.
1. HP Prolient DL320 G5.
2. 16 port Fiber SAN Switch.
a. HP StorageWorks 4/8 SAN Switch.
3. HP StorageWorks MSA 1500 CS.
4. HP StorageWorks MSA 20.
a. 12-Sata Drives (all drives are used).
b. All Sata Drives are 500 GB.
c. However only have 4X500 GB Sata drives being used for backups.
i. Hence we use 1.5 TB for backups.
d. The remaining 8 hard drives are set in raid-5 for the 'Production' partition.
My question is if we purchase another HP StoreageWorks MSA20 hard drive cage (so we can add storage space to our existing backup and production setup), will we need to Setup a separate Raid-5 partition on the new MSA 20? Also will we need to setup a new Raid-5 partition array, for the 'production' side, on the new HP Storageworks MSA 20 cage?
Or can those extra drives be added to the already existing raid-5 configuration? Keep in mind that this will be on a brand new MSA 20 Hard drive cage.
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Irwin W.
You can actually do better on your backups if you incorporate deduplication. Have you thought about that?
ASKER
We already duplicate to tape and store off-site. Good idea to bring up though.
ASKER
How about if in MSA 20 cage 1 we use 500 GB drives.
But in MSA 20 cage 2, we were planning on using 1 TB drives, will tht still work? Will we be able to join an already existing Raid array?
But in MSA 20 cage 2, we were planning on using 1 TB drives, will tht still work? Will we be able to join an already existing Raid array?
ASKER
That is with 2 different hard drive sizes?
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Did you me DEdupliate?
I'm not familiar with the terminology HP uses for their MSA line, but...
Can you just create a new RAID group with the new MSA20 then migrate your existing LUN to a larger LUN on the new MSA20?
You can then repurpose the original 5 disks for something else after that.
Can you just create a new RAID group with the new MSA20 then migrate your existing LUN to a larger LUN on the new MSA20?
You can then repurpose the original 5 disks for something else after that.
ASKER
So, there is no way to Expand a Raid Array while using the full capacity of different sized drives?
My manager really wants me to be sure about this. There is another forum talking about this issue(using different size hard disks in the same raid array); but, it has a lot of different oppinions regaridng if it will use the full capacity or not.
http://icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47115
Bottom line it seems you have to talk to the Array Constroller's manufacturer to be sure. Any thoughts? About using different had drive sizes on the same array?
My manager really wants me to be sure about this. There is another forum talking about this issue(using different size hard disks in the same raid array); but, it has a lot of different oppinions regaridng if it will use the full capacity or not.
http://icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47115
Bottom line it seems you have to talk to the Array Constroller's manufacturer to be sure. Any thoughts? About using different had drive sizes on the same array?
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