Sun StorEdge™3000 Family
Best Practices Manual
Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
www.sun.com
Part No. 816-7325-12
October 2003, Revision A
Submit comments about this document at: http://www.sun.com/hwdocs/feedback
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Contents
Overview 1
Introduction 2
Overview 3
Fibre Channel Architecture 3
Fibre Channel Protocols 3
Supported RAID Levels 4
Logical Drives 4
Cache Optimization 5
Array Management Tools 6
Saving and Restoring Configuration Information 7
Direct-Attached Storage 7
Storage Area Networking 8
Scaling Capacity 9
First Steps 10
General Configuration Considerations 11
Non-Redundant DAS Configurations 12
Non-Redundant DAS Tips and Techniques 13
Non-Redundant DAS Setup Details 14
High-Availability DAS Configurations 15
iii
High-Availability DAS Tips and Techniques 16
High-Availability DAS Setup Details 17
Full-Fabric SAN Configurations 19
Full-Fabric SAN Tips and Techniques 20
Full-Fabric SAN Setup Details 20
High-Performance SAN Configurations 23
High-Performance SAN Tips and Techniques 24
High-Performance SAN Setup Details 24
Summary 26
iv Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array
This document highlights Fibre Channel (FC) best practices which apply to the Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array.
Overview
The Sun StorEdge3510 array is a next generation Fibre Channel storage system
designed to provide direct attached storage (DAS) to entry-level, mid-range, and
enterprise servers, or to serve as the disk storage within a storage area network
(SAN). This solution features powerful performance and reliability, availability and
serviceability (RAS) features using modern FC technology. As a result, the Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array is ideal for performance sensitive applications and for
environments with many entry-level, mid-range, and enterprise servers, such as:
■ Internet
■ Messaging
■ Database
■ Technical
■ Imaging
This document gives a high level overview of the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array and
outlines four sample storage solutions for entry-level, mid-range, and enterprise
servers. The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array supports multiple servers, so these
solutions are designed to match the overall environment rather than the particular
applications running within it. Use them as-is or tailor them to fit your exact needs.
Examples of customization opportunities include adding disks, enclosures and
software or even combining configurations. Choosing the solution that best matches
each particular environment will provide the best results.
1
Introduction
There are two popular methods for connecting storage to servers.
■ The original and still most widely used approach uses a direct connection
between a server and its storage system. A storage system connected in this
manner is commonly referred to as direct-attached storage (DAS). The DAS
solution of connecting each server to its own dedicated storage system is straightforward, and the absence of storage switches can minimize costs in some
instances.
■ A newer, more sophisticated technique places a storage switch between network
servers and storage systems, creating what has become known as a Storage Area
Network (SAN). In many ways, these two methods create contrasting storage
architectures providing their own unique mix of benefits. A SAN solution shares
a storage system among multiple servers using storage switches, and reduces the
total number of storage systems required for a particular environment but
increases the complexity.
Direct-Attached Storage (DAS)
FIGURE 1 DAS and SAN Storage Architectures
Storage Area Network (SAN)
Selecting the best storage architecture for a particular environment can be a
confusing exercise. In general, some environments are well-suited for DAS while
others will benefit greatly from SAN.
The challenge of selecting between DAS and SAN is often further complicated by the
need to choose between different storage systems – one designed for DAS or another
intended for SAN. Fortunately, every Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array inherently
supports both DAS and SAN.
2 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
Overview
Fibre Channel Architecture
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array RAID controller has six fibre channels that can
support 1 or 2 Gb data transfer speeds. RAID controller channels 0, 1, 4, and 5 are
normally designated for connection to hosts or Fibre Channel switches. RAID
controller channels 2 and 3 are dedicated drive channels.
In a dual RAID controller configuration, both RAID controllers have the same host
channel designators, due to the architecture of the loops within the chassis. Each
host channel of the top RAID controller shares a loop with the matching host
channel on the bottom RAID controller. For example, channel 0 of the top RAID
controller shares the same loop as channel 0 of the bottom RAID controller. This
provides four distinct loops for connectivity with two ports per loop. The individual
loops provide LUN failover without causing HBA path failover in the event of a
controller failure.
Each I/O board has two ports designated as disk drive loops. These ports connect to
the internal dual-ported Fibre Channel disk drives and are used to add expansion
chassis to the configuration. The two drive loop ports on the upper I/O board form
FC loop 2 while the two drive ports on the lower I/O board form FC loop 3. FC loop
2 provides a data path from both RAID controllers to the A loop of the internal disk
drives, while FC loop 3 provides a data path from both RAID controllers to the B
loop of the internal disk drives.
A single RAID controller configuration is slightly different. The lower I/O board has
drive channels but does not have host channels. Overall, the same number of loops
are available, but with half as many host channel ports.
Fibre Channel Protocols
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array supports point-to-point and Fibre Channel–
Arbitrated Loops (FC–AL) protocols. Using the point-to-point protocol with the Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array requires a switched fabric network (SAN), whereas selecting
FC-AL mode enables the array to be used in either DAS or SAN environments.
Using point-to-point protocol enables full-duplex use of the available channel
bandwidth, whereas selecting FC-AL mode limits host channels to half-duplex
mode.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 3
In a point-to-point configuration, only one ID can be assigned to each host channel.
If more than one ID is assigned, the point-to-point protocol rules are violated. Any
host channel with more than one ID will not be able to log in to an FC switch in
fabric mode. This “one-ID-per-channel” requirement is true in both single-controller
and dual- controller configurations. Thus, in dual-controller configurations, either
the primary or the secondary controller can have an ID assigned, but not both. This
yields:
(4 host channels) X (1 ID per channel) X (32 LUNs per ID) = 128 maximum
addressable LUNs in a fabric point-to-point environment. If dual paths are
desired for each logical device, a maximum of 64 dual-pathed LUNs are available.
In an FC-AL configuration, multiple IDs can be assigned to any given host channel.
Although it is possible to add more, it is preferable that no more than four IDs be
assigned to a controller on a given host channel. Thus no more that eight IDs should
be assigned to any host channel if both primary and secondary controllers each have
four IDs. This yields (4 host channels) X (8 IDs per channel) X (32 LUNs per ID) =
1024 maximum addressable LUNs in a FC-AL environment. However, configuring
the maximum number of LUNs increases overhead and can have a negative impact
on performance.
The FC-AL protocol should be selected for environments needing more than 128
LUNs, or where a switched fabric network is not available.
Supported RAID Levels
There are several RAID level choices: RAID 0, 1, 3, 5, 1+0 (10), 3+0 (30), and 5+0 (50).
RAID levels 1, 3, and 5 are the most commonly used. The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
array supports the use of both global and local spare drives in the unlikely event of
disk failure. It is good practice to use spare drives when configuring RAID devices.
Refer to the Sun StorEdge 3000 Family RAID Firmware 3.27 User’s Guide, Sun StorEdge
3510 FC Array (P/N 816-7934) for detailed information on how RAID levels and
spare drives are implemented.
Logical Drives
A logical drive (LD) is a group of physical drives configured with a RAID level. Each
LD can be configured for a different RAID level.
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array supports a maximum of eight LDs. A LD can be
managed by either the primary or secondary controller. The best practice for creating
LDs is to split them evenly across the primary and secondary controllers. The most
efficient maximum configuration would have four LDs assigned to each controller.
4 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
With at least one LD assigned to each controller, both controllers are active. This
configuration is known as an active-active controller configuration and allows
maximum use of a dual controller array's resources.
Each LD can be partitioned in up to 128 separate partitions or used as a single
partition. The partitions are presented to the host as LUNs.
Once the LDs have been created, assigned to a controller, and partitioned, the
partitions must be mapped to host channels as LUNs in order for them to be seen by
a host. It is usually desirable to map each partition to two host channels for
redundant pathing.
A partition can only be mapped to a host channel where its controller has an
assigned ID. For example, if LD 0 is assigned to the primary controller, all partitions
on LD 0 will need to be mapped to a host channel ID on the primary controller
(PID). Any LDs assigned to the secondary controller will need to have all partitions
mapped to a host channel ID on the secondary controller (SID).
When attaching fibre cables for LUNs configured with redundant paths, make sure
one cable is connected to an upper port channel and the other cable is connected to
a different channel on the lower controller. Then, if multipathing software is
configured on the host, a controller can be hot-swapped in the event of failure
without losing access to the LUN.
For example, suppose partition 0 of LD0 is mapped to Channel 0 PID 42 and
Channel 5 PID 47. To ensure that there is no single point of failure (SPOF), connect a
cable from the host HBA or a switch port to the upper board port FC0, and connect
a second cable from the lower board port FC5 to a different host HBA or switch.
Cache Optimization
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array can optimize the RAID devices for either sequential
I/O or random I/O. Sequential I/O is the default setting.
The sequential optimization mode reads and writes data in large 128K blocks, in
order to transfer information more efficiently for the kinds of applications most often
employed. The logical drive, cache memory, and other controller internal parameters
are adjusted for high throughput use such as video and imaging applications. The
maximum allowable size of a logical drive optimized for sequential I/O is 2
terabytes (TB).
The random I/O optimization mode reads and writes data in small 32K blocks.
When using random I/O optimization mode, the logical drive, cache memory, and
other controller parameters are adjusted for the use of database/transactionprocessing applications. The maximum allowable size of a logical drive optimized
for random I/O is 512 GB. This limit constrains the number of disks that can be
included in a logical drive.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 5
Numerous controller parameters are also changed to optimize for sequential or
random I/O. The change takes effect after the controller resets. Sequential or random
optimization must be set prior to creating logical drives.
There are two limitations that apply to the optimization modes.
■ One optimization mode must be applied to all logical drives in a RAID array.
■ Once the optimization mode is selected and logical drives are created, the
optimization mode of those logical drives cannot be changed. The only way to
change the optimization mode is to delete all logical drives, select the new
optimization mode, reboot the array, and create new logical drives. Any existing
data on the logical drives is lost during this procedure, which is why it is
important to correctly select the optimization mode early in the planning process.
Array Management Tools
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array can be configured and monitored through any of
the following methods:
■ Using the out-of-band serial port connection, a Solaris tip session or terminal
emulation program for other supported operating systems can be used to access
the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array's internal firmware application. All procedures
can be performed by using the firmware’s terminal interface via the COM port.
■ In-band configuration options from a host system include the Sun StorEdge
Configuration Service software or the command-line interface (CLI). Refer to the
Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Configuration Service User's Guide (P/N 816-7931) for
information about how to set up and use of the Configuration Service software
package. The CLI is installed as part of the SUNWsccli package. The main
advantages of the CLI are that commands can be scripted and information can be
passed to other programs. Information on CLI functionality can be found in the
sccli man page once the package is installed.
■ Using the out-of-band Ethernet port connection, telnet can be used to access the
firmware application. All procedures except the initial assignment of an IP
address can be done through an Ethernet port connection. Refer to the Sun
StorEdge 3000 Family Installation, Operation and Service Manual for the Sun StorEdge
3510 FC Array (P/N 816-7300) and the Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Configuration
Service User's Guide
band management tools.
(P/N 816-7931) for detailed information about using out-of-
Caution – If you assign an IP address to an array in order to manage it out-of-band,
for security reasons make sure that the IP address is on a private network, rather
than a publicly routable network.
There are two main reasons for placing your arrays on a private subnet:
6 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
■ When your array is on a public network, it is susceptible to viruses, worms, and
other malware attacks.
■ A variety of security software is available to detect and mitigate these attacks.
Some port-scanning and other security software can have an adverse impact on
your ability to access data. In extreme cases, some of this software can cause Sun
StorEdge 3000 Family arrays to hang.
Since it is not possible to predict the side-effects of all current and future security
software products, place your Sun StorEdge 3310 SCSI arrays and Sun StorEdge 3510
FC arrays on private subnets.
Saving and Restoring Configuration Information
An important feature of these management tools is the ability to save and restore
configuration information in a number of ways. Using the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
array firmware, the configuration information (NVRAM) can be saved to disk. This
provides a backup of the controller-dependent configuration information such as
channel settings, host IDs, FC protocol, and cache configuration. It does not save
LUN mapping information. The NVRAM configuration file can restore all
configuration settings but does not rebuild logical drives.
The Configuration Service software can be used to save and restore all configuration
data, including LUN mapping information. It can be used to rebuild all logical
drives and therefore can be used to completely duplicate an array configuration to
another array.
Direct-Attached Storage
One powerful feature of Sun StorEdge 3510 FC arrays is their ability to support
multiple direct-attached servers without requiring storage switches. They
accomplish this using intelligent internal Fibre Channel networks. Servers can be
directly connected using built-in external Fibre Channel ports, if available, or add-in
Fibre Channel host adapter cards. The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array automatically
configures its ports to match the transfer speed and communication method of each
connection.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 7
Standard DAS Configuration High Availability DAS Configuration
FIGURE 2 Two DAS Configurations
The actual number of servers that can be connected varies according to the number
of Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array controllers. It also depends on the quantity of Fibre
Channel connections used for each server and the total number of small form-factor
pluggable (SFP) interface modules installed. DAS configurations often include single
or dual servers only, though a dual-controller Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array can
support up to four servers with redundant connections, or eight servers in nonredundant DAS configurations by adding SFP modules.
Storage Area Networking
Introducing storage switches to a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array configuration creates
a SAN, increasing the number of servers that can be connected. Essentially, the
maximum number of servers that can be connected to the SAN becomes equal to the
number of available storage switch ports. Storage switches generally include the
ability to manage and monitor the Fibre Channel networks they create, which can
reduce storage management workloads in multiple server environments.
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC is designed to be deployed in SANs based on switched
Fibre Channel fabrics. In a SAN scenario, the server HBAs are connected to one side
of the fabric and storage is connected to the other. A SAN fabric automatically routes
Fibre Channel packets between ports on one or many Fibre Channel switches.
SAN deployment enables the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC to be used by a larger number of
hosts. This storage strategy tends to utilize storage resources more effectively and is
commonly referred to as storage consolidation.
The number of hosts that can effectively share one Sun StorEdge 3510 FC depends
on several factors, such as the type of host application, bandwidth requirements, and
the need for concurrent IOPs. Since most applications have moderate performance
needs, it is quite feasible to have several hosts sharing the same Sun StorEdge 3510
FC controller.
8 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
The SAN can also support multiple Sun StorEdge 3510 FC arrays. Increasing the
number of StorEdge arrays makes more performance and capacity available within
the storage network for sharing among the servers connected to the SAN. A SAN
also provides great flexibility in how storage capacity can be allocated among
servers and eliminates cabling changes when reallocation of storage becomes
necessary.
When the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC is deployed in a SAN, both point-to-point (full
fabric) and arbitrated loop (public loop) modes are supported. Point-to-point mode
allows for slightly better full duplex performance but limits the total number of
addressable LUNs to 128, or to 64 when redundant pathing is used.
Scaling Capacity
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array is available in a number of configurations to
address a broad range of storage capacities. Base systems include single or
redundant controllers and a choice of five or twelve disks. This results in storage
capacities as small as 180 GB with five 36-GB disks and as large as 1.75 TB with
twelve 146-GB disks in a single Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array.
Additional storage capacity can be dynamically created, starting with a system with
five disks and then adding one or more disks. Expansion units can be dynamically
added to base systems when more storage capacity is required than a single Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array can provide.
Sun StorEdge 3510 FC arrays remain a single storage system as expansion units are
added, even though there are multiple interconnected physical units. Expansion
units simply add bays to base units to increase the total number of disks that can be
supported. A fully configured system can support as many as thirty-six disks using
one base unit and two expansion units, providing a maximum storage capacity of
5.25 TB using 146-GB disks.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 9
Up to 12 disks Up to 24 disks Up to 36 disks
Scalability
FIGURE 3 Increasing Capacity
First Steps
There are two simple yet effective approaches for designing a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
array solution into your environment. Both methods allow for the rapid estimation
of an appropriate DAS or SAN solution. Regardless of which method is used, the
storage needs of each application and server involved must be identified to establish
the total amount of storage capacity required.
The first method works well for existing environments. Start by identifying the
number of servers that can immediately benefit from the Fibre Channel storage the
Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array provides. For five or more servers, a SAN solution can
provide the necessary connectivity to support them all. If there are four or fewer
servers, a DAS solution is sufficient, though a SAN solution remains a powerful
option. Determine the amount of storage currently accessible to these servers and
plan for that total capacity as the minimum amount of Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array
capacity needed.
Another technique involves matching a particular environment to one of the Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array best practices solutions described in this document. This
approach works particularly well with new deployments, but it can be used for
existing environments as well. Compare the total number of servers in each solution.
Take notice of special features, such as the number of connections between servers
and storage. While these solutions do not match every environment exactly, use the
closest one as a design blueprint that can be customized to suite your particular
10 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
environment. For environments with different server configurations, choose the
solution that best matches the servers whose applications are mission-critical or most
important.
General Configuration Considerations
The entry-level configuration for an FC array uses only one RAID controller. If this
configuration is used, two single-controller arrays should use host-based mirroring
to ensure high reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS).
It is preferable to use dual-controller arrays to avoid a single point of failure. A dualcontroller FC array features a default active-to-active controller configuration. This
configuration provides high reliability and high availability because, in the unlikely
event of a controller failure, the array automatically fails over to a second controller,
resulting in no interruption of data flow.
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array is extremely flexible, but when designing storage
solutions remember to keep them as simple as possible. Keep the following
suggestions in mind when designing the configuration of a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
storage system:
■ Prior to creating logical drives and mapping them to host channels, set the
appropriate cache optimization, Fibre Channel protocol and controller channel
IDs. Reset the controller after these configuration parameters have been set.
■ For best performance and RAS, create logical drives across expansion units.
■ Use either local or global spare drives when creating logical drives. Any free drive
can be designated as a spare and more than one drive can be used as a spare.
■ Use dual pathing for each LUN and use Sun StorEdge Traffic Manager software to
provide load balancing across controller ports for increased performance.
■ The maximum number of LUNs when using point-to-point protocol is 128 for
single- path configurations and 64 for dual-path configurations.
■ After completing the configuration of the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array, the
configuration should be saved using the firmware “save nvram to disks” menu
option and the Sun StorEdge Configuration Service Console's “save
configuration” utility.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 11
Non-Redundant DAS Configurations
Note – Using single connections between Sun StorEdge 3510 SCSI arrays and
servers creates single points of failure (SPOF) that can cause interruptions in the
event a connection becomes unreliable or fails. This is not a recommended
configuration unless host-based mirroring is utilized to protect against single points
of failure.
Single Server
Dual Servers
Quad Servers
FIGURE 4 Three Non-Redundant DAS Configurations
12 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
TABLE 1 Configuration Overview for Non-Redundant DAS
Single Server Configurations Dual Server Configurations Quad Server Configurations
Number of Servers 1 2 4
RAID Enclosures 1 1 1
Expansion Units As needed As needed One or more
Number of Controllers 1 1 1
Number of Disks 5 or more 12 or more 24 or more
Cache Optimization Random or sequential Random or sequential Random or sequential
RAID Levels Application-dependent Application-dependent Application-dependent
Fibre connection
option
Drive configuration One or more logical drives
Disk Configuration One or more logical drives
Host Adapters per
server
Traffic Manager Not required Not required Not required
Storage Switches Not required Not required Not required
Loop only Loop only Loop only
Two or more logical drives
plus one global spare
plus one global spare
Single-Port 2-Gbit FC Single-Port 2-Gbit FC Single-Port 2-Gbit FC
plus one global spare
Two or more logical drives
plus one global spare
Four or more logical
drives plus one global
spare
Four or more logical
drives plus one global
spare
Non-Redundant DAS Tips and Techniques
■ A Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array with a single controller can be configured to
support up to four host connections. These connections can be used in pairs,
individually, or in any combination of both.
■ You will need to add SFP modules to support more than four host connections to
the Sun StorEdge 3510 array. Add one SFP module to support three connections
and add two SFP modules to support four connections.
■ Using two single-port FC host bus adapters (HBAs) or a dual-port 2-Gbit FC HBA
in single-server or dual-server configurations makes optimum use of the Sun
StorEdge 3510 FC array’s performance. Mapping logical drive partitions to two
paths while using multipathing software and load balancing provides the best
performance.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 13
Non-Redundant DAS Setup Details
Server 1 Server 3 Server 4 Server 2
FIGURE 5 Non-Redundant DAS Connections
TABLE 2 Setup Summary for Non-Redundant DAS
Channel Number Primary ID Number
0 40 N/A
1 43 N/A
2 14 N/A
3 14 N/A
4 44 N/A
5 47 N/A
Secondary ID
Number
The general procedure for creating this configuration follows.
1. Check the position of installed SFP modules. Move or add SFP modules as
necessary to support the connections needed.
2. Connect expansion units if needed.
3. Configure cache optimization
4. Create one Logical Drive for each server and configure spare disks.
14 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
5. Map Logical Drive 0 to controller channel 0.
6. Map Logical Drive 1 (if created) to controller channel 5.
7. Map Logical Drive 2 (if created) to controller channel 1.
8. Map Logical Drive 3 (if created) to controller channel 4.
9. Connect the first server to upper controller port 0.
10. Connect the second server (if needed) to controller port 5.
11. Connect the third server (if needed) to controller port 1.
12. Connect the fourth server (if needed) to controller port 4.
High-Availability DAS Configurations
Single Server Dual Servers
Quad Servers
FIGURE 6 High-Availability DAS Configurations
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 15
TABLE 3 Configuration Overview for High Availability DAS
Single Server Configurations Dual Server Configurations Quad Server Configurations
Number of Servers 1 2 4
RAID Enclosures 1 1 1
Expansion Units As needed As needed One or more
Number of Controllers 2 2 2
Number of Disks 5 or more 12 or more 24 or more
Cache Optimization Random or sequential Random or sequential Random or sequential
RAID Levels Application-dependent Application-dependent Application-dependent
Fibre connection option Loop only Loop only Loop only
Dive Configuration One or more logical drives
plus one global spare
Two or more logical drives
plus one global spare
Four or more logical drives
plus one global spare
Host Adapters per server Two Single-Port 2-Gbit FC Two Single-Port 2-Gbit FC Two Single-Port 2-
Gbit FC
Traffic Manager Required Required Required
Storage Switches Not required Not required Not required
High-Availability DAS Tips and Techniques
■ A Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array with two controllers can be configured to support
up to eight host connections. These connections can be used in pairs for
redundancy, individually or in any combination of both.
■ You will need to add SFP modules to support more than four host connections to
the Sun StorEdge 3510 array. For example, add two SFP modules to support six
connections and add four SFP modules to support eight connections.
■ Using two single-port 2-Gbit FC host adapters in a high-availability configuration
will make optimum use of the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array’s redundancy.
Mapping logical drive partitions to two paths while using multipathing software
provides the best redundancy.
■ For complete redundancy and high availability, use multipathing software such as
Sun StorEdge Traffic Manager. To configure multipathing:
■ Establish two connections between a server and a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array.
■ Install and enable the software on the server.
■ Map the logical drive to both of the controller channels to which the server is
connected.
16 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
High-Availability DAS Setup Details
Server 1 Server 2
Server 3 Server 4
FIGURE 7 High-Availability DAS Connections
TABLE 4 Setup Summary for High-Availability DAS
Channel Number Primary ID Number
04041
14342
21415
31415
44445
54746
Secondary ID
Number
The general procedure for creating this configuration follows.
1. Check the position of installed SFP modules. Move them as necessary to support
the connections needed.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 17
2. Connect expansion units if needed.
3. Configure cache optimization.
4. Ensure fibre connection is set to loop mode.
5. Configure target IDs.
6. Create one Logical Drive for each server and configure spare disks.
7. Map Logical Drive 0 to channels 0 and 5 of the primary controller.
8. Map Logical Drive 1 (if created) to channels 1 and 4 of the secondary controller.
9. Map Logical Drive 2 to channels 0 and 5 of the primary controller
10. Map Logical Drive 3 (if created) to channels 1 and 4 of the secondary controller.
11. Connect the first server to port 0 of the upper controller and port 5 of the lower
controller.
12. Connect the second server (if needed) to port 1 of the lower controller and port 4
of the upper controller.
13. Connect the third server (if needed) to port 0 of the lower controller and port 5 of
the upper controller.
14. Connect the fourth server (if needed) to port 1 of the upper controller and port 4 of
the lower controller.
15. Install and enable multipathing software on each connected server.
18 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
Full-Fabric SAN Configurations
FIGURE 8 Typical Full-Fabric SAN Configuration
TABLE 5 Configuration Overview for a Full-Fabric SAN
Small Configuration Medium Configuration Large Configuration
Number of Servers 2 to 4 2 to 14 2 to 62
RAID Enclosures 1 1 1
Expansion Units As needed As needed As needed
Number of
Controllers
Number of Disks 12 or more 12 or more 12 or more
Cache Optimization Random or sequential Random or sequential Random or sequent
RAID Levels Application-dependent Application-dependent Application-dependent
Fibre connection
option
Drive Configuration Two LUNs with two global
222
Point-to-point Point-to-point Point-to-point
spares
Two LUNs with two global
spares
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 19
Two LUNs with two global
spares
TABLE 5 Configuration Overview for a Full-Fabric SAN (Continued)
Host Adapters per
server
Traffic Manager Required Required Required
Storage Switches Two 8-port 2-Gbit
Dual-port 2-Gbit FC Dual-port 2-Gbit FC Dual-port 2-Gbit FC
FC fabric switches
Two 16-port 2-Gbit
FC fabric switches
Two 32-port 2-Gbit
FC fabric switches
Full-Fabric SAN Tips and Techniques
■ In the fabric SAN configuration, the switches communicate with the Sun StorEdge
3510 FC array host ports using a fabric point-to-point (F_port) mode. This enables
transparent controller fail-over and fail-back without server-resident software.
However, supporting hot-swap servicing of a failed controller requires the use of
multipathing software, such as the Sun StorEdge Traffic Manager, on the
connected servers.
■ Use of fabric point-to-point (F_port) connections between a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
array and fabric switches limits to 128 the total number of LUNs that can be
presented. Fibre channel standards allow only one ID per port when operating
point-to-point protocols, resulting in a maximum of four IDs, with a maximum of
32 LUNs each, supporting up to 128 LUNs.
Full-Fabric SAN Setup Details
The following example applies to a dual-controller array in a point-to-point
configuration.
20 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
Server 1 Server 2
Switch 3 Switch 4
Diagram showing a full-fabric SAN configuration
FIGURE 9 Full-fabric SAN connections
TABLE 6 Setup Summary for Full Fabric SAN
Channel Number Primary ID Number Secondary ID Number
0 40 N/A
1 N/A 42
21415
31415
4 44 N/A
5 N/A 46
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 21
The general procedure for creating this configuration follows.
1. Check the position of installed SFP modules. Move them as necessary to support
the connections needed.
2. Connect expansion units if needed.
3. Configure cache optimization
4. Ensure fibre connection option is set to point-to-point.
5. Ensure only one target ID per channel is configured.
6. Create at least two logical drives and configure spare disks.
7. Create one or more logical drive partitions for each server.
8. Map Logical Drive 0 to channels 0 and 4 of the primary controller
9. Map Logical Drive 1 to channels 1 and 5 of the secondary controller.
10. If more than two logical drives were created, map even-numbered logical drives to
channels 0 and 4 of the primary controller and odd-numbered logical drives to
channels 1 and 5 of the secondary controller.
11.
Connect the first switch to port 0 of the upper controller and port 1 of the lower
controller.
12. Connect the second switch to port 4 of the lower controller and port 5 of the upper
controller.
13. Connect each server to each switch.
14. Install and enable multipathing software on each connected server.
22 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
High-Performance SAN Configurations
FIGURE 10 Typical High-Performance SAN Configurations
TABLE 7 Configuration Overview for High-Performance SAN
Small Configuration Medium Configuration Large Configuration
Number of Servers 2 to 4 2 to 14 2 to 62
RAID Enclosures 1 1 1
Expansion Units As needed As needed As needed
Number of
Controllers
Number of Disks 12 or more 12 or more 12 or more
Cache Optimization Random or sequential Random or sequential Random or sequential
RAID Levels Application-dependent Application-dependent Application-dependent
Fibre connection
option
Drive Configuration Two LUNs with two global
222
Loop only Loop only Loop only
spares
Two LUNs with two global
spares
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 23
Two LUNs with two global
spares
TABLE 7 Configuration Overview for High-Performance SAN (Continued)
Small Configuration Medium Configuration Large Configuration
Host Adapters per
server
Traffic Manager Required Required Required
Storage Switches Two 8-port 2-Gbit
Dual-port 2-Gbit FC Dual-port 2-Gbit FC Dual-port 2-Gbit FC
FC fabric switches
Two 16-port 2-Gbit
FC fabric switches
Two 32-port 2-Gbit
FC fabric switches
High-Performance SAN Tips and Techniques
■ In the high-performance SAN configuration, the switches communicate with the
Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array host ports using a fabric loop (FL_port) mode. This
enables every Fibre Channel host connection within the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC
array to send and receive data from servers, resulting in optimum performance.
■ Use of fabric loop (FL_port) connections between a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array
and fabric switches enables up to 1024 total LUNs to be presented to servers.
However, using such a large number of LUNs adversely affects performance.
High-Performance SAN Setup Details
The following example applies to a dual-controller array in a loop configuration.
24 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
Server 1 Server 2
Switch 1 Switch 2
Diagram showing high-performance SAN connections
FIGURE 11 High-Performance SAN Connections
TABLE 8 Setup Summary for a High-Performance SAN
Channel Number Primary ID Number Secondary ID Number
04041
14342
21415
31415
44445
54746
The general procedure for creating this configuration follows.
1. Check the position of installed SFP modules. Move them as necessary to support
the connections needed.
Best Practices for the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array 25
2. Connect expansion units if needed.
3. Configure cache optimization.
4. Ensure fibre connection option set to loop mode.
5. Configure target IDs.
6. Create at least two logical drives and configure spare disks.
7. Create one or more logical drive partitions for each server.
8. Map Logical Drive 0 to channels 0, 1, 4 and 5 of the primary controller
9. Map Logical Drive 1 to channels 0, 1, 4 and 5 of the secondary controller.
10. If more than two logical drives were created, map even-numbered logical drives to
channels 0, 1, 4 and 5 of the primary controller and odd-numbered logical drives
to channels 0, 1, 4 and 5 of the secondary controller.
11. Connect the first switch to port 0 of the upper controller and port 1 of the lower
controller.
12. Connect the second switch to port 4 of the lower controller and port 5 of the upper
controller.
13. Connect each server to each switch.
14. Install and enable multipathing software on each connected server.
Summary
Entry-level, mid-range, and enterprise servers are used for a wide range of
applications with distinct storage requirements, so the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array
features a modular architecture with flexible configurations. For example, a solution
can be deployed as direct-attached storage (DAS) or as part of a storage area
network (SAN). Configuration preferences include RAID protection levels, single or
redundant controllers, total storage capacity, multipathing and more.
Modularity and flexibility allow Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array storage solutions to be
quickly and easily adapted to a particular environment.
26 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
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