NetApp-vSeries or FAS3000

[M__Gieske]

Hello to everyone,

we are evaluating possible iSCSI-Configurations at the moment and I am kinda stuck.

We have two DS8000 currently serving about 2TB VMware-related disk-space via FCP in an active/passive setup.

What we are trying to achieve is to set up an iSCSI-Cluster with FCP-attached disks ( no local disks right now ), like we did with two GF920c about a year ago.

Since we don't own these machines anymore, we are looking for other possible configurations.

What we are looking for, is a solution including two heads with the possibility to attach local and DS8000-disks.

I found nothing about support for esx with vSeries, and nothing about attaching san-space to FAS3000.

Maybe anyone can help?

[christianZ]

The v-series are not supported.

The FAS3000 are supported both iscsi and fc.

Check this:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_san_guide.pdf

[PatrickMSlatter]

All NetApp's are essentially the same. Only the underlying hardware is different, the OS is what makes them special. You can scale from a FAS270 to a FAS6000 by just swapping the head units, the disks and volumes would stay the same.

The V series systems are just the corresponding FAS box with no NetApp supplied disks and an extra license.

You could just as easily buy a FAS3000 (with FC or SATA disk shelves) and add the v-series license to it, then plug in your DS8000 shelves (assuming the DS8000 is supported by NetApp). That would be supported by VMware as I see it.

[M__Gieske]

Thanks for the fast replies.

If I did not misunterstood your post, then I can buy a FAS3000 without any direct-attached disks, add the vseries-license to it and attach LUNs from our DS's?

That would be great!

[christianZ]

I don't think that it will be supportet by vmware.

See the N5000 (oem) systems from IBM - only supported with internal storage.

[M__Gieske]

Thats the point I am not sure of.

Maybe Netapp is not selling the vseries-license to ibm.

Maybe there are minor differences between the FAS3000 and the nseries.

As long as vmware does include such a config, I am happy

[christianZ]

The N-Series from ibm is the oem of v-series.

You can of course contact NetApp and ask them - but when the system is not on HCL it isn't supported.

[M__Gieske]

I thought, the N-Series is an oem of the FAS3000-series.

And FAS3000 is completely supported, according to vmware hcl.

I'll give it a try and contact both vmware-support and netapp.

[christianZ]

Check e.g. this:

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=1144&context=STQTD9&context=STQTDP&context=STQTED&contex...

\- there is connection to ds4800 - works only with V-series (or with N).

[M__Gieske]

Thank god, we have two DS8300....

I think, I will give netapp a call, to ensure, that the FAS-Series can work as a virtualization-layer, as the vseries can.

[christianZ]

Maybe the SVC from IBM is a better choice for you - it can virtualize al the ds series.

Just a thought.

[M__Gieske]

We thought about using SVCs, but we wanna build up a raid1 or raid5 based upon LUNs from two DS8000 and the SVCs can only build RAID0.

[Lfrisino]

We have two FAS3020C, two FAS270s and an R200, which are fully supported by VMWare.

[christianZ]

But he wanted a V-Series with virutalization layer for other systems, e.g. DS series from IBM.

[nas101]

What do VMware actually mean when they say it is only supported with internal storage?