Fiber Switch options for VNX 5100

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nev_neo

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Mar 14, 2011
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Guys,
We've recently installed a VNX5100 in our rack and getting ready to migrate data from our old cx500. All the hosts are connected via old Mcdata 2gb switches.
I want to move to newer 4gb or later switches. Do you have any recommendations ?
 
For Dedicated FC switches i've used the Cisco MDS and Brocade lines with zero issues, though i'm partial to the MDS as I have a Cisco background and i've never had a single issue with them.
 
Just get a couple cheap MDS 9124 switches. They work great..been around forever. Make sure you get enough port licenses for what you need.
 
nev_neo said:
I've been looking for MDs' on ebay, but i'm not sure what version i need to get.
I need a 4Gb switch with atleast 16 ports. Would this one do ? - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cisco-DS-C9...79?pt=US_Network_Switches&hash=item27d4fc0b37
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That should work for you. It has 16 active ports which is what you said you needed. The 9124 is a great switch.

Edit: Just wanted to add that you should get 2. The VNX5100 has 2 storage processors so what you could do is take one port from each storage processor and connect it to each switch. For example you could take SPA port 0 and SPB port 1 and connect it to the first switch and then take SPA port 1 and SPB port 0 and connect to the second. Then if your servers have dual port FC adapters you could connect one into each switch then configure your zoning on each switch. If configured properly you could have dual active paths where you could lose a port on your server, lose a switch, or even lose a storage processor and everything will keep on trucking. Note, you may need 3rd party software like PowerPath on your servers to support multiple active paths and you will need to make sure you specify the correct Failover Mode on the VNX5100 when you register your host initiators in order to support active/active. I believe it is ALUA 4 if my memory serves and it might be the default on the VNX5100 but I would just check.
 
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We use Brocade 300s 8gb fiber with our NetApp SAN and they have worked great. We had 4gb MDS 9xxx prior, to which we also had no issues, So i would recommend both.
 
mct said:
That should work for you. It has 16 active ports which is what you said you needed. The 9124 is a great switch.

Edit: Just wanted to add that you should get 2. The VNX5100 has 2 storage processors so what you could do is take one port from each storage processor and connect it to each switch. For example you could take SPA port 0 and SPB port 1 and connect it to the first switch and then take SPA port 1 and SPB port 0 and connect to the second. Then if your servers have dual port FC adapters you could connect one into each switch then configure your zoning on each switch. If configured properly you could have dual active paths where you could lose a port on your server, lose a switch, or even lose a storage processor and everything will keep on trucking. Note, you may need 3rd party software like PowerPath on your servers to support multiple active paths and you will need to make sure you specify the correct Failover Mode on the VNX5100 when you register your host initiators in order to support active/active. I believe it is ALUA 4 if my memory serves and it might be the default on the VNX5100 but I would just check.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about doing that. If I get 2 MDS's how would I need to zone each switch for this kind of configuration ?
So far i've just been plugging them in and letting the servers detect the luns.
 
NetJunkie said:
Just get a couple cheap MDS 9124 switches. They work great..been around forever. Make sure you get enough port licenses for what you need.
Click to expand...

x2.

I've used brocade for 4 years, and been using the mds line for almost 3. both platforms are rock solid.
 
We use the MDS where I am at now for our Symmetrix and VNX lines. However, I used Brocade when we used Netapp and HP/3Par at my previous place.

Personally, I prefer the Brocade from a management perspective. Even though I am familiar with both, I found the Brocade a bit easier to handle. I've been using the MDS longer, though.
 
You have a VNX5100, but are buying a FC switch on eBay and are unfamiliar with fabric zoning.

Something doesn't seem right here.
 
So, I finally got 2 brocade 5000's - emc branded.
As I understand fabric zoning, every host should be isolated from other hosts and should only be connected to the Storage it needs to access. Basically each of them need to be in their own separate vlan.
Am I correct in this assumption ?
 
Zoning should be single initiator - single target. Basically, there should be one zone per path your host has to the storage.
 
Child of Wonder said:
Zoning should be single initiator - single target. Basically, there should be one zone per path your host has to the storage.
Click to expand...
Why would you need to have single initiator to single target ?
I'm trying to understand what the point of that is, infact what is the point to having zones in the first place ?

The way i've set this up is all the SAN targets are grouped into a single alias. The zones are then setup with each intiator and the alias in it.
 
Some of the VNX's FC ports have the ability to be targets and initiators simultaneously like when using SAN Copy or Mirrorview. If everything is zoned together, then those ports are able to see all the other ports on the array which is bad.

Please zone your storage properly. It may take a little more work up front but at least it's one less thing that could potentially destroy your data.
 
Hey Child of Wonder, Thank you so much for the explanation.
I've redone the fabric and zoned each initiator to each target.
Is there anything else I need to do ?
 
How are you masked on the VNX side? You have to give access to those LUN's on the VNX side as well. You can create a host group to make it easy...
 
I have 5 hosts. Each host has 2 FC connections going to each switch.
On the VNX side I created a storage group and added each of the hosts to it.
All of the hosts are running vsphere 4.0. Got to upgrade to 5 but we don't have a current service agreement with vmware.
 
BTW: One of my co-workers did an VNX course for TrainSignal/PluralSight. Worth checking out. Use the 3-day trial if you want.
 
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