Openfiler as a cheap Apple XServe Raid Replacement

robert!g · fully protected Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

I'm currently testing Openfiler as a software to build cheap raid boxes to replace my aging XServe Raids (I have 12 of those, with disks ranging from 400GB to 750GB).

This is just some basic info in case somebody else wants to do this:

Get a used openmicro raid case from ebay (starting at 500$ for a 15 disk case).
Install Openfiler with software raid (free)
Get 15 2TB disks (around 80$ per disk)
Get a used Fibre channel card from ebay (around 20$)

The tricky part is to get fibre channel support working in openfiler, but i know now how to do it (i'm happy to share if anybody needs the info).

This all gives you a 26TB Raid6 system which integrates seamlessly into XSan for less than 2000$.

This is obviously much cheaper than trying to replace older ADM or to use any other kind of ways to keep your old Apple Raids alive.

Please let me know if anybody needs more info.
Merry christmas
Robert

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 860

Just curious, what application is this for? Are you using Xsan?
How many initiators does the unit support? Support if there are problems with software? Performance? Multi Pathing? This seems like a great solution for HSM or nearline. Do you have any real information on setup and actual real world use?

robert!g · fully protected Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

I'm using this to get DV videos to a group of 5 video editors through gigabit ethernet. (I have 2 servers in a SAN which share the data out to users of ethernet.) We do only very simply editing, mostly just one ore two streams of videos per editor. So this generally works for us.

I don't know if multi-pathing works or not. I currently have a FC card with 2 connectors on it, both are connected. I tried to disconnect one of the cables and the connection kept going. Openfiler by default could drive as many FC cards as you want on a single raid unit.

Yes, this is all built into an XSan volume. I have done some real world use for the last few months with it. so far everything is fine. I cannot really testify to real performance issues because of our rather light-weight editing.

matx · Xsan Master Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 378

Like abstractrude said, sounds like a great project for certain applications, especially, cheap 2nd tier storage.

I'd like to know more about how you got fibre channel support working, since that seems to be the important technical difference in a standard openfiler setup. I've been thinking about trying the same with nexentaStor. would be great to get fibre working with it.

robert!g · fully protected Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

I have put down the steps to get fibre channel target support working with openfiler here (target support means that the raid box can be accessed by a server to build it into an XSan volume.)

http://wiki.xsanity.com/groups/xsanitywiki/wiki/d1d0b/Setting_up_openfiler_for_XSan.html

It is a work in progress. I'm going to build another box like this in a few weeks, which will give me a chance to improve the instructions.