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strike
JBOD
Joined: 25 Sep 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:43 pm Post subject: Promise Sanlink - anyone using it? |
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Has anyone actually tried the SanLink with XSan or StorNext?
I am interested specially in use cases with non-Promise storage. |
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TuberMagPico
Knows DNS is the answer
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 30
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| Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Will do some testing within a couple of days, I'll post back with data from a Asan test environment |
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JSal
Been around the blocks
Joined: 10 Apr 2010
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes. We're using it with various storage systems, for metadata controlling mini servers. Works fine. |
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brianwells
Xsan Master
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:06 pm Post subject: Using SANlink |
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We are using SANLink and Mac minis for our MDCs and a PresSTORE server.
The SANLink works great - it shows up in OS X like a dual-channel 4Gb Fibre Channel PCI Express card. The only issue we've had is that PresSTORE crashes when you have more than two connected. I plan to file a bug report to Archiware and/or Apple once I've had time to do further testing.
The Mac minis seem to work fine, though they do result in slightly higher latency on the metadata network. |
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abstractrude
Xsan Master
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 865
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| Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| brian. i would like to hear more about the latency. can you provide some more details on you findings. |
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strike
JBOD
Joined: 25 Sep 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the answers!
Anyone using EMC storage or other ALUA compliant storage with the SanLink? |
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beskone
Could work for Apple
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: Using SANlink |
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| brianwells wrote: | We are using SANLink and Mac minis for our MDCs and a PresSTORE server.
The SANLink works great - it shows up in OS X like a dual-channel 4Gb Fibre Channel PCI Express card. The only issue we've had is that PresSTORE crashes when you have more than two connected. I plan to file a bug report to Archiware and/or Apple once I've had time to do further testing.
The Mac minis seem to work fine, though they do result in slightly higher latency on the metadata network. |
Interesting, was thinking this could be a viable MDC setup - especially with Xsan being built into Lion. For a little over a grand you could get a fully functional MDC (add ram, USB Ethernet Adapter and you're good to go)
Are you using the built in Gig-E port for the metadata, or a USB Ethernet adapter?
If you're using the adapter I'd use that for the Public network and the built in for the MetaData as the USB dongle isn't even 100-BaseT speed, probably fix your latency issues right away.
We tested the SANLink on a MacBook Air we had attached to our Lion Xsan test environment, works like a charm - pretty absurd to have a little 11" Air connected to a high performance Xsan, but very cool. iMac's and MBP's just became viable edit workstations! |
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brianwells
Xsan Master
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:27 am Post subject: Re: Using SANlink |
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| beskone wrote: | | Are you using the built in Gig-E port for the metadata, or a USB Ethernet adapter? |
We have the built-in Gigabit port for the metadata network and a USB to Ethernet adapter for the public network.
The latency with the Mac mini is not necessarily bad - its just not as good as what we see on our Xserves or a Mac Pro.
The Mac mini MDCs seem to be handling the job just fine, but I am going to keep a close eye on them for a bit.
FWIW, our Mac minis are still running Snow Leopard - perhaps there will be an improvement when we upgrade them to Lion. |
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ogminlo
Xsan Master
Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| I thought the Thunderbolt minis shipped with Lion. Did you backload 10.6? |
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keithkoby
Xsan Master
Joined: 04 Apr 2006
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| ogminlo wrote: | | I thought the Thunderbolt minis shipped with Lion. Did you backload 10.6? |
If so, was there any trick getting SL on the new mini and getting the thunderbolt port to be available? |
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abstractrude
Xsan Master
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 865
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah would love to know how you got snow leopard on the new mini |
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Randy
JBOD
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
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brianwells
Xsan Master
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:31 pm Post subject: Snow Leopard on Thunderbolt Mac mini |
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We built a Mac OS X Server 10.6.8 NetRestore image and were able to use this to load Snow Leopard on a few Mac minis (Mid 2011 model). To install the Thunderbolt Software Update for Snow Leopard, we extracted the Archive.pax.gz inside and used ditto to overlay the packed files on the installed OS.
The Mac minis have been running Snow Leopard for about a month and the SANlink adapters work just fine. However, I do not recommend this approach for several reasons:
1) Not a supported configuration. Enough said on that. 
2) I did not see this since the servers are headless, but I've been told that the video drivers do not work properly.
3) This technique only worked with the very first of the Mid 2011 models we received - all the most recent ones kernel panic when we try to boot 10.6.8.
4) In the last week we have seen some stability issues on the USB bus that has forced us to reboot two servers so far.
Installing Snow Leopard on the Mac minis was supposed to be a very temporary measure to get us out of a bind, but somehow that stretched into a whole month. This weekend we are planning to upgrade all of them to Lion Server. Then we will really be able to put the SANlink to work. |
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abstractrude
Xsan Master
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 865
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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| this wont always work but in this case, that 10.6.8 has all the drivers needed for the new mini, it does work. |
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Michael
partially protected
Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: Snow Leopard on Thunderbolt Mac mini |
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| brianwells wrote: | | To install the Thunderbolt Software Update for Snow Leopard, we extracted the Archive.pax.gz inside and used ditto to overlay the packed files on the installed OS. |
Can someone walk me through this? |
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