Active SAN Administration

Stinky Grinch · RAID 5 Joined: 21 Feb 2007 Posts: 16

About to build out a SAN with Active SAN MDC's for the first time. All clients will be Lion so they will have XSAN built in to the os. Will be running DNS and OD on mini servers.

From what I've seen on the active website they have their own SAN admin GUI used to configure and monitor the XSAN. So I would not be using XSAN admin anymore, is that correct? If so do we still have the ability to set user storage quotas for OD accounts like I could do in XSAN admin?

Anyone know of any videos that show the Active SAN configuration GUI at all? Haven't been able to find any.

Guess my main concern is walking in to a new client and a new install with active for the first time and being surprised that I can't configure the system features as I did with XSAN admin.

MattG · Xsan Master Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 456

For better or worse, you're not allowed into those boxes, so you're not going to be able to integrate the controllers into any kind of directory. This means quotas are not possible. Permissions work fine as the controllers get this metadata in the form of IDs and just use those to set permissions on files and folders.

The Mac-based GUI is quite lovely and adding the Xsan clients is managed through that.

Two items to be aware of:

• Have Active send you a tech for your first install in case there are any snafus.
• The configuration is going to assume a DHCP server on the public LAN of the infrastructure, since the Mac-based GUI uses Bonjour to "discover" the controllers. If the facility doesn't have DHCP (many don't), then the best thing to do is to create a micro-DHCP server that shells out a few IPs on that subnet, just for the setup. Then you can turn it off. If the resident IT folks get antsy about this, then isolate the system until it's configured, then introduce it back to the LAN and make sure it's still contactable. This will really save you half a day.

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 863

its a very straight forward setup, some of the stuff looks like its from xsan2 admin, so you will feel at home.
just make sure you got dns working of course. without dns active san will not complete setup. also as MattG says, dhcp is essential during the initial setup process. But this isnt a big deal as you can just setup a dhcp server on your mac and use private unmanaged switch until full deployment.

one more thing, run directory from AD or get a mac mini and setup open directory.

Stinky Grinch · RAID 5 Joined: 21 Feb 2007 Posts: 16

Thanks guys! That clears things up for me. Looking forward to my first active deployment.

ogminlo · Xsan Master Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 149

MattG · Xsan Master Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 456

Good point, ogminlo. That probably would work. The original question, however, was if there was a GUI methodology, and as of now, there is not.