[nmglug] Linux built SAN

[Nick Frost]

Andres Paglayan wrote:

> I got a 3ware 9550sx RAID controller
> and a bunch of disks,
> 
> now I wonder,
> (I should wondered before, I know)
> 
> what's the best way to create a SAN
> (storage network area) appliance
> using Linux

I have never installed a fiber-channel based SAN, as the company I work 
for is too small for a SAN (NAS works better here presently).

If you truly want a SAN, you likely will need an LSI fiber channel 
controller (I think the LSI controllers are best supported for Linux), a 
fiber switch (Vixel or otherwise), etc.    Theoretically  you could also 
use a gigabit switch to have a copper-based SAN, but fiber channel is 
really how SAN's are most often implemented, although iSCSI is another 
option;

http://www.netadmintools.com/art371.html

http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/17668.html

Depending on what your anticipated scaling needs are, you may want to 
look at clustered file systems like GFS, Lustre, and NAS/SAN projects 
like OpenFiler, etc.

http://www.lustre.org/docs/luswhite.pdf

http://www.openfiler.com/

http://www.networkcomputing.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=47900369&pgno=1

First experiences with large SAN storage and Linux
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16234256

If you want a NAS (simpler, less expensive), you have the choice of 
connecting as many disks to the 3ware 9500-S(12?) as you want and either 
doing hardware RAID or JBOD with software RAID (mdadm).  Then it's just 
a matter of which protocols you want support for, and 
compiling/configuring daemons for SMB/CIFS/AFP, etc.

Good luck!

-Nick
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Nicholas S. Frost
nickf at nickorama.com