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8 Sun StorEdge 3000 Family Best Practices Manual • October 2003
FIGURE 2 Two DAS Configurations
The actual number of servers that can be connected varies according to the number
of Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array controllers. It also depends on the quantity of Fibre
Channel connections used for each server and the total number of small form-factor
pluggable (SFP) interface modules installed. DAS configurations often include single
or dual servers only, though a dual-controller Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array can
support up to four servers with redundant connections, or eight servers in non-
redundant DAS configurations by adding SFP modules.
Storage Area Networking
Introducing storage switches to a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array configuration creates
a SAN, increasing the number of servers that can be connected. Essentially, the
maximum number of servers that can be connected to the SAN becomes equal to the
number of available storage switch ports. Storage switches generally include the
ability to manage and monitor the Fibre Channel networks they create, which can
reduce storage management workloads in multiple server environments.
The Sun StorEdge 3510 FC is designed to be deployed in SANs based on switched
Fibre Channel fabrics. In a SAN scenario, the server HBAs are connected to one side
of the fabric and storage is connected to the other. A SAN fabric automatically routes
Fibre Channel packets between ports on one or many Fibre Channel switches.
SAN deployment enables the Sun StorEdge 3510 FC to be used by a larger number of
hosts. This storage strategy tends to utilize storage resources more effectively and is
commonly referred to as storage consolidation.
The number of hosts that can effectively share one Sun StorEdge 3510 FC depends
on several factors, such as the type of host application, bandwidth requirements, and
the need for concurrent IOPs. Since most applications have moderate performance
needs, it is quite feasible to have several hosts sharing the same Sun StorEdge 3510
FC controller.
Standard DAS Configuration High Availability DAS Configuration