[luau] Linux Fibre Channel Server?

[Brian Chee]

I have a few suggestions:

1.    Take a look at JNI, they've got a series of new boxes that use
SerialATA (SATA) but present a FC interface for the box. That way the drives
don't eat you out of house and home.

2.    If you gotta go FC drives, take a look at dotcom depot
(www.sunnyvaledepot.com) and they do stock reductions on field service parts
and almost all of the drives are new or factory refurbs for cents on the
dollar. Even if you dont' see it on the web site, they got LOTS of
stuff...like Compaq Proliant drive cans for $15/each and I got a bunch of
18gb FC IBM drives for $30/each, and a DAC960 RAID controller for $160/each.

3.    I've had VERY little trouble with qlogic FC HBA's and the linux
drivers have worked well in the past with redhat. Even if the download area
doesn't have the version you're looking for (OS that is) call them and
they've been good at compiling a version that will work. Rumor has it that
the source will become available soon, but I haven't verified that fact yet.

4.    Have you thought about using SATA arrays yet? SuperMicro has some VERY
cool RAID cans that can fit five drives in 3 5.25" 1/2 drive bays and
they're hot swap even. Use a 3Ware interface (or so I'm told) and you should
be golden...I haven't tried this yet, but am trying to find some bucks to
play with it.

/brian chee

University of Hawaii ICS Dept
Advanced Network Computing Lab
1680 East West Road, POST rm 311
Honolulu, HI  96822
808-956-5797 voice, 877-284-1934 fax

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian McSheehy" <brian at proservicepeo.com>
To: <luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 1:13 PM
Subject: Re: [luau] Linux Fibre Channel Server?


>
> Hi Dusty,
>
> I have setup many systems with FiberChannel and GigE networks (mainly
> FreeBSD).
> There is really not much to it other than installing the Fiber/GigE NIC in
> your server. Before you buy
> a NIC it would be a good idea to make sure the drivers for the NIC exist
for
> Linux. I don't know what type of file server software you are using but
> installing FiberChannel NIC may or may not help you. If all the hosts on
> your network are connected via 100Mbps connections to the file server and
> the current NIC on your file server isn't maxing out on throughput at any
> given time, then you will not notice much of a performance difference.
Fiber
> Channel can also be expensive, remember you will need a FiberChannel
switch
> too. I have no idea what type of data you share over your network, but if
it
> isn't extremely brandwidth intensive you may want to look at a GigE
> (10/100/1000 Mbps) solution instead. This route may save you quite a bit
of
> cash.
>
> --Brian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dustin Cross" <dusty at sandust.com>
> To: <luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 12:55 PM
> Subject: [luau] Linux Fibre Channel Server?
>
>
> > Aloha,
> >
> > I am trying to find out if it is possible to put a Fibre Channel card in
> > my Linux File Server and start sharing disk space over 2Gb fibre
Channel.
> > Does anyone have any knowledge of doing this?
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dusty
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > LUAU at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
> > http://videl.ics.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/luau
> >
>
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