hp simply consolidation solution guide - it solutions - it

HP Simply Consolidation solution guideYour guide to shared storage for business efficiencySpring 2008

Simply StorageWorks

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Part 1: The importance of consolidating your storage(pages 3–10)• Challenges of rapid online data growth

• The solution: network storage

• Benefits of storage consolidation

• What is a storage area network?

• The components of a storage area network (SAN)

• Planning for storage consolidation and SANdeployment

Part 2: Assessing your options (pages 11–13)• Disk drive technologies: Serial ATA vs. SCSI and

Fibre Channel disks

• SAN infrastructure

• HP’s approach and unique benefits

• An overview of entry-level SAN arrays

Part 3: Choosing the right solution (pages 14–23)• Storage consolidation deployment examples

– All-in-One Storage Systems: cost-effective IP SANand file serving in a single solution

– Shared storage for an application cluster withMSA500 G2

– Fibre Channel SAN with MSA2000fc

– Cost-effective, disaster-tolerant storage

• Choosing the right solution

Part 4: Complete your knowledge (pages 24–27)• How HP Services can complement your solutions

• Your questions answered

• Jargon buster—simple definitions of key technologyterms used in this guide

Can we help you further?This guide is part of the Simply StorageWorksframework, which provides comprehensive guidanceand information about the complete HP storagesolutions for small and midsized businesses. If you are looking for ways to optimize your file-servinginfrastructure, consult our Simply File Services solutionguide. For ways to protect your critical information,refer to the Simply Business Protection solution guide.

For many businesses, the accumulation of data is increasingby more than 100 percent a year—and new regulatoryrequirements are only adding to the problem. The challenge is to manage data storage efficiently while controlling costs.HP Simply Consolidation can help you implement simple,affordable, and reliable shared data storage for yourapplication servers.

How can this guide help?This guide is designed to help you understand the benefits of consolidating your storage by sharing storage from multiple application servers. In addition, it discusses what a storage area network (SAN) does andsuggests practical ways to choose the solution that is right for your business. The focus of this guide is on entry-level network storage solutions for small and midsized businesses (SMBs). In particular, it features the HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array (MSA) and the HP StorageWorks All-in-One (AiO) Storage System.

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Challenges of rapid online data growthIn the past, there seemed to be only one way for smalland midsized businesses to handle the exponentialgrowth of data: add more servers to store it. Yet asdata accumulation increases—spurred by mountingstacks of e-mail and new legal requirements forbusiness documentation—simply adding servers is notenough to solve most storage problems. Worse,adding extra drives or servers with direct-attachedstorage (DAS) can mean adding extra headaches.Such a solution does not scale up well. It creates anenvironment that is difficult to manage, often withdevices scattered throughout several locations. It addsto the risk of losing your most important data. It is notresponsive to business change, sometimes becoming aserious impediment to profitability and growth. Inshort, simply adding servers is an ineffective way tohandle the problems of data storage, resulting in ahigher total cost of ownership (TCO).

The solution: network storageAs a solution to rapid data growth and serverproliferation, network storage provides manyadvantages over the limitations of DAS. A dedicated,optimized network storage solution can vastly simplifymanagement, permit better resource utilization, andprotect critical data. Further, network storage isaccessible to any computer that can have access to the network, making it easier to scale centrally andprotect.

Network-attached storage (NAS) vs. storage areanetwork (SAN)The network storage solution you should consider willdepend on whether you are experiencing growth ofunstructured file data, such as productivity documents,or experiencing growth of structured application data,such as e-mail or database information, often referredto as block data.

Part 1: The importance of consolidatingyour storage

Part 3 Part 4Part 1 Part 2

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Files reside on a file system, and access to them isgained using a file-serving protocol. Some applicationscan bypass this file system and improve performanceby gaining access to disk storage directly with lower-lever block access protocols.

Network-attached storage (NAS) refers to dedicated,turnkey file server solutions that are quick to install andeasy to manage. In contrast, a storage area network(SAN) is a way for an application to use capacity on acentralized storage array by employing low-level blockaccess commands. In other words, NAS can bedescribed as file-based data sharing and SAN asblock-based data sharing.

Unified storage, or all-in-one storage, is anothernetwork storage term that describes technologies thatallow storage devices to perform both NAS and SANfunctions with the same system.

Understanding these terms—files, blocks, NAS, SAN,and unified storage—can be invaluable in assessingwhich storage solution is best for your business. Forexample, adding capacity for unstructured file data(such as rich media content or productivity files) can be addressed with a file-serving, or NAS, solution. A storage array, or SAN, solution is a good fit for an e-mail or database application that is running out of space.

This Simply Consolidation solution guide focuses onHP’s SAN solutions. If you think a NAS or optimizedfile server better meets your needs, refer to our SimplyFile Services solution guide.

Benefits of storage consolidationConsolidating your storage with a SAN can helpreduce cost and complexity while improving yourability to manage data storage. Further, a properlydesigned SAN can reduce your TCO and improveyour return on investment (ROI) as demonstrated by the following dimensions::

Lower costs• Better asset utilization

• Higher IT staff productivity with reduced repetitivemanagement tasks

• A diminishing “price per server,” achieved withconsolidated storage

Mitigate risk• Better growth management with technology that

lends itself to exponential expansion

• Higher data availability and security with softwareand hardware tools designed to protect singleconsolidated storage

• Faster data backup and restore with higher-speeddata paths that improve the speed of data protection

Accelerate business growth• Faster capacity deployment by adding capacity

without disrupting user access

• Better data protection through more comprehensivemethods to secure and replicate your assets

• More flexibility with a range of storage strategiesthat give you choices to meet both immediate andfuture goals

5Part 3 Part 4Part 1 Part 2

What is a storage area network?The simplest way of understanding a storage areanetwork (SAN) is to compare it to an already populartype of IT infrastructure solution: the local area network(LAN), which enables multiple PCs to share key ITresources such as applications, servers, shared files,and printers.

In much the same way, a SAN enables you to sharestorage among many servers. However, storage andservers require a much faster way to communicate thanprinters. Therefore, there are various choices that canhelp you to create the best data path between storageand servers.

The components of a storage areanetwork (SAN)In the most simple form, a SAN requires:

• Storage that is capable of sharing itself (typically a disk array)

• A network or data path that lets servers and storage“talk” to each other

• Servers, often referred to as “hosts”

• Software that configures the shared environment(typically included with the storage device)

Optional components can enhance a SAN:

• Secondary storage (typically a tape library forbackup and restore)

• Management software and monitoring tools

A SAN is just as likely to use tape backup and restoreas it is to use disk. This means that instead of sharingdisk storage, a SAN can be implemented around high-speed tape backup and restore.1

1 See the Simply Business Protection solution guide for additional details.

Storage consolidation enabler: the storage areanetwork (SAN)

S1, S2,S3, S4,

SnMultiple servers

Storage capacity

Ethernet LAN network

SAN: Fibre Channel or IP(Ethernet) network

SAN management software

Consolidate server storage into storagearray

Disk storage Tape storage

S1 S2 S3 S4 Sn

SAN infrastructure

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SAN disk arrays are centralized storage pools forservers. Compared with internal disk drives or externalenclosures that can be attached directly behind aserver, SAN disk arrays provide additional benefitsassociated with their ability to enable dataconsolidation, including increased availability,capacity utilization, and simplified management.

In a consolidated environment, a disk array is sharedamong several servers. As a result, problems with thedisk storage or with the data path between the serversand storage can disrupt the applications running onthose servers. Therefore, it is important to design anenvironment that delivers the level of redundancy andavailability that your business requires.

Key product criteriaRedundant components: Hot-swappable fans, powersupplies, hard drives, redundant arrays of independentdisks (RAID), and multiple data paths help ensure thatservers can gain access to their data.

Scalability: With a modular design, the disk storageallows you to increase capacity by adding drives,drive shelves, or controllers.

Performance: Disk arrays with high-speed disk drivesand a larger quantity of disks are critical.

Data security: Implement RAID functionality to protectagainst drive failure.

SAN component no. 1: the disk array

Benefit of a SAN: provides increased availability andcapacity utilization—plus simplified management—byconsolidating data in a disk array.


The SAN infrastructure allows servers to “talk” to thestorage. There are different options based on cost,speed, and distance between the servers and storage.

Distance: first benefit is its speed over relatively longdistances. Servers can reside right next to each other,in different rooms, on different floors of a building, orin different buildings throughout a campus. The serversand storage act as though they are connected locally,providing very fast performance.

Fault tolerance: SAN technology lends itself to multiplecable connections between a server and the storagearray, protecting against a cable, controller, or switchfailure.

High availability: A SAN is the recommendedarchitecture for server clustering, with two or moreservers in the cluster sharing the same storagecapacity. Adding data replication makes it possible tobuild failover sites and disaster recovery—protectingdata at a second location should disaster occur at the first.

Benefit of a SAN: creates a high-performance, resilient infrastructure that can be modified easily as your needs change.

SAN component no. 2: the network, or data path

Servers

Storage

Servers

Storage

Servers

Storage

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Configuration software is perhaps the most importantpart of any SAN. Typically, the disk array has two setsof configuration software: one to protect the disks viaRAID and another to share your disk array with one or more servers.

RAID setup: The disk array typically allows you tocreate a RAID group for the number of disk drives in the array. RAID technology protects your disks in the SAN from physical drive failures. RAID can alsocontinue to serve your business until repairs can beperformed on one or more failed disk drives.

SAN sharing software (logical unit number [LUN]assignment): This software enables storage devices tobe shared with servers. Once RAID groups have beencreated, you can assign portions of them to one ormore servers. Each server typically draws on thebenefit of the RAID-protected set of disks. The software“carves” portions of the disk capacity and “gives” thecapacity to the corresponding server. For example,

you may have 2.5 TB of storage protected in a RAID 5configuration, with five servers attached to the SAN.Your finance server may require 500 GB of capacity,your engineering group 1 TB, marketing 500 GB,shipping 250 GB, and the legal group 250 GB. Theappropriate capacities are selected and assigned toeach server. That server “believes” it owns uniquestorage. In reality, however, the SAN is a single diskentity that is used by every server.

HP All-in-One (AiO) Storage Systems use HP All-in-OneStorage Manager (ASM) software to take a differentapproach to SAN configuration. ASM reducescomplexity by presenting storage in an “application-centric” framework and integrates well withapplications such as Microsoft® Exchange and SQLServer. ASM automates both the RAID setup and LUNassignment for hosts connected to the AiO StorageSystem via iSCSI.

SAN component no. 3: the SAN configurationsoftware

Benefit of a SAN: enhances efficiency by managing your consolidated storage from one logical location and allows value-added capabilities, building on theinfrastructure.


Multiple servers can be connected to a SAN. Serversrequire a way to connect to and communicate with the storage. There are various methods to make thisconnection—either a dedicated data path using high-speed Fibre Channel components or a data pathusing iSCSI, which can be dedicated or shared. Toparticipate in the SAN, a Fibre Channel or iSCSI cardis inserted into the server, and then appropriate cablesare used to connect the servers to the storage device.

Optional component no. 1: nearline storageRunning backup over a LAN usually results in the tapedrives running at slower LAN speeds. Therefore, one of the key benefits of building a high-speed SANinfrastructure (with Fibre Channel, for example) is its ability to run and push data at the tape drive’smaximum speed. Faster backup and restore providesbetter protection and recovery of data.

Optional component no. 2: themanagement softwareMonitoring: Management software can give you agraphic picture of your SAN and the status of all ofyour components—even if your servers or storage arein different locations.

Assessment: Performance bottlenecks in the SAN canbe identified and resolutions tested to find the optimumfunctionality.

Benefit of a SAN: allows server and storage resources toevolve at their own pace without jeopardizing the ITinvestment. Various types of servers and servers withdifferent operating systems can share the storage pool.

SAN component no. 4: the servers

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Planning for storage consolidation and SAN deployment

To help with your SAN deployment and achieve yourbusiness and IT objectives, some general guidelinesare listed below.

The guidelines provide a storage-centric view to help in determining which technology will best satisfy your needs.

Looking at your business from a server- andapplication-centric view, the table below can be used to calculate roughly how much storage capacityyou need now and in the near future—in addition to the level of protection you need per server andapplication. Using capacities and growth rates, you can determine approximately what your diskrequirements will be. Your service requirement anddata value will help you to calculate the type ofstorage network or data path you may wish toinvestigate.

Storage capacity: Calculate your storage capacity perserver, your expected future capacity needs, and yourcompany’s projected annual growth

Service requirements: In case of failure, how muchdowntime can you tolerate? Are your applicationservers already clustered?

Data value: In case of data loss, how much would itcost you to recreate your data from scratch?

Fibre Channel iSCSI implementation Direct-attached implementation storage (DAS)

implementation

High uptime/reliability Best Better Good

Shared storage Better Best Limited

High-speed backup/restores Best Better Good

Future expansion Best Better Good

Price per GB Good Better Best

Storage capacity Service requirement Data value

Current Future Growth Maintenance Clusterrate level (Y/N)

Server/application 1

Server/application 2

Server/application N

Total GB GB % Highest level $


Disk drive technologies: Serial ATAvs. SCSI, SAS, and Fibre ChanneldisksVarious disk drive technologies can be deployed in a SAN with different complementing benefits.

Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and SmallComputer System Interface (SCSI) disk technology isthe right choice for networked storage. SCSI/SAS orFibre Channel disks remain a better choice for reliable,high-performance storage. If performance is not aprimary consideration and your business requires high-capacity, cost-effective storage for file serving,archival data, or reference information, then SATA is a perfect choice.

Serial ATA (SATA) disks provide a much lower cost per gigabyte than SCSI, SAS, or Fibre Channel disks.However, SATA disks are not designed for the samelevel of performance and reliability as SCSI, SAS, or Fibre Channel disk drives.

If your business has requirements for multiple drivetechnologies, look for disk arrays that can supportboth: HP All-in-One (AiO) Storage and Modular Smart Array (MSA) systems.

Part 2: Assessing your optionsChoosing the appropriate technology for yourenvironment

Serial ATA SCSI Serial Attached Fibre (SATA) SCSI (SAS) Channel

Capacity Highest Moderate Moderate Moderate

Reliability Moderate High High High

Performance Low High High High

Scalability Moderate Low Moderate High

Data access type Moderate Frequent Frequent Frequent

Price per GB Low Moderate Moderate High

Best use File storage, Business Business Business

archival/backup, transactions transactions transactions secondary and primary and primary and primary applications applications applications applications

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SAN infrastructureA storage network needs to be fast and accurate todeliver data. Typically, a dedicated infrastructure isneeded to meet the requirement for speed and error-free delivery. Historically, SANs have used FibreChannel protocol on a dedicated fiber-optic network.Because its performance was raised to a sufficient level(via Gigabit Ethernet), the development of the newiSCSI protocol has made it possible to use an existingEthernet infrastructure.

Fibre Channel SANs: for larger, more demandingenvironmentsBecause the low-latency Fibre Channel protocol isdesigned specifically for storage networks, it providesa high level of performance and reliability betweenservers and storage devices. Over the coming years,Fibre Channel SANs are expected to remain thechoice when fully integrated SAN back-up is requiredand in environments where high performance andavailability are critical (e.g., in data centers).

IP SANs: the new technology for smaller businessesFor smaller IT environments, Internet Protocol (IP) SANsare ideal. An existing 1 GB/s Ethernet network willprovide sufficient bandwidth to connect several serversto a SAN storage device. This can be done usingeither standard network interface cards (NICs) oroptional TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) cards thatoffload network tasks from servers with high CPUloads. Performance can be improved by teamingnetwork ports and enabling TCP/IP functions such as Jumbo Frames through the Ethernet network layer.

When considering a storage infrastructure, an analogyof ordinary roads can be helpful: Fibre Channel issimilar to an eight-lane highway (high speed withroom for a high volume of traffic). The IP SAN is like atwo-lane road (capable of high speed but with fewercars). Just as it is more costly to construct an eight-lanehighway than a two-lane road, choosing the right SANinfrastructure is a matter of balancing your needs forperformance, scalability, and cost.

Simple, affordable reliable solutionsTo match the IT intensity of your business, the size of your environment and your other business needs, HP gives small and midsized companies the choicebetween an integrated “turnkey” solution or acustomized network solution that groups several typesof products.

The HP StorageWorks All-in-One (AiO) Storage Systemfamily of unified storage devices provides shared iSCSIstorage while also supplying optimized NAS file-and-print serving and data protection capabilities—allunder a radically simple management umbrella.

These fully integrated systems are designed to bedeployed and managed by IT generalists with nostorage expertise. The AiO Storage Systems supportmixed SATA and SAS hard disk drive (HDD)environments, and are expandable using MSA50,MSA60, and MSA70 storage enclosures.

Core features of the All-in-One Storage System• Includes the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, which

permits consolidated block-based SAN storage forapplications running on Windows®, Linux, VMware,and more.

• Runs Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 R2operating system, which allows 20 percent faster file-serving performance and 35 percent more efficientfile storage with integrated deduplication features.

• Provides data protection with an integrated copy ofHP Data Protector Express software. Supportsreplication between systems using HP StorageWorksStorage Mirroring software.

• Delivers on the promise of simplicity with the All-in-One Storage Manager (ASM) interface, which isdesigned for IT generalists.

For more information on HP All-in-One Storage, visit:www.hp.com/go/aiostorage

“HP has been apartner who hasinvested the timeto understand ourbusiness goalsand needs. Theyprovide the bestsolutions thatmake the mostsense for us. Weknow that we cantrust their wordand theirsolutions.” Peter Gilbert,Director of theInformationTechnologyServices Group,London HealthSciences Centre

HP’s approach and unique benefits


The HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array (MSA)family of products enables the construction of acomplete storage consolidation solution using severalmodular components that integrate seamlessly. AnMSA solution thus requires a little more planning butprovides maximum flexibility, availability, andperformance.

These robust solutions provide outstanding price/performance features for small clusters, as well asentry-level and midrange SAN environments. Designedto maximize transfer rates, reduce management costs,and drive a rapid return on investment, each solutionsupports flexible platforms and advanced dataprotection features. The MSA family provides reliable,cost-effective storage to address your most demandingneeds.

For more information about HP Modular Smart Array(MSA) systems, visit: www.hp.com/go/msa2000

File sharing (CIFS or NFS)PublicLAN

Block access (iSCSI SAN)

SQLserver

AiO600

Tape backup

SnapshotsExchange

Application Subnet

“With our recent move to a virtual server configuration, weneeded a storage device that has a rich feature set and thatallows for greater throughput, which our virtual serverenvironment requires. The MSA2000 provides us with thesecapabilities and at a price we can easily afford.” Mark Ross, Associate Director/Operations Manager/StorageAdministrator, IU Kelley School of Business

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Part 3: Choosing the right solution

Solutions for a small company outgrowing its servercapacity“Winsure” is an insurance company with 100employees, two offices, and only one IT person. Itsmain office has five servers, but the older file serverneeded to be replaced and some application serverswere running low on space. With a limited budget, thecompany needed a solution that could solve multiplestorage problems and be easy to deploy.

The solutionThe HP 1200 All-in-One Storage System (AiO1200)replaced Winsure’s older file server, extended itsapplication server storage capacity with iSCSI, andacted as a consolidation target for its backup data.

By having a single pool of storage for applicationdata, file serving, and even data protection, Winsurereduced its management costs and increased its abilityto respond to growth.

The benefitsHP All-in-One Storage Systems combined the benefitsof an iSCSI SAN and an optimized NAS file server,making it perfect for cost-conscious offices ordepartments. It can also be used as a disk-basedbackup target and consolidation point for dataprotection, including replication between systems using HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring.

Cost-effective IP SAN and file serving in a single solution:All-in-One Storage Systems

All-in-One Storage SystemClients

Application servers

AiO1200

Tape device(MSL2024)

iSCSI initiator

iSCSI target

File serving (NAS) viaCIFS/NFS protocol

Locally hosted iSCSI LUNs and NAS file shares are backed up directly from AiO to tape, optical, or other disk on the network.


Scalable and redundant IP solution withMSA2000i

Unexpected data growth presents a major businesschallengeWinsure managed its business effectively. Thecompany grew and became established in the market.One of the biggest challenges for Winsure, however,was the unexpected data growth in its headquarters.

The company needed a flexible and affordablestorage solution that would allow all of the differentgroups within Winsure to have easy access to storageand manage their data storage needs flexibly.

After an urgent meeting with the head of finance andthe technology manager, it became clear that Winsuredid not want to invest in an expensive solution becauseit was satisfied with current user performance. Theneed for more disk space was the main challenge.

The solutionWinsure decided to implement an IP SAN solution with an MSA2000i as a central storage array,enabling the company to expand the disk spaceflexibly and affordably.

The easy implementation over an IP LAN network andthe flexibility of the iSCSI connection enabled Winsureto plan its disk space growth in a controlled andcentralized way.

The benefitsWith the scalable MSA2000i solution, Winsureachieved a solution that is easy to manage andenables the company to grow in a planned andstructured way. The redundant hardware componentsallow Winsure to increase its storage availability.

LAN (Ethernet)

HP ProCurve networking switch

MSA2000i

iSCSI SAN (Ethernet)

Optional for redundancy

ProLiant DL320 G5running Microsoft

SQL Server

ProLiant DL380 G5 runningMicrosoft Exchange

ProLiant DL320 G5running Linux

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Moving from DAS to shared storage as the businessgrowsWinsure’s second office also has several servers, two of which are used as application servers for anapplication critical to Winsure’s business. Therefore,the company was looking to gain higher availabilityby moving from DAS to shared storage.

The solutionThe best way to accomplish this transition was toimplement a simple two-node cluster. Two serversparticipating in a cluster share an MSA500 G2. In theevent of a server or application failure, the secondaryserver “takes over” the function of the first server andthe business continues to run. Because Winsure usesProLiant servers, the existing hard drives were movedinto the MSA500 G2, saving time, lowering cost, andreducing complexity.

The benefitsThe MSA500 G2 has a very simple design and usesfamiliar SCSI cabling to connect servers to the array.HP provides bundled part numbers that include two DL servers and an MSA500 G2 for a completehardware solution. You can simply add your choice ofhard drives or migrate existing ProLiant universal drivesinto the MSA500 G2. Optional services are availableso that you can install the appropriate operatingsystem and drives to customize your solution. Whetheryou prefer to deploy the cluster at your main site orwant to deploy a consistent configuration at multiple remote sites, you can receive a two-node cluster that is functioning and ready to implement right out of the box.

Shared storage for an application cluster withMSA500 G2

Shared storage with MSA500 G2

DL380 G5application server

DL380 G5application server

MSA500 G2—shared storagefor 2-node clusters


Fibre Channel SAN with MSA2000fc

More business transactions mean a need for higherperformance and availabilityWinsure continued to be successful and to grow, withmore transactions, more records, and more employees.As a result, newer strategies were required. Not onlydid the company need to improve availability, but dataprotection was also becoming critical. In addition,different groups within Winsure had their own serversbased on performance needs. They needed to simplifystorage management.

The solutionThe Winsure IT department, which has now grown to four staff members, decided to implement a FibreChannel SAN. This allowed the company to addservers easily as needed, implement additional server clusters for its different applications, addredundancy for its critical servers, and take advantageof the Fibre Channel SAN for high-speed backup and restore.

The benefitsWhen consolidating storage from multiple servers(clustered or nonclustered), a SAN solution based onthe MSA2000fc provides outstanding efficiency,flexibility, and scalability. Multiple clusters are alsopossible.

The association of server blades with the SAN makesthe perfect IT building block, permitting maximumefficiencies on both the computing and storage side.Enhancements in the MSA2000fc, such as dualcontroller capability, make this type of deploymentpossible with significant improvements in performance.

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Cost-effective, disaster-tolerant storageWhen lost data could mean lost business for WinsureBecause the company made cost-effective decisions for shared storage and SANs early in its IT growth,Winsure continued to grow, becoming number one inits industry. SANs gave Winsure a storage strategythat could expand as its business grew. The stakesbecame even higher. Data became extremely critical to the existence of the company. Even losing a fewtransactions during the day could have had a negativeimpact on its customers.

The solutionFor up-to-the-second protection against manyproblems, Winsure deployed Storage Mirroring, host-based software for Windows and Linux environmentsthat helped replicate data to another server in realtime. The company chose to locate this replicationserver in one of its buildings across town so that in theevent of a local problem at the production facility, itwould be able to gain access to the replication serverautomatically, ensuring more uptime than ever before.

ProLiant DL380 G5running MicrosoftExchange


MSL2024 with native Fibre Channel connectivity

Oracle® running Windows 64-bit in a 2-node HP Integrity cluster

4 Gb 16-port Fibre Channel switches—with two switchesused for redundant connections

HP BladeSystem c-Classwith multiple clusters and multiple single server blades

MSA2000fc with two disk array enclosure—a total of 24 drives and two redundant controllers

Fibre Channel SAN with MSA2000fc

Previous Fibre Channel SAN with MSA2000fc with Storage Mirroring loaded on each server

ProLiant DL585 G2 running Microsoft Windows and Storage Mirroring

Disaster recovery site with servers,storage, and Storage Mirroring

MSA2000fc with three disk array enclosure—a total of 36 SATA disk drives and two redundant controllers

Oracle running Windows 64-bitin a 2-node HP Integritycluster

4 Gb 16-port Fibre Channel switches—with two switches used for redundant connections

HP BladeSystem c-Class with multipleclusters and multiple singleserver blades

ProLiant DL380 G5running MicrosoftExchange


MSA2000fc with two disk array enclosure—a total of 24 SAS disk drives and two redundant controllers

MSL2024 with native Fibre Channel connectivity

Cost-effective, disaster-tolerant storage


The benefitsStorage Mirroring can recover files replicated hours,minutes, or seconds earlier. This replication cancomplement tape backup and restore as well assnapshot technologies to add another “layer” ofenhanced data protection.

In the figure that follows, the data is “copied” from the “live” environment on the left and sent over thenetwork to the “replication” environment on the right.

The Storage Mirroring software is designed to takeonly byte-level changes and send them to the secondserver or site. This byte-level replication uses the leastamount of network bandwidth, giving you an excellentdata protection solution—without the need to purchasenew communication infrastructures.

Ultimate management efficiencyThe HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA)family gives you the ultimate in management efficiency,thanks to built-in virtualization. The EVA aggregatesand automates your SAN storage. It presents yourstorage capacity as a “virtual” pool, eliminating thephysical boundaries between storage and server. Thissimplifies management and increases your flexibility inbuilding storage pools for applications.

With virtualization in the EVA, you can save money by not overinvesting or overprovisioning disk capacitybecause the EVA supports dynamic capacity or LUNexpansions without taking the array offline. The EVAfamily provides connectivity through the use of industry-standard or multi-pathing software, such as Multi-pathI/O (MPIO), and massive scalability that is limitedonly by the size of today’s disk drives.

The new HP StorageWorks 4400 Enterprise VirtualArray (EVA4400) provides EVA enterprise-classfunctionality at an affordable price. In addition, you can install the EVA4400 in just a few hours.

By adding software such as HP StorageWorksDynamic Capacity Management, Business Copy, or Continuous Access, your EVA4400 can assist your workload distribution and data mining.

For more about the HP EVA, contact your HP salesrepresentative or visit: www.hp.com/go/eva

EVA—combine simple management withperformance and availability

If you need increased performance and greater flexibility for demandingmission-critical applications, consider the HP StorageWorks EnterpriseVirtual Array (EVA) family.

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Which storage area network (SAN) is right for you?Here is a quick way of choosing the best solution for your specific storage needs.

Choosing the right solution

No

No Yes

Start

YesNo Do you requireredundancy in

your array?

YesDo you require redundantconnections in a cluster of more than 2 nodes?

YesDo you need more than 14disks or 4 TB of capacity?

YesDo you need distance between

servers (>15 m)?

NoYes Do you want tocombine file servingand block storage in a single device?

YesNo Do you need array-based snapshot orclone functionality?

HP StorageWorksMSA2000i

Shared SCSI storage IP SAN FC SAN

No

NoAre you looking for SATA/SAS storage?

YesDo you need more than

48 TB of capacity?

YesDo you need enterprise arrayscalability and performance?

No

No

Many demanding servers, highest availability

Multiple servers withmedium-to-high I/Operformance

Multiple servers with medium I/Operformance

Up to 4 servers (1 cluster max.) IP

or FC

SAN

How many servers areyou considering for

storage consolidation?

HP StorageWorksMSA2000fc

HPStorageWorks

EVA

HP StorageWorksMSA500 G2

See the QuickSpecs at: www.hp.com/go/msa for latest product details

HP StorageWorksAll-in-One

Storage Systems

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HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Arrays HP StorageWorks All-in-One Storage Systems

Entry-level consolidation Entry-level consolidation and unified storage

MSA500 G2 AiO400r/ AiO600 AiO1200AiO400t

Affordable shared storage solution Entry-level Expandable Higher-unified IP unified IP performanceSAN and NAS SAN and NAS SAN and NASsolution solution solution

Disk technology SCSI SATA or SAS SATA or SAS SATA or SAS

Scalability Scale up to 4 TB Preconfigured Preconfigured Preconfigured2 TB system up to 3 TB; up to 9 TB;with 4 disk scalable to scalable toslots over 50 TB over 50 TB

with MSA with MSA enclosures enclosures

Consolidation Consolidate storage up to 4 servers or Consolidate multiple servers in an IP SANone 2-node cluster including shared storage behind a cluster

Redundancy Full redundancy with up to 2 array controllers Hardware RAID controller; MPIO enables multiple pathsbetween servers and storage

Operating system Microsoft Windows Windowssupport Linux Linux

VMwareQLogic

Other features Data replication and server fail-over over LAN Includes All-in-One Storage Manager for or WAN in Windows and Linux environments1 simple management and migration; provides

file serving, replication1, snapshots, and direct backup

1 Using HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring

HP’s family of products


HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Arrays HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array family

Entry-level consolidation Midrange consolidation High-end consolidation

MSA2000i MSA2000fc EVA4100, 6100, 8100, and EVA4100 starter kits

Flexible Flexible, scalable High-performance and high-availability virtualized array solution

IP SAN solution Fibre Channel Fibre Channel SAN solution SAN solution

SATA and/or SCSI SATA and/or SCSI Fibre Channel and/or SATA

Scale up to 36 TB (SATA) Scale up to 36 TB (SATA) Scale up to 240 TB (EVA8100)or 14.4 TB (SAS) or 14.4TB (SAS) using 1 TB SATA drives

Consolidate multiple Enhanced storage consolidation in a Easy manageability and virtualization allows servers in an IP SAN Fibre Channel SAN with multiserver clustering consolidation of multiple storage devices

Redundant controllers, Redundant controllers Redundant architecture and broad choice of software, cooling and power supplies cooling and power supplies including local and remote replication

Windows Windows WindowsLinux Linux LinuxVMware VMware HP-UX

Tru64 UNIX, OpenVMSSolaris, AIX, Novell, NetWareVMwareMacintosh

Data replication and Data replication and Virtual Snapshots (Vsnaps)server failover over server failover over Virtually instantaneous snap clones for backup and LAN or WAN in Windows LAN or WAN in Windows restore; remote replication; HP Pay per use for and Linux environments1 and Linux environments1 storage capacity and software

Snapshots SnapshotsClones Clones

1 Using HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring

HP’s family of products

(For more advanced, enterprise-level needs)

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HP Care Pack servicesHP Care Pack Services create a simpler, moreaffordable services solution scaled to the needs ofsmall and midsized businesses. The services cansupplement existing technical resources so that smallerbusinesses can spend less time focusing ontechnology—and more time focusing on business.

HP provides support for your SAN solution with a fullrange of HP Care Pack services that can:

• Save you time by speeding up the installationprocess of your solution

• Extend your standard warranty for longer investmentprotection

• Enhance your service level

• Provide phone assistance and license updates onyour software components

• Reduce costly downtime and improve employeeproductivity

Mission-Critical servicesThe following services combine reactive technicalassistance with proactive account services for selecteddistributions of Windows and Linux, storage, and/orSAN systems:

• HP Proactive Essentials (PE) Service is an entry-level,mission-critical package that increases systemperformance, expedites problem resolution, anddecreases downtime caused by software defects.

• HP Proactive 24 Service and HP Critical Service arehigh-end, mission-critical packages for demandingsupport requirements where data loss or downtimewould put your business at risk.

How HP Services can complement your solutionsRegardless of the size of your business—small, medium, or large—one aspect is the same: Over time, businessneeds change. HP Services recognizes the dynamic, fluid nature of business and provides a total care approachgeared toward every aspect of your IT environment and at every point of the IT life cycle—design, integration,data migration, and support.

Part 4: Complete your knowledge


Advanced servicesHP Services also provides a range of advancedservices that can assist you in the design, integration,and maintenance of your storage environment andSAN infrastructure.

• SAN Solution Service encompasses all the activities required for fast, efficient, and successfulimplementation of your SAN infrastructure devices—with minimal disruption to your operations. We helpyou get maximum peace of mind and a rapid returnon your SAN investment—together with assistance in critical areas such as SAN management, dataprotection, and recovery.

HP Assessment Service for SANsIf you are new to SANs or are experiencing extensivegrowth and need to better manage your SANenvironment, you should consider the HP AssessmentService for SANs. Without requiring SAN downtime,this service provides a snapshot of your SANenvironment as well as recommendations for improvingthe availability levels and ongoing management ofyour storage devices and SAN environment.

For more information about HP Services and support,contact your HP sales representative or HP AuthorizedChannel Partner, or visit:www.hp.com/go/storageservices

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What happens if I need to add more storage capacityafter I deploy my SAN?HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Arrays, All-in-OneStorage Systems, and EVA4400 are modular, so thatyou can add capacity—internally or externally—withadditional disk enclosures as your needs grow:

• Scale up to 4 TB on the MSA500 G2 withoutexternal expansion

• Scale up to 36 TB SATA or 14.4 TB SAS with threeMSA2000 storage array enclosures

• Scale up to 45 TB SATA or 18 TB SAS on theAiO1200 with a Smart Array P800 controller andfour MSA60 enclosures

• Scale up to 72 TB SATA or 28.8 TB SAS on theAiO600 with eight MSA60 systems

• Scale up to 96 TB of Fibre Channel storage on theEVA4400

If you need even more capacity, simply add more MSA or EVA4400 systems to your SAN.

How many servers can I add?The MSA2000fc disk array is tested to support up to64 servers. For connections to more than 20 hosts, werecommend that you deploy an additional disk arrayand split the workload across the two arrays.

The MSA2000i also supports up to 16 servers, but,due to the limited network performance of the IP SAN,the I/O requirements of the servers will determine ifyou can achieve satisfactory performance.

The HP StorageWorks All-in-One Storage System canprovide connectivity that is similar to the MSA2000i,depending on the model chosen and the I/Orequirements of your application. Smaller All-in-Onemodels are designed for smaller or fewer serverconnections with typical deployments of two to fourhosts.

The EVA4400 storage array can support up to 256hosts connected in a multi-path configuration and up to512 hosts connected in a single-path configuration.

How do I adjust my backup strategy to match mystorage consolidation solution?HP StorageWorks tape libraries are modular, just asare our storage arrays. This means that you canincrease performance and capacity simply by addingadditional drives or tape libraries.

HP Data Protector and Data Protector Express softwarealso follow this modular concept. This means that youpay only for the licenses you currently require but stillhave the flexibility to scale up when needed.

How can I expand the Fibre Channel connections inmy SAN?If the number of servers exceeds the number of FibreChannel ports, you can simply add another FibreChannel switch to your infrastructure—a process calledcascading (see specifications on how your switchsupports cascading). For extensive configurations, werecommend that you work with your preferred HPstorage partner.www.hp.com/go/san

How does HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroringsoftware increase the availability of data?HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring is a cost-effectivesoftware solution that replicates data at a file and bytelevel and monitors data continuously to replicate onlythe file changes that occur.

It gives you:

• An effective disaster-recovery strategy—replicatingdata from multiple servers offsite

• Centralized backup—eliminating dependence on abackup window and the need to work with liveproduction data

• Automatic or manual failover capabilities—helpingto ensure business continuity and data availability in the event of a disaster

• A means of integrating dissimilar servers and storage arrays

Your questions answered


CascadingThe ability to connect switches to one another to createa larger SAN fabric.

Direct-attached storage (DAS)A deployment of dedicated storage devices for eachserver, usually using SCSI connections.

Fibre ChannelA protocol designed for high-speed storage networksrequiring high availability. SANs use fiber-opticcabling to connect different devices.

Host bus adapter (HBA)A PCI adaptor that connects a server to the SANfabric. Each HBA installed is referred to as a hostinterface.

IP and iSCSI protocoliSCSI is a storage networking protocol that usesstandard Ethernet-based Internet Protocol (IP) networks.iSCSI is especially attractive for small environments that do not have the performance and scalabilityrequirements of Fibre Channel.

Logical unit number (LUN)A LUN is a logical unit number, which is really alogical volume. The operating systems and thesoftware on them operate against a logical volumeand view it as a linear address space of fixed-sizeblocks. A physical disk can be set up to be one largeLUN or carved up into multiple LUNs.

Network-attached storage (NAS)Dedicated turnkey file-serving solutions that are fast toinstall and easy to manage. They are typicallyoptimized for file-serving performance because theyare tuned for a single function. The HP ProLiantStorage Server and All-in-One Storage Systems areexample products with NAS capabilities.

Network interface card (NIC)Network cards used in servers, usually to connect themto an Ethernet network. They perform the same functionas an HBA for Fibre Channel connections.

Redundant array of independent disks (RAID)A method of writing data simultaneously over multipledisk drives used in disk arrays for greater dataprotection and/or increased performance.

ReplicationMirroring data between two arrays—usually located in separate data centers—to achieve the highestavailability in case of failure of one data center. Thiscan be achieved via host/IP-based replication or—forenterprise arrays such as EVA or XP—via SAN-basedreplication directly between two arrays.

SAN fabricThe hardware that connects workstations and serversto storage devices in a SAN. The SAN infrastructureallows any-server-to-any-storage-device connectivitythrough Fibre Channel switching.

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interfaceA next-generation SCSI interface that uses serialtechnology.

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)Interface technology for disk drives, providing thelowest cost per megabyte. It is ideal for storing filedata, secondary application data, or low-usagereference information (an increasing regulatoryrequirement). SATA provides basic reliability andperformance compared with SCSI (and Fibre Channel) HDDs.

Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)A protocol used to communicate with SCSI devices. It is also used by Fibre Channel technology tocommunicate with disk drives.

Storage area network (SAN)High-speed, special-purpose network connectingdifferent data storage devices to servers. SANs mayextend to multiple or remote locations for backup and archival storage.

TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) cardNetwork cards that offload network protocol tasks from the standard server CPUs.

Unified storageA set of technologies that allows storage devices toperform two roles—both NAS file serving and SANwith the same storage appliance.

VirtualizationTechnologies that help remove physical storageboundaries by treating all available storage,regardless of its location, as one “virtual” pool.

Jargon busterSimple definitions of key technology terms used in this guide.

© Copyright 2007, 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subjectto change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warrantystatements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting anadditional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Oracle is a registered U.S.trademark of Oracle Corporation, Redwood City, California. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

4AA0-7822ENW Rev. 2, March 2008

Simply StorageWorksStorage is easy when you choose HP.For information on Simply StorageWorks solutions, visit:www.hp.com/storage/simply (United States, Canada, and Latin America)www.hp.com/apac/simply (Asia, Australia, and New Zealand)

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