SAN setup for File Server

January 11, 2008

I realize this isn't necessarily Microsoft related so if someone know

of a better group please let me know. I figured though there still

had to be users here who have input... Thanks

I have an IBM DS300 iSCSI SAN that I'm trying to figure out the best

set up and utilization for our File Server so I can max out our

available space. We have 14 possible drives to use can perform

either

Raid 0,1,5,10,50. We have gone with 3 arrays (4 drives, 4 drives, 3

drives) of Raid 5 with 3 hot swaps, 1 per array. Anyone have any

better suggestions? I'd like to go to using Raid 50 however, with

IBM

it seems it Parities out space when creating the Array and then again

when I create each LUN. Raid 5 isn't bad on space because it doesn't

do the parity until you go to create the LUN, but you never know

exactly how much availabe space you truely have left. I've heard

that

Dell/EMC SANs will take all parity out first and then when you create

the LUNs you will always know what space you have left. Any

suggestions would be great. Thanks again.

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