Implementation: Dell | EMC SAN

Building the SAN

Our Example SAN

For this example, we'll be describing a SAN consisting of the following components: Four PowerEdge 2550 servers Two Emulex HBAs per server One FC4500 DPE with nine hard disks and two storage processors 10 Fibre Channel optical cables: one for each HBA-to-switch connection (eight total), and one for each SP-to-switch connection (two total) Two Dell | EMC DS-16B switches 10 optical GBICs One 42U Dell rack

As with the example Dell PowerVault SAN, it's highly recommended that you take into consideration several operating system, zoning, cabling, and environmental factors before beginning. See the "Building A Dell PowerVault SAN" section for details.

Before Starting

Confirm wiring is in place. To support high-availability features, connect each power outlet to a different circuit. Make sure the appropriate operating system is installed on each server (for the purposes of this overview, we will be referring to the Windows 2000 Server operating system).

Into Action

Preliminary Steps

Step 1: Verify Power Supply Settings

It's recommended that the DPE be powered on or off using the standby power supply connections; this way, the unit has time to properly clear its caches and shut down. Step 1 ensures that the system's main power supplies are set to "ON".
Remove the hard disk fan pack. Confirm that the power switch on each power supply is set in the ON position. Replace the fan pack. The diagram at right represents the power supply components.

Step 2: Standby Power Supply Connections

In most cases, standby power supplies (SPS) are connected to the storage processors. Verify the SPS connections are in place and fully seated.

SPS-A connects to the right serial connector of SP-A SPS-B connects to the right serial connector of SP-B

Step 3: Starting the DPE

Plug the power cables into the power outlets. Turn on the power switch on each SPS to "ON".

If you notice an amber indicator light on the front of the DPE, make sure that the system is correctly cabled.

Step 4: Switch and Server Connections

Remove the protective cover from each optical cable and the optical GBIC for one server port on each DPE SP. Plug the optical cable into the uncovered GBIC connector on each SP. Connect the other end of the cable into the switch's GBIC port.

Step 5: Switch Zone Creation

Zoning On each switch fabric, create a zone for each HBA and each of the SP ports that you want the HBA to access. Use worldwide port names to specify the HBA and the SP ports for the zone. Navisphere Server Software Installation Install and configure ATF. Activate ATF devices by rebooting the server. Install the Navisphere Host Agent and option CLI. Start the Host Agent.

Step 6: Configure the FC4500

Configure the storage system using Navisphere Manager from a Navisphere management station. Storage-System Properties Setup Select the FC4500 storage system. Set the general configuration properties - enable automatic polling, automatic polling priority, and SP-A and SP-B statistics logging. Set the read and write cache memory properties for each SP. Set the FC4500 cache properties. Set the data access properties using Access Logix.

Step 7: Create LUNs and Storage Groups

Create logical units (LUNs) and Storage Groups using Navisphere Manager. LUN and Storage Group Creation Select the FC4500 storage system. Create the RAID groups you want on the FC4500. Bind one or more LUNs in each RAID group. Create one or more storage groups and assign them to the appropriate servers. You can connect a server to only one storage group per array You must connect clustered servers to the same storage group Reboot the servers.

Step 8: Complete the Server Setup

Make the LUNs for each server available to the server's operating system. This may involve: Labeling and partitioning LUNs Creating volumes or partitions Mounting the volumes or partitions