[Info-vax] SmartArray 5300A question

[Kari Uusimäki]

On 13.8.2011 10:56, Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
> Rich Jordan wrote 2011-08-13 01:13:
>> We've got a site looking to add some hardware backup to an existing
>> Alpha setup due to some recent downtime when their 10 year old system
>> disk failed with no warning; they're not willing to go to Itanium or
>> get cluster/shadow licenses, just hardware to backstop their aging
>> system until a probable eventual transition to 'something newer' (I
>> know...).
>>
>> DS10 600MHz, internal storage, VMS V7.3-2, somewhat down-rev on ECOs;
>> we can get them up to current ECOs, but not upgrade to V8.3 or newer
>> at this point.
>>
>> What they want is to replace internal with external storage (except
>> maybe the tape drive), and purchase a second DS10 with identical
>> hardware specs to sit 'on the shelf'. If storage fails, its replaced
>> (with spare disks). If a DS10 or internal component failure occurs,
>> they shut down, pull the second DS10 from storage, plug it up and go.
>>
>> We'd prefer to get storage redundancy with that external storage,
>> which with the unavailability of shadowing means a hardware RAID
>> controller like the Smartarray series. I've used one before but it
>> has been many years and I'm just starting to regather the docs. I've
>> already been told 'no' to considering fiberchannel and an MSA setup.
>>
>> If we get two Alphas with Smartarray controllers and a Compaq
>> universal shelf, and set up the drive config we want (which will be
>> two spindles presented to VMS, at the very least two 2-drive
>> mirrorsets, at most that plus a couple of hot spare disks) on one
>> alpha, can that shelf be plugged into the second alpha (first alpha
>> down/disconnected) and just 'boot and go'? Is the configuration
>> information all stored on the attached disks? Or does the controller
>> itself retain information?
>>
>> Note that this is not concurrent access; only one alpha would be
>> connected to the shelf at a time.
>>
>> The fun part in testing will be the lack of 'identical' test systems;
>> we'll have the backup DS10 and a DS10L (joy). But I suppose if it
>> works with them, it will work with the real DS10s.
>>
>> I'm not a fan of ACU-XE and the associated software; it caused us tons
>> of grief in 2006 when we last used it, but the conditions here are
>> unique and kind of tight.
>>
>> Thanks
>
> How much is an shadowing license for a DS10 ?
>
> Seems as the far easiest solution together with a plain SCSI shelf
> with enought places to shadow the disks. I have one of those
> 14-places shelfs together with a XP900 (more or less as DS10) and
> shadowing. Very easy to manage and all storage related task are
> easily accessable remotely just as the rest of the system (only HBVS).
>
> Jan-Erik.



The Volume Shadowing license for a DS10 (Workgroup class) seems to have 
a list price of $2268 in the US.

I cannot find the EMEA license prices anymore, but they used to be 
somewhat more than the dollar price in euros.


Kari