[Info-vax] SmartArray 5300A question

[Jan-Erik Soderholm]

Kari Uusimäki wrote 2011-08-13 12:40:
> 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
>
>
>

OK. I would concider that "not much".