Chapter 3. IBM System Storage DS3500 Storage System planning tasks
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– Ensure that your existing network of SAS, ethernet or fibre channel switches and
cables are properly configured.
3. Produce a software checklist to cover all the required items that need to be certified and
checked. It must include such items that require you to:
– Ensure that the existing versions of firmware and storage management software are up
to date.
– Ensure that host operating systems are supported with the storage system. Check the
IBM System Storage interoperation Center (SSIC) for your specific storage system
available from this Web site for more information:
http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/disk
These lists are not exhaustive, but the creation of the statements is an exercise in information
gathering and planning; it gives you a greater understanding of what your needs are in your
current environment and creates a clear picture of your future requirements. The goal ought
to be quality rather than quantity of information.
Use this chapter as a reference to help you gather the information for the statements.
Understanding the applications is another important consideration in planning for your
DS3500 Storage System setup. Applications can typically either be I/O intensive, such as
high number of I/O per second (IOPS); or characterized by large I/O requests, that is, high
throughput or MBps.
Typical examples of high IOPS environments are Online Transaction Processing (OLTP),
databases, and Microsoft Exchange servers. These have random writes and fewer reads.
Typical examples of high throughput applications are data mining, imaging, and backup
storage pools. These have large sequential reads and writes.
By understanding your data and applications, you can also better understand growth
patterns. Being able to estimate an expected growth is vital for the capacity planning of your
DS3500 Storage System installation. Clearly indicate the expected growth in the planning
documents: The actual patterns might differ from the plan according to the dynamics of your
environment.
Selecting the right DS Storage System model for your current and perceived future needs is
one of the most crucial decisions you will make. The good side, however, is that the DS3500
platforms offer scalability and expansion flexibility. Premium features can be purchased and
installed at a later time to add more functionality to the storage server as well.
In any case, it is perhaps better to purchase a higher model than one strictly dictated by your
current requirements and expectations, which will allow for greater performance and
scalability as your needs and data grow. Starting out with a maximum configured storage
solution to meet your current needs with no room to expand may save initially, but could
quickly be too small for your business needs and near term growth.
3.1.1 SAN zoning for the DS3500 Storage System
Zoning is an important part of integrating a DS3500 Storage System in a SAN. When done
correctly, it can eliminate many common problems. Zoning also helps with creating paths that
can be used by the multi-path drivers for better failover protection. Understanding the
capabilities of the multi-path driver is important when designing the paths it will use.
Summary of Contents for DS3500
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