That would make sense - just because you have more drives doesn't mean
the policy has to change - but i was hoping...

Kurt

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 22:06, Phil Brutsche <[email protected]> wrote:
> I've not had a chance to use any of the SAS expansion trays.
>
> Based on my conversations with EMC engineers, the RAID limitations apply 
> regardless of whether the drives are in the main chassis or in an external 
> enclosure.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 3:07 PM
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> Subject: Re: EMC limitations?
>
> Thanks for the further data.
>
> I'm going to agitate that we don't do much in the way of upgrading this unit, 
> and let it run its course as it is - maybe give it to the engineers for their 
> lab.
>
> I didn't want to bring up the RAID6-only madness with their large SAS (what 
> they call Near-line SAS) drives - that's a whole other level of stupid.
>
> I didn't know about RAID5 madness.
>
> Have you extended the unit with more trays? if so, do the same kinds of 
> limitations on on RAID apply?
>
> Kurt
>
> On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:02, Phil Brutsche <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I've worked with the EMC VNXe. The good parts:
>>  * They're fast
>>  * They're multiprotocol: They do iSCSI, NFS and CIFS/SMB. Theoretically, 
>> you could use one to replace a Windows or *NIX+Samba file server.
>>  * They integrate with enterprise backup solutions, so that your
>> backup solution uses the integrated snapshot facility to read your
>> data directly from the storage appliance
>>
>> I've not used the CIFS feature, as I've only ever used them in conjunction 
>> with VMware vSphere aka ESXi, both as an iSCSI target and as an NFS server.
>>
>> The limitation you mention is not the only one. I've not run into it, but 
>> it's one I'll keep a look out for. I speak from experience that the 1.99TB 
>> limitation is due to their iSCSI target. I've created 4TB NFS exports on 
>> one, using NL-SAS drives, for use with VMware.
>>
>> Other stupid limitations:
>>  * They are VERY VERY STRICT about your allowable RAID configurations. For 
>> example, if you put 12x 1TB SAS drives in it, you have 2x 6 drive RAID6 
>> arrays at roughly 4TB each. If you put 12x 15k SAS drives in it, you have 2x 
>> 5 drive RAID 5 arrays and 2 hot spares. Period. You have no other RAID set 
>> options.
>>  * As an iSCSI target, they don't multipath. Period. Redundancy is handled 
>> by migrating the iSCSI service (or NFS service, or CIFS service) between the 
>> controller cards.
>>
>> Truly and honesty, if you want an entry-level iSCSI storage box your best 
>> bet is one of these devices:
>>  * Dell MD3200i
>>  * IBM DS3512
>>  * HP P2000 G3
>>
>> All three of those boxes are the *exact same device*; the OEM is LSI. They 
>> are all just as fast as the EMC - faster even, since they support multipath! 
>> - and do not suffer from the arbitrary storage limitations of the EMC. The 
>> downside is they only support iSCSI (or SAS)... but you can also say they do 
>> one thing and do that one thing VERY well.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]]
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 6:22 PM
>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>> Subject: EMC limitations?
>>
>> I've got a new-ish (January) EMC VNXe 3100, and have run into a troubling 
>> limitation - in use as an iSCSI device, it doesn't support LUNs larger than 
>> 1.99tb. According to a post by EMC staff on their community forum, it's doe 
>> to the implementation of the SCSI II protocol.
>>
>> I don't know if this limitations affects its use as a NAS, but that's 
>> disturbing. My Lefthand units support larger LUNs with no problem.
>> And, otherwise, it's performed just fine - no problems at all.
>>
>> Does anyone out there now if other EMC products have this limitation?
>>
>> Kurt
>>
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