Lab SAN

We're using NexentaStor as the foundation for a low-profile, high-performance SAN platform in SOLORI's testing lab. The unified storage platform delivered by Nexenta Systems provides a hybrid storage pool of low-cost SATA disk and (relatively) inexpensive SLC and MLC flash.

Parts used:

• 1 - Supermicro AS-2021M, $1068, 8 x 3.5" hot-swap, 2 x 3.5" fixed, 2 x AMD Socket-F, 2U barebones;
• 1 - AMD Opteron 2435 "Istanbul" 2.6GHz 6-core processor, $1055;
• 1 - AMD Opteron 2376 "Shanghai" 2.3GHz 4-core processor, $182;
• 1 - 4TB NexentaStor Enterprise Silver License, $1,100;
• 1 - Nexenta VM Data Center plug-in, $1,900;
• 1 - NexentaStor Developer's Edition, 2.1.2, $0;
• 1 - 24GB DDR2/800 Main memory, 6 x 4GB, $117/each - 16GB ARC, 4GB System, 4GB L2ARC index;
• 2 - LSI 1068-based 8-port SAS/SATA (4-int, 4-ext), $300/each;
• 2 - OS/boot drive, Sandisk Cruzer 4GB USB flash, $13/each, RAID1;
• 1 - Moderate-performance SATA pool, 8 x 500GB Barracuda ES.2 SATA 7200 RPM disks, $105/each, structured as 4 x 2-disk mirror, 2TB total;
• 1 - SSD/FLASH ZIL devices, 2 x 32GB (RAID1), Intel X25-E 32GB SLC SSD, $383/each;
• 1 - SSD/FLASH L2ARC devices, 2 x 80GB SATA II 2.5" Intel X25-M MLC Flash drives, $239/each, 160GB (RAID0);
• 2 - iStarUSA 1 x 3.5" to 2 x 2.5" bay converters, $34.99/each

This results in a $2,366/TB price point - arguably easy to beat using that single data pint. However, using this same platform, we intend to experiment with storage approaches that sustain performance goals (in the lab) but drastically limit power demands. We'll be looking at alternate processors (saving 20W) and higher-capacity 5x00 RPM "Eco-Green" hard drives (saving 16W) in an attempt to deliver higher TB/Watt at equal or better performance numbers than the conventional hybrid build-out.

• 2- Redundant, 16-bay Enclosure, Xtore 3U Expansion, $1,500/each;
• 10 x 2 (10 groups of 2, mirror, 2 spare) Samsung Spinpoint F2 EcoGreen 1TB 5400 RPM, $80/each, or
• 2 x 6 (2 groups of 6, RAIDz, 2 spare) Samsung Spinpoint F2 EcoGreen 1TB 5400 RPM, $80/each, or
• 10 x 2 (10 groups of 2, mirror, 2 spare) Seagate Barracuda Low-Power 1TB 5900 RPM, $80/each, or;
• 2 x 6 (2 groups of 6, RAIDz, 2 spare) Seagate Barracuda Low-Power 1TB 5900 RPM, $80/each;
• 1 - 4TB NexentaStor Enterprise Silver License, $1,100;
• 1 - Nexenta VM Data Center plug-in, $1,900;
• 1 -  +8TB NexentaStor capacity license, $625;
• Allows for migration of original storage from single chassis to redundant external enclosures for rapid DR;

Resulting "lab storage" framework - fully licensed - averages about $1,100/TB of managed storage - challenging the "budget storage" vendors that sacrifice performance and power utilization for bulk capacity. The results should prove beneficial to mid-market virutalization...  the RAIDz implementation is only $600 cheaper yet provides 30% lower power consumption - can SSD make up for the loss of spindle groups???

Reference architecture for redundant SAN with SATA L2ARC and ZIL...

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Making SATA SSD's redundant for ZIL and L2ARC (AAMUX required)"][/caption]