VMware Cloud Community
khughes
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Iomega StorCenter ix4-200d NAS Server performance?

I was curious if anyone is running the Iomega StorCenter ix4-200d NAS Server? I'm planning on maybe picking one up for our R/D and DR testing but was wondering how the performance was. Granted I'm not going to be running production on it, and using it mainly for proof of concept and testing but how much can 4 spindles really run?

  • Kyle

-- Kyle "RParker wrote: I guess I was wrong, everything CAN be virtualized "
Reply
0 Kudos
101 Replies
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

I'm in the same boat. I guess I'm just going to pick one up and try it out.

I may want to try it at an SMB site: SBS 2008 w/35 users, TS 2003 w/about 3-4 users max. at one time. Theonly "hard core" thing runnig would be Exchange 2007 on the SBS. I'm currently running that setup but with only a few users on a direct-attached 2 x 1TB 7,200 SATA mirrored on an HP E200i card. Presumably, the ix4-200d will get TWICE that speed if i run it in RAID-10 configuration?

Perhaps I'm crazy. I'll let you all know how it goes. Be interested to hear any reports.

khughes
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I believe we're just going to purchase one here as well. If it is regarded as "vmware ready" as a viable storage for VMware I think it should handle my small R/D and DR testing just fine. I will post results as well once / if we get it.

  • Kyle

-- Kyle "RParker wrote: I guess I was wrong, everything CAN be virtualized "
Reply
0 Kudos
Rob_Bohmann1
Expert
Expert

Have you looked for a reseller than has them in stock? So far, newegg, tiger, CDW no joy. (I live just a few miles from CDW so I am waiting for them to stock it....)

I'm going to use it for a lab, be interesting to see how the remote office scenario works out!

Reply
0 Kudos
jefmes
Contributor
Contributor

I'm finding a few in stock from a couple resellers via Google. I think I'm going to put in an order for the 4TB version right now - don't know exactly when I'll have time to get it up and running but I'll try to come back here and let you guys know how it performs.

Reply
0 Kudos
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

Okay, mine is ordered (from Provantage). Delivery due on Monday.

Reply
0 Kudos
jimmvm
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Also:

I have a customer who wants to know:

I bought an iSCSI SAN recently for my Lab at Home. It's an HCL approved 2TB from Iomega StorCenter ix4(VM company?) and I updated the firmware and everything but it is still coming up a single-host target instead of multihost. So far only one of my two ESX server can see this iSCSI SAN.

I have tried a few times using the ESX iSCSI Config Guide and the IOmega Guides to try to configure the Storage Adapter on the 2nd ESX host to no avail. I went through Dynamic Discovery and the 3260 port and CHAP and the whole bit but still not working. But oddly enough, all my target LUNs get discovered and logged inside the Static Discovery Tab just like it should, but there are no LUNs found and the Target shows up as Single Host device -- just like the local Datastore devices.

My big question -- not documented anywhere is -- what software goes on the ESX host itself. It would seem to me that should be instructions in the iSCSI Config Guide to install some iSCSI drivers on the two ESX host themselves.

Any ideas on how to get the iSCSI SAN box to advertise first as Multihost and 2nd how to get all the ESX host to see it?

Those of you aiming for the StorCenter may have a similar experience.

Let me know if you have answers and if you find it helpful to know of this issue.

jimm

Reply
0 Kudos
Cstructure
Contributor
Contributor

I am also curious if this works well.

I would just like to use

it for VMware Backup Recovery images, but have not found anywhere that

listed the read and write speed of this unit.

The other option is to purchase a Netgear NVX, which has a performance of 80~mb/s .

Let me know your finding on it and test out the speed.

Reply
0 Kudos
esloof
Expert
Expert

I did some StorCenter NFS performance measurements on an IX2 with the iometer.

Reply
0 Kudos
Cstructure
Contributor
Contributor

I don't believe the ix2 has the same performance of the ix4-200d.

I also believe the ix4 is created by EMC built for iomega

Reply
0 Kudos
Cstructure
Contributor
Contributor

Did the box ever come? Test out the performance for me qmacker.

I want to order this ASAP...

Reply
0 Kudos
khughes
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Mine has been ordered for a week but not sure where it is shipping wise. Looking forward to plugging it in and giving it a whirl.

  • Kyle

-- Kyle "RParker wrote: I guess I was wrong, everything CAN be virtualized "
Reply
0 Kudos
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

Provantage have apparently shipped it in "two steps" :-

"Your shipment will be made in two steps because the regional in-stock warehouse which made this shipment cannot ship directly to your state. Your package is being shipped to our main Ohio warehouse and will then be immediately forwarded to you. The following tracking number is for the initial trip to our Ohio warehouse."

They gave me a tracking number for the first part, and it arrived at their warehouse in Ohio. Presumably it will ship today to San Francisco, where I am. I find these guys to be pretty good most of the time. Usually things ship very fast. Occasionally this will happen. However, they often have items that no one else carries. I think I chose ground shipping, so it'll probably be another few days.

I'll keep you all posted! I might need some help setting it up for ESXi!!

Reply
0 Kudos
jefmes
Contributor
Contributor

*Lurking*

Mine showed up too but I didn't have time to get it setup this weekend. I'll be keeping an eye on what you guys find in the meantime! Smiley Happy

Reply
0 Kudos
Cstructure
Contributor
Contributor

Take some pictures for us jefmes and if you don't mind checking the speed ASAP so I can order this or netgear nvx and wait for it to arrive!

Reply
0 Kudos
jefmes
Contributor
Contributor

The little lady will kill me if I'm gone at work all day and I retreat into my office the second I get home, otherwise I'd probably have it running in the next day or so! Smiley Happy In the meantime I'll be checking this out:

And hopefully I'll have some first impressions later this coming weekend.

Reply
0 Kudos
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

Okay, mine has finally shipped - to me this time. Won't arrive until Friday (9/25).

Guess I know what I'll be up to this weekend....

Reply
0 Kudos
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

This video might come in handy for configuring the Iomega:

Configuring iSCSI and NFS with vSphere and Iomega running EMC Lifeline:

Reply
0 Kudos
aapex
Contributor
Contributor

Try this and see if it helps http://download.iomega.com/com/nas/pdfs/vmware_200r_wp.pdf. I couldn't get it to work either until I followed the directions in the WP (it's for the 200r, but it works for the 200d as well). I've had to educate Iomega support on their own materials, and I'm still not able to get mutual CHAP to work, although I haven't given up on that, yet.

Reply
0 Kudos
qmacker
Contributor
Contributor

It's a pity we can't get a hold of that VM he has which mimics the device!

Are you going to use iSCSI ir NFS (or dare I bring that up in this thread)?

Reply
0 Kudos