Switch ideas for ISCSI SAN

[jmarket]

What kind of switches are everyone using to connect your server to your ISCSI SAN? I would like to get some different comments from happy and not happy users.

Thanks,

James

[christianZ]

Happy with HP Procurve 2848, the partner with Cisco 3750 - but both could not run "jumbos" and "flow control" simultaneously - but the "flow control" is more important here.

Heard here someone not lucky with Dell switch.

[thechicco]

Running 3750G's (24 pt & 48 pt), working like a charm.

[acr]

Cisco and HP Procurve's (which i was told normally need a firmware update to run blow flow Control and Jumbo Frames) are all good..

For a cost effective solution have a look at alliedtelysis (was Allied Telesyn) a look..

http://www.alliedtelesyn.com/

[Bas_Dorland]

We are using Catalyst 3750 switches in a Cluster config.

Two Cisco switches connected to two physical NIC's witch are connected to one virtual switch. Failover also works fine.

For the virtual machine network I use the same kind Cisco Switches.

Total I'm using 4 Cisco 3750 Switches in 2 cluster configs each cluster with 2X16 GB matrix cables to interconnect the two switches.

Greetz,

Bas

[jmarket]

Anyone else? Im trying to find something a little over $1000 each. 8 ports would be fine.

[jmarket]

I was looking at some of the HP options and came across the Procurve 6108. It has 8 ports and is about $1100. We would only have 4 esx servers so that would allow 4 esx servers and the san connection with 3 ports open. Anyone have any experience or opinions on the 6108?

Thanks,

James

[evdcs]

Is this for a test environment or a production system?

[doubleH]

i put my iscsi san on my existing core switches...ProCurve 5406's and just created a separate vlan and things are working out very well.

[CoreyIT]

We use the Dell 5324's with good success. Turn your nose up all you want with Dell switches. The underlying hardware is as reliable as anything else. They are simply re-branded. Used to be allied telesyn not sure if they are alcatel or not now or revamped allied telisys models. We have been running the 2748's at remote locations for a year (about 25 or 26 of them) with no problems. We run some 3424P's for voip and wireless routers in the plants and older 3448's as well with no problems.

We have had less switch failures with these then the cisco 2900 and 2950's they've replaced and because some of our equipment runs in some pretty rought environmental conditions, robustness and reliability become important.

[Cloneranger]

Cisco 4948s are what we use,

Possibly a little overkill though,

[5474]

We're going to be using 2 Nortel 5510s

[glynnd1]

James, there is a big differance between what you are doing and what the others are doing. ie 8 ports verses the two 48 port switches.

When comparing switches look at the switch fabric speed and forwarding rate, the higher the better.

Message was edited by:

glynnd1

added "there is a big differance" because I was not thinking earlier today

[ML1979]

I am new to iSCSI SAN switch. I would like to know how important the FLOW CONTROL option is ?

We are currently using an old 3COM 4050 Switch for our ISCSI SAN, everytime when user attept to make a big file transfer, it freeze the whole SAN network....

I wonder if it is related to FLOW CONTROL....Currently, all the FLOW CONTROL option are OFF on all port.

Any idea ?