create a cluster without a nas

[cisca]

hallo, I want create a cluster. this is my project: I have 2 vmware esx server 3i, in the same subnet. In one of that , server A,I have created 2 HD with thick propertie. I have next created one virtual machine in each vmware server and for the virtual machine in server A I have add the 2 HD created. I now wanth that on the machine on sever B I can add the 2 HD created on server A. In this way I can create a cluster using that HD for quorum and cluster, but when I search the HD from server B, I dont't find that. Can I do that or for the cluster I must have a NAS or SAS. If I must have the SAN or NAS, which buy?

thanks.

Francesca.

[marcelo_soares]

Well, if money is not a problem, buy a FC SAN...

Cheapest ones are the NAS, you can buy one that do iSCSI and you will be good as long everything runs at GBit.

You can also do a VM with a huge disk space at the local storage of one of the ESXs, and then create a software NAS (like FreeNAS or Openfiler) and then share it by iSCSI to the network and map it from the ESX. Sometimes I need to do solutions like that...

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310

Technical Support Engineer

Linux Server Senior Administrator

[jrenton]

Another option is to use SAS attached storage. It is cheaper than FC storage and faster than iSCSI.

The HP MSA2000sa G2 will allow 4 dual attached hosts or 8 single path attached hosts in each cluster.

I am sure other vendors have SAS attached storage solutions too but this is the only one I have experience of.

John

[cisca]

thanks you,that is a good idea!

can you provide me the procedures, I not know well the vmware

[jrenton]

Here is a document from HP:

Basically you but a SAS HBA for each host and connect it to the storage controller. No separate SAN or network infrastructure.

This doc relates to the earlier version of the MSA2000sa. The G2 version now has a total of 8 SAS ports over 2 controllers.

[cisca]

ok, but I want a solution without buy hardware. you know a solution software and free?

[cisca]

hallo, I read a solution of a software NAS of linux, called freeNas. Sameone know it?

[TimPhillips]

Hello there! I can say following (all is my IMHO and based on my experience): FreeNAS is even worse, than OpenFiler. OpenFiler maybe isn`t bad, but it`s free, without any support and even manual for it costs 40 euro. I can suggest you to try Top-3 of software iSCSI targets: StarWind Software, Datacore and LeftHand/HP.

Also iSCSI (it`s SAN but not NAS) has it`s own advantages berore NAS: much less overhead on network, block-based access and easy management. Also it`s very important what software you will use: SQL, Exchange and other alike software works much better and faster on SAN, while NAS more useful if you need just share files beetween few customers. If you will also have any additional questions I will be glad to help you make a choie between SAN and NAS.