C H A P T E R 7 - Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array High-Capacity Configurations

C H A P T E R 7

Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array High-Capacity Configurations

Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA arrays allow the connection of up to five expansion units to support a maximum of 72 disks. You can create large configurations beyond 12 disks if you use the guidelines in this section.

Note - Do not use a Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA array to store single instances of data. It is more suitable for use in configurations where the array has a backup or archival role.

See Sun StorEdge 3510 FC Array High-Capacity Configurations for information about adding more than two expansion units to a Sun StorEdge 3510 FC array.

The use of a full-fabric SAN configuration is highly recommended for host connections, as shown in Full-Duplex SAN Configurations.

Refer to the Sun StorEdge 3000 Family FRU Installation Guide for information about supported disk drives, cables, SFPs, and other user-replaceable items.

Note - The following high-capacity configurations illustrate cabling techniques for drive ports. They must be combined with a standard configuration described in this document, such as shown in Redundant Point-to-Point SAN Configurations. They must also be used with the network applications appropriate to the array, as summarized in Chapter 1 and described in more detail in the Installation, Operation, and Service Manual for your array.

For additional late-breaking technical and configuration details about SATA disk technology and the Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA array, be sure to check the release notes for your array.

Connecting One Expansion Unit

FIGURE 7-1 Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array Configuration with One Expansion Unit

Diagram showing a Sun StorEdge 3511 FC Array configuration with one expansion unit.

Connecting Two Expansion Units

FIGURE 7-2 Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array Configuration with Two Expansion Units

Diagram showing a Sun StorEdge 3511 FC array configuration with two expansion units.

Connecting Three Expansion Units

This high-capacity configuration using three expansion units requires the configuration of RAID channels 4 and 5 as drive channels. This restricts host connections to RAID channels 0 and 1, affecting supported host configurations.

Note - Other "daisy-chained" cable connections are possible that do not require reconfiguring RAID channels 4 and 5 as drive channels. However, these connections introduce a single point of failure where the failure of an expansion unit can render another expansion unit unusable, making them unacceptable as a best practice where high availability is an objective.

FIGURE 7-3 Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array Configuration with Three Expansion Units

Diagram showing a Sun StorEdge 3511 FC array configuration with three expansion units.

Connecting Four Expansion Units

This high-capacity configuration using four expansion units requires the configuration of RAID channels 4 and 5 as drive channels. This restricts host connections to RAID channels 0 and 1, affecting supported host configurations.

FIGURE 7-4 Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array Configuration with Four Expansion Units

Diagram showing a Sun StorEdge 3511 FC array configuration with four expansion units.

Connecting Five Expansion Units

This high-capacity configuration using five expansion units requires the configuration of RAID channels 4 and 5 as drive channels. This restricts host connections to RAID channels 0 and 1, affecting supported host configurations.

FIGURE 7-5 Sun StorEdge 3511 SATA Array Configuration with Five Expansion Units

Diagram showing a Sun StorEdge 3511 FC array configuration with five expansion units.