Cluster attached storage to linux .... anyone? HP MSA 1000 for example.

[tleslie]

I am thinking of buying a HP MSA1000 storage array,
with a 2gB fiber channel (standard)

if I put the 2gB fiber card in any given linux box,
and assuming thats all fine ....

do the drivers just make the MSA1000 appear as a device in  /dev
no different then /dev/sda or dev/hda .... ????

and if so ...
how do i specify (get at) a particular unit/partition
on the MSA, given i could have umpteen of them.

i read one article way back about some firewire cluster setup
and it did talk about the drivers making it as easy as a  /dev ref. to
get at the storage, and in that case it was easy because it was a single
drive system so i'd imagine it was just /dev/xxa1  /dev/xxa2  for the
different partitions on the drive array setup.
But for the MSA1000 (MSA 500 or 1500 for that matter),
you can have a shit load of defined drives sets and partitions.

anyone got any insight?

I'd hope i could just see the partitions over the arrays as  /dev/xxxYn
format, but why am i thinking it might not be that easy.
And then what about if you are addressing multiple MSA devices ?

Maybe there is some translation layer config file that has to be set up
or something.

doesn't even have to be a HP insight, a DELL/IBM/SUN experience might be
just as valuable.

-tl



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