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Digital Media Storage Solution Installation Guide 8
© Copyright 2010, IBM Corporation. All rights reserved.
Note: A customer seeking connection that has already deployed Apple Xsan MDC will need to
transition to a Quantum StorNext MDC running either on Linux or Windows Server. However the Apple
Xsan clients can remain.
SOLUTION COMPONENT DESCRIPTIONS
SAN Architecture criteria
• Limit number of paths for Xsan/StorNext clients to four
• This is to limit both complexity and the amount of time required to initialize clients
on the SAN
• Redundant Meshed FibreChannel SAN (cross-connected)
• Some IBM documentation may seem to preclude this, but those documents are
based on an old multipathing methodology
• Limits cause for failover to Controller failure
• Specific Firmware, software, and Operating System Levels
Apple Clients
• Apple connection without StorNext/Xsan support, or
• May use StorNext for shared SAN access
o Apple Xsan Client software licensed from Apple on the Mac clients
Note: For this solution, you cannot use Apple servers as the Meta Data
Controllers (MDCs). The reason is - if you use the Xsan clients and Xsan
Meta Data Controller (MDC), then your primary support for the shared file
system comes from Apple and the hardware solution described in this
guide are NOT supported. However, if you use the StorNext MDC from
Quantum, then Quantum will support the solution including the ability to
connect Xsan clients on the shared SAN to non-Apple SAN hardware. As
you can see, this is a much more flexible solution.
o Must use Linux or Windows StorNext Meta Data Controllers licensed from
Quantum
o Must use supported ATTO HBA and MultiPath Director driver purchased from
ATTO or ATTO Resellers
Windows Clients
• Windows client (XP, Vista, Windows 7) connection without StorNext Client software or
• May use StorNext software for shared SAN access
o Must use Linux or Windows StorNext Meta Data Controllers with StorNext
licensed from Quantum
o Must use supported ATTO HBA and MultiPath Director driver purchased from
ATTO or ATTO Resellers
Windows Server MDCs (Future Support)
• Must buy Quantum StorNext software
• Must buy StorNext Installation services from Quantum
• Must buy StorNext Gold or Silver support contract from Quantum