2009/9/29 Dean Hamstead <d...@fragfest.com.au>: > >> These servers have space for only two internal disks and I'd like to >> try to convert a couple of them into servers of shared storage. >> I'm thinking of just setting them up to sync their disks using DRBD >> and providing access to the rest of the network via iSCSI. > > I am not sure that you want to use it as an iSCSI host. This is a block > level device and isnt really (easily) shared between more than one client > system. Most likely you want NFS or CIFS/SMB.
There are a few reasons but the main one is that I'm looking at moving our data centre to use iSCSI storage instead of the current arrangement (application servers sharing disks in pairs via DRBD) and would like to use same technology on our development network both to get familiar with it and to test the options, while taking advantage of the old(er) disks we have laying around for extra storage space. > External eSATA or USB devices is really the only low low cost option. I suppose so, of course the PowerEdge has USB ports and I suspect also even a built-in eSATA controller, but so far I didn't find a large box to connect to this eSATA port. > Using an external iSCSI or ATAoE (or even FCoE) is an option if the disk > array is the right price. But then most of them come with an NFS/CIFS head > on them anyway. Once there is a iSCSI target somewhere I assume I'll be able to share parts of it over NFS/CIFS by one (or a cluster of) iSCSI clients. > > Take a look at Coraid. These guys made up ATAoE and their disk arrays are > surprisingly cheap. http://www.coraid.com/ >From what I hear they are proprietary and their technology is not routable. I prefer to stick to an open standard, preferably something which comes as part of CentOS 5. > > > Keep in mind though, it may be cheaper still to just guy a cheap case with > lots of disk space (perhaps this behemoth > http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_product_info.php?input[product_code]=EL-PC-343B&input[category_id]=277 > or this much cheaper icute case, of which i have its little brother > http://www.mwave.com.au/newAU/mwaveAU/productdetail.asp?SKU=16010594) > > and then drop in a cheap CPU, a motherboard with a lot of sata connectors > and some cheap 4 port sata2 cards. Thanks! Both for the advise and the web sites. These looks like what I had in mind, or actually http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/index.php?redir=http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_product_info.php?input[product_code]=EL-PC-343B&input[category_id]=277 since I'm not sure how to connect to the LIAN LI PC-343B. I discussed this option with a co-worker and he suggested something like this too (using some of our decommissioned hardware). We have some MoBo's/CPU's/RAM laying around and such cases might do the trick. Cheers, --Amos -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
