SAN File System conforms to small computer system interface (SCSI) standards
and is designed to work with any SCSI-compliant storage devices, including
Just a Bunch Of Disks (JBOD), redundant array of independent disks (RAID)
with mirroring, and hierarchically-managed storage devices. You can attach
tape devices to SAN File System for backups and long-term storage, although
tape devices cannot be part of a storage pool.
All storage subsystems attached to SAN File System can be accessed by all
clients (unless you use zoning to allow only specific clients to access specific
devices). This enables data sharing among heterogeneous clients.
SAN File System supports heterogeneous, simultaneously-connected storage
and host-bus adapter (HBA) sharing, subject to client platform, driver, and
storage-vendor limitations.
All of the LUNs in the system storage pool must be of
same type and model of storage subsystem. Currently, SAN File System
supports only these storage subsystems for use in the system storage pool:
- The IBM® TotalStorage® Enterprise
Storage Server® (ESS), models 2105-750
- The IBM TotalStorage SAN
Volume Controller, model 2145 with storage subsystems that are supported by
SAN Volume Controller
- IBM TotalStorage DS4300 Turbo, DS4400, and DS4500
(IBM FAStT600T,
FAStT700, and FAStT900) running firmware version 8.4 on the storage device
and software version 8.41 on the client platforms
Restriction: - SAN File System is designed to work with any storage device that is used
in a device driver-operating system stack and that conform to the SCSI standard,
including the unique-device-identification capability. You can use non-IBM
storage subsystems for user storage pools (data volumes); however, you must
use IBM storage
subsystems for the system storage pool (metadata volumes).
- Storage subsystems other than ESS or SAN Volume controller require additional,
manual configuration to be detected and used by SAN File System. You must
create a character-special device file for each device to be used if the operating
system or device driver has not already done so. You must also create a soft
link to this device file in a SAN File System-designated directory in the
device hierarchy.