Storage subsystems

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.

Currently, SAN File System supports only these storage subsystems for use in the system storage pool:
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. 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.

Parent topic: Concepts

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