Re: Disk Array Usage

From: Mike Beckmann (mbeckmann_at_ibmsystems.com)
Date: 02/06/04 

Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 10:35:59 -0600

Very few servers have the physical capacity to hold large numbers of disks.
Using 2 or 4 large capacity disks can prove to be slow because when the disk
is busy it can't do another job. Then what if one disk fails you lose a
chunks of your storage. That's why 12 smaller capacity disks are better
than 4 large. Fiber channel is faster than SCSI and can be a distance away
from the host too
"Robert Mazur" <mazur@raincode.net> wrote in message
news:9448144d.0402051516.2b41272@posting.google.com...
> I have a question about the usage of disk arrays. I have not
> had the chance/need for building a "larger" system. I admin
> about 6 Dell Poweredge servers running Linux. One is a database
> server, and the rest are web, file and app servers.
>
> My Sun/Solaris usage is limited at the moment to using my U60 and U5
> as desktops for daily usage.
>
> For my own education, how does using a disk array differ from just
> using a server in its place? I see an array as a massive storage
> facility, whether that be a file server or running a database. Rather
> than a disk array, why not have an actual server with a ton of space?
> Either way you can have multiple web/app servers accessing the data?
>
> Could this be because such a server with high storage capacity would
> likely have high processing power, and therefore you are paying for
> power rather than storage?
>
> Are all disk arrays connected to their servers via Fiber Channel
> cables,
> making for better through-put?
>
> Can someone explain to me where disk arrays fit into the larger
> system configurations?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> p.s. I am aiming at our next server purchase to be a simple Sun
> box like a V120.....just because! :-)

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