deploying Cisco MDS9148 switch

[yugandharm]

Hi,

aynone guide me how to deploy Cisco MDS9148 which our network is having 8 Dell Servers, Netapp storage box and existing network with Cisco 3560 as core switch.

as of now netapp and servers are running on copper ports. now we want to deploy Cisco MDS9148 switch between servers and storage.

Even servers are having fibre ports.

Please help me on this

Regards,

Yugandhar. M

[Michael Brown]

The 3560 is an Ethernet swtich, while MDS 9148 is a fiber channel swtich.

Is the NetApp currently operating as a filer providing network attached storage (NAS) or perhaps as an iSCSI target?

Do your Dell servers have host bus adapters (HBAs) installed in them?

The MDS 9148 can only be connected to by fiber channel devices, bascally HBA's (can use copper for this also) but the protocol for storage access is completely different than what is used over Ethernet.

Fiber Channel provides block level storage access, while NAS provide file level access.

Are you mounting a network share on the NetApp for your servers to see the storage, or does the NetApp look like a local storage volume to your Dell servers?

It is not just a simple move to replace a 3560 with an MDS 9148, so if you are really planning to do this, there is much more to the migration.

-Mike

[yugandharm]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your response, i am completely unware about this storage but i have to deploy this switch to my network

1. is it require to connect this switch to our local network or we have place it between Servers and storage?

2. Yes Dell servers are installed HBAs

3. the NetApp is using like a local storage volume to your Dell servers.

I am not replacing Cisco 3560 with MDS9148. even Cisco 3560 is having 4 fiber ports

Regards,

Yugandhar. M

[Michael Brown]

Both Ethernet and Fibre Channel protocols can be used with fiber and copper.  The ports on the 3560 are Ethernet only and the ports on the MDS 9148 are Fiber Channel only.  If you connect the HBAs and the storage array to the 9148, you will need to zone the HBAs with the array ports.  I recommend using the PWWN for the zone members.  Once the zoning is activated, you may also have to enable access to the storage on the arrays.  This is usually done on the array using some type of lun masking applicaiton.

-Mike

[yugandharm]

Hi Mike,

can i get any simple document for this?

Regards,

Yugandhar. M

[Michael Brown]

Here is a link to the MDS 9148 Quick Start guide.  It should help you with setting up a basic setup.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cisco.com%2Fen%2FUS%2Fdocs%2Fswitches%2Fdatacenter%2Fmds9000%2Fhw%2F9148%2Fquick%2Fguide%2F9148_QSG.pdf&rct=j&q=cisco%20mds%209148%20uick&ei=M_n8TJioKYK6sAOdrJj3DQ&usg=...

Hope this helps,

Mike