Question about SAN setup....

[damori.pierce]

We've got a SAN server coming in, and they want me to set up these 3850 switches to build the network. 

I've never set up a SAN network, so I'm unsure what I need to enable and change. Does anyone have an idea of things to do to this switch to ensure speed and connectivity? 

I've done a basic config, enabled Jumbo Packets, configured Rapid PVSTP,  and configured QoS for the SAN, but that's about it. Anything else I should look at?

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi,

Depending on the NIC on the SAN server, you may want to make sure you have the correct ports (1Gig or 10Gig) available for SAN connectivity. Also, if the SAN server has multiple NICs, you may want to use a Portchannel to aggregate the ports.

HTH

[damori.pierce]

I foreshadowed that, and separated the ports already for 2 redundant port-channels (4 physical ports used) just in case. The switch is capable of 10G but I don't think the server is going to use that. Any other configuration changes you can think of? I'm thinking more of the highest speed and data availability possible. 

[Reza Sharifi]

Also, make sure VTP is turned off or in transparent mode. Can't think of anything else. Also, just so you know, the 3850 is not designed for storage connectivity so, you may see some performance issue.

HTH

[Joseph W. Doherty]

"Anything else I should look at?"

Possibly you'll find a 3850 isn't ideal for a SAN server.

[damori.pierce]

It’s what we have available… the real refresh isn’t slotted until mid-late next year…

[Joseph W. Doherty]

". . . and configured QoS for the SAN . . ."

BTW, don't overlook the "usual" of pushing the softmax to its maximum value.  More info here: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-3850-series-switches/200594-Catalyst-3850-Troubleshooting-Output-dr.html#anc4

[damori.pierce]

So I should have clarified... The 3850 won't be "the SAN Server" but it will be the iSCSI link between the server and the storage. so I am tasked with building the connectivity between them with the 3850. 

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Perhaps we should have clarified too.

What we mean is the 3850 series doesn't have large buffers to well handle busy (as in bursty) ports.  SAN running across IP networks often create very busy ports.