Recommendations on external SCSI drive array for clustering

[jplb70]

Hi all,

The boss wants me to deploy our new SQL 2000 database on a Cluster for high availability. I'm going to go with a standard 2 node setup. I'll be using Server 2003 Enterprise. I would like the shared disk to be at least a 3 drive Raid 5 for the data and at least a 2 drive mirror for the quorum. So if any of you that have experience with this type of setup if you could recommend a good storage solution I would appreciate it. Also any design tips as well

Thanx in advance

 

[Arcanedeath]

I'd suggest going to Storagereview's fourm to try and get a response for this they tend to have a better handle on something like this.

 

[jplb70]

Thanx I'll try there when I get home.

 

[Vegito]

dell powervault 220, 14 drive range from 36gb to 300gb 15k drive. the fully loaded cost around 15k

SCSI hard drives support for up to fourteen 1-inch-by-3.5-inch LVD Ultra 320 SCSI hot-plug hard drives

73GB, 146GB, or 300GB at 10,000 rpm or 36GB, 73GB or 146GB at 15,000 rpm

SCSI Buses can be configured for a single 14-device SCSI bus, a single clustered 13-device SCSI bus, or two independent 7-device SCSI buses


u can split them as 2 - 7 drive scsi or 1 big clustered. I got 3 here.. expensive but you can build your own

 

[Vegito]

forgot link

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/solutions/ha_brochure.pdf

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/...en/clustering_ha?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pvaul/en/scsi.pdf

 

[Vegito]

so far I given you links...

1. sql 2005 - if you're not using it, it has nicer recovery feature, clustering those would help you a lot more than sql 2000, even though the mirror feature isn't completed yet but over all, its more secure

2. whats your budget, and what company are you with, I get GS discounts through dell.. usually 30% off but my sales guy might not be there any more, I can try to find out and pass the name to you.

3. have you play with clustering before ?

whats your sla for down time ? what are you personally guaranteeing as your up time ? just make sure they know clustering is up time and its not a subsistute for backups

 

[jplb70]

Budget about 10 grand

I'm the one man IT dept for a small Pet industries firm in N.J. called Orchard Hill. I'm the network/data base admin. web master help desk the whole schmeal. One of our divisions can be seen here at www.abbeyglen.com

We already invested in SQL 2000 and Server 2003 so that's gonna have to do. I've set up a lab to play around w/clustering before I deploy. So I can get familiar with server and SQL clustering and also to see how the new app/database behaves in this environment.

We are looking for 95-98 percent uptime and yes the powers that be are aware that NOTHING can replace a good backup scheme . Right now I'm backing up to tape and remote mass storage

Thanx for your feedback so far.