SAN Issues

Storage & Archiving

SAN Issues

Posted by Andrew Vallario on May 16, 2017 at 3:07 pm

I have a SAN setup that I’m having some issues with. Here is the setup:

2009 MacPro running OS X server (El Capitan) Quad-Core 12GB RAM

Small-Tree 6-port 1Gb Ethernet port (PE2G6I)

Proavio IS316JS 6 Gb/s 16-Drive SAS Storage Array (48 TB)

ATTO R680 RAID Adapter

I have two 2009 Mac Pros and 4 iMacs direct connected to the Smal-Tree card using AFP

The network settings are set up as follows:

Small-Tree port 1 IP Address 192.168.2.1
Mac #1 IP Address 192.168.2.2

Small-Tree port 2 IP Address 192.168.3.3
Mac #2 IP Address 192.168.3.4

Small-Tree port 3 IP Address 192.168.4.5
Mac #3 IP Address 192.168.4.6

And so on…

Hardware setting:
Configure: manually
Speed: 1000baseT
Duplex: full-duplet, flow-control
MTU: Custom 8100

Some of the Macs run flawlessly without issue but a couple get the “server interrupted” dialog box popping up randomly. Once this happens the only way for them to reconnect is to restart the server. Occasionally it takes a few restarts.

Is there a better way to set this up? Should I be using a switch instead? Should I just abort this setup and go with a new QNAP (or equivalent) NAS?

The majority of our work is After Effects. There is some Premiere Pro work as well, but we mostly do :30 commercials so no heavy editing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew

Andrew Vallario replied 9 years ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
2 Replies

Bob Zelin
May 17, 2017 at 1:09 am

Hi Andrew –
I have been doing this for a long time. I have been in the video business since 1978.
Exactly what is your question – “how can I get a system that will just work, and never have any problems ever
again” –
FORGET IT. Every system, every piece of technology has problems. You can buy anyone’s system.
SMB disconnects for no reason. Why ? GO ASK APPLE !!!
Can you get a nice QNAP and have it perform better – a QNAP with a nice 10G switch – yes, this will work wonderfully.
Will you have problems in the future – OF COURSE YOU WILL. If all this crap just plugged in and worked, and there were never any problems, then people like ME would never be employed. There are ALWAYS problems, and there is always aggravation, which is why every video facility, and every TV station maintains engineers (or freelance engineers) to
do this.
These days, I install QNAP’s all the time (and sinology too). And today, with an identical setup that I do all the time, with the exact same computers, exact same thunderbolt to 10 G adaptors, exact same QNAP (it could be any shared storage system – I do them all) – I have had NEW issues that I never saw before. And I am tearing my hair out. It makes no sense.

This is what technology is – problems that make no sense, and you have to deal with this crap. And if you don’t want to deal with this crap, you find someone that is willing to do it for you (and you pay them to do so).

Again – I have been doing this since 1978. Things never just “plug in and work” – never have, never will.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com
Andrew Vallario
May 17, 2017 at 2:20 pm

Hi, Bob, thanks for taking time to respond.

I totally get it. I guess I was wondering (1) if there was a glaring error in this setup and (2) if this setup is obsolete to the point where I should invest in a new system.

I have no problem hiring an engineer to help out, but I figured I’d throw it out here first. Do you freelance remotely or is there someone you would recommend in the Boston area?

Feel free to email me directly (aj at mediaresults.com).

Thanks again for your time, it is greatly appreciated.

Andrew

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