Bernard Lamborelle
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Sean,
We’ve been testing with 10.4.8 and so far we haven’t seen anything weird. This being said we haven’t completed a full QA pass on it either, and therefore haven’t added it to the list of supported builds (yet!).
Have you seen anything else strange on the SAN?
Bernard
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I guess one of MetaSAN’s unique advantage will be seen by some as a disadvantage: it relies on native HFS+ file system (or NTFS).
As such, some will claim that the Xsan/StoreNext file system can perform better under certain circumstances. Perhaps this can be said for NTFS (because it is more robust), but I’m not so sure about HFS+.
Also, Tiger provides tools to improve the performances of those doing HD and 2K video using NTFS file system. Tiger has created two special tools: DDO (dynamic disk optimizer) and FSO (File Sequence Optimizer). Here’s a quote that best describes what they do:
“I’ve tested the DDO en FSO on my HP xw9300 with a RAID0 from 4 x SATA2 drives. I’m using a Bluefish444 HD Lust board and Symmetry to capture. Before installing MetaSan 2.1 I could only capture AVI and Quicktime V210. When I tried DPX or Cineon the system runs for 100-250 frames and then drops frames and capture stops. After installing MetaSan 2.1 and using DDO and FSO the system can capture DPX files without any problem. “
I’m aware of a few clients that have switched over from Xsan to MetaSAN and have been very happy since. I also hear everyday from resellers that MetaSAN is easier to install and performs very well.
I would love to hear from Xsan users about their own experiences of using Xsan/StoreNext vs. HFS+ file systems…
Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions.
Bernard Lamborelle
bernard “at” tiger-technology.com
Tiger Technology
tel/cel: 514-667-2015 -
Richard,
Keep in mind that huge volumes with tons of files are not very efficient. The maximum single volume size that can be managed by MetaSAN is the maximum size that can be managed by the OS. It depends on whether the volume is software striped (i.e. dynamic) or not. Using standard partition tables (basic disk), the maximum size under Windows is determined by the sector size reported by the controller. With standard block size of 512 bytes, the largest volume is 2TB (terabytes). But using blocks size of 4196 bytes you can create basic volumes up to 16 TB.
You must use dynamic disks if you need to create larger volumes. Windows XP Professional manages dynamic disks in a special database instead of in the partition table, so dynamic disks are not subject to the physical limit imposed by the partition table. Dynamic NTFS volumes can be as large as 256TB.
As far as I know, the maximum volume size Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, is still 16 TB.
While MetaSAN works very well with a single large volume, we usually do not recommend trying to make a single large volume larger than 16TB. It is rather suggested to create multiple volumes to avoid performance degradation as several millions of files on a single file system will affect its general performance. It is therefore preferable to have multiple volumes (perhaps mounted in subfolders of one thus looking like one volume) rather than one huge one.
Bernard Lamborelle
Tiger Technology
http://www.tiger-technology.com
514-667-2015 -
Morten,
MetaSAN/MetaLAN could be an interresting alternative to SanMP. MetaSAN is a file-level SAN management software normally used with Fibre Channel setup. However, MetaSAN can also run on a single server with direct attached storage, in conjunction with MetaLAN clients.
MetaLAN clients talk to the MetaSAN server(s), using block-level access across Gigabit Ethernet. One of our client, Topform Studio, managed to get close to 500% performance increase using Renderman over MetaLAN (as oppose to a regular network share). While I don’t think everyone should expect this level of performance increase, the fact that textures could be mapped in memory, as oppose to being fetched over the network, made a huge difference for them. In essence, MetaLAN makes network connection appear as local drive. MetaLAN allows Mac, Windows, and Linux clients to share content. It also offers the ability to allocate network bandwidth on a per-client basis (to ensure fair usage of the SAN).
Another MetaSAN feature, recently introduced, that you might find attractive is the File Sequence Optimizer. This feature is perfect for those doing 3D work, as it eliminates disk fragmentation that occurs when working with single frame images, and increase playback performance.
Let me know if you’d be interrested in learning more, please visit https://www.tiger-technology.com or give me a call.
Bernard Lamborelle
bernard at tiger-technology.com
514-667-2015 -
Morten,
While you can definitely create a regular mount share using Xsan to expose your storage to LAN clients, I do believe that Apple recommends you create this share on a metadata controller, as to not affect the performance of other users.
Tiger Technology promotes MetaSAN as an alternative to Xsan. One of the reason being that we offer a companion product called MetaLAN. MetaLAN enables many of the benefits of your SAN to expand to the LAN side. This includes higher throughput on the LAN (we use direct block access vs. slower network file protocols), we provide you with the ability to control bandwitdh that each LAN client gets (as oppose to free-for-all approach), and we provide you with the ability to connect Windows and Linux clients in addition to Mac. MetaSAN sells for $995 and MetaLAN for $295. Quite a good deal when you consider everything you gain!
Drop me an email or give me a call if you’d like to find out more.
Bernard Lamborelle
bernard at tiger-technology.com
http://www.tiger-technology.com
514-667-2015 -
Keep in mind that you still require SAN arbitration software when using iSCSI technology, as the ATTO Xtend iSCSI initiator does not allow multiple users to share common files. Xtend only allows one (or multiple) iSCSI initiator(s) to connect with a remote target (without solving arbitration). This is why Tiger Technology has been working with Atto and will soon offer support for iSCSI arbitration on the Mac through MetaSAN iSCSI. This will be a great solution for those who want to take advantage of iSCSI technology.
If you are looking to setup a cost-effective SAN, you might also want to consider Tiger Technology
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Richard,
Our MetaSAN software will allow you to share files and content between Mac/FCP and Avid/PC. It will also offer you with the ability to have multiple Avid users share media files.
Because MetaSAN is hardware agnostic (it runs on top of any functional SAN infrastructure), your challenge will be to find a storage and switch configuration capable of sustaining the HD bandwidth you need. Remember that you can’t just add up numbers when creating a SAN. The simultaneous nature of concurrent accesses can have a huge impact on the resulting performance. For instance, on some storage, your effective bandwitdh may be cut in half because multiple machines are accessing content simultaneously! You might want to look into what Huge/Ciprico (www.hugesystems.com), Exavio (www.exavio.com) and ADTX (www.adtx.com/us) have to offer, all good storage partners familiar with MetaSAN technology.
All the best,
Bernard Lamborelle
http://www.tiger-technology.com
tel: 514-667-2015 -
Jeff definitely makes a valid point here. A good reseller will do all the research and test work to make sure that you are buying something that will work for you.
Many good resellers are motivated to explore new and innovative ways of enabling new technology at a lower cost because they stand to benefit from it. This is how they can differenciate their business and grow their sales!
In the end, there are many options available to you. You need to choose the right one for you based on the type of performance and support you need, your budget, the amount of sweat equity you are willing to invest to make it work, etc.
Many people venture in building their own SAN with the hope to save money. Some succeeds, many fails. If you are going to do it yourself, you’ve got to do it for the right reason. Spending time researching the right reseller might prove to be far more beneficial. Just cutting the middle man, and trying to re-invent the wheel can end up costing you way more in the end!
Bernard Lamborelle
http://www.tiger-technology.com -
Jake,
In order to help, we need to better understand your throughput requirements
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Tiger Technology already offers support for iSCSI SAN arbitration on Windows and Linux platforms. We are in the process of validating iSCSI intiators/targets on OS X.
Meanwhile, you might want to consider the following scenario, as an alternative to your ATTO iSCSI to Fibre Channel bridge: using MetaSAN/MetaLAN software, you can easily build a Gigabit Ethernet server/client workgroup which offers near-iSCSI performances, without the traditional limitations of LAN’s file transfer protocols.
In this scenario, your Fibre Channel RAID unit is attached to a Mac data server that runs MetaSAN software (looks similar to an iSCSI target). Your Mac clients run MetaLAN to access the shared storage through this data server (looks similar to iSCSI initiators).
Very much like iSCSI, MetaLAN transfers block-level data over Gigabit Ethernet, thus increasing the efficiency of your LAN. MetaSAN/MetaLAN also provides the bandwitdh control to ensure your network is well balanced. This way, you always get a smooth playback, even if someone else is copying large files over the network. You also get the ability to connect cross-platform Windows, and Linux workstations to your SAN. The day you need to increase your network’s performance, you simply grow your storage backbone and add a second (or more) data server. From now on, you not only have more bandwith available to serve more clients, but you also have 24/7 failover capability in case one of your server goes down (accesses are transparently re-routed through the other servers.
The main benefit left to wanting to go iSCSI over this solution is for the NIC cards that supports built-in iSCSI protocol (such as the Alacritech iSCSI HBA). In this case, you would get an extra boost of performance over MetaLAN. But at only $295 per seat, MetaLAN is an amazing value!
Bernard Lamborelle
http://www.tiger-technology.com