If your vendor offers support, particularly if you are buying a switch or interfaces for multiple platforms, BUY THAT SUPPORT. Won't hurt, of course, to write into the procurement deal that the support continues until the equipment works. (StorageTek was very good about getting everything to work, even beyond the expiration of the support contract we had.)
A strong support organization, in which all the platforms of interest to you are installed and tested and for which there are experts, is vital. No individual will be expert in all the platforms and they will need to consult with folks back home.
Ask your vendor about the support/installation procedure. StorageTek had a team whose job was installing this stuff, and it was VERY valuable.
People who buy host platforms (i.e., me) are not expert on all of them either. Result, I got some stuff I didn't need. Get someone who *does* know the platform to review the bids.
SGI controls their fibrechannel interfaces and software differently than Sun, IBM or Compaq. This makes multiple heterogeneous platform support somewhat harder.
Brocade switches are programmed via Ethernet ports; your switch will be available to the universe. There is username/password protection.
NaviSphere software runs on NT; you'll need an NT machine and it needs to be on the ethernet.
There are agents for NaviSphere on Sun and IBM; not on Compaq or SGI.
Autonegotiation should be turned off for Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
THIS AIN'T EASY.
From StorageTek:
Sun E250 with Gigabit Ethernet interface
20 9 GB fibrechannel drives
10 18 GB fibrechannel drives
fibrechannel switch
dual fibrechannel controllershost bus adapters for Sun, RS/6000, Compaq Alpha
NaviSphere software with agents for AIX and Solaris
One week's support
From Compaq:
DS20 with Gigabit Ethernet interface
From SGI:
Origin 200 with Gigabit Ethernet interface and FibreChannel
host bus adapter
From IBM:
RS/6000 model F50
Gigabit Ethernet adapter
Prior to the start of this project only the RS/6000 had been fully configured and used.
[Some of the work described herein performed by ORNL staff.]
Thursday Jan. 27
StorageTek engineer came by to review what was shipped and note any hardware shipment problems. Two found and remedied immediately.
Monday Jan. 31
StorageTek support engineer arrived. Checked software shipment and hardware again, noting problems and getting remedies. NT machine put on the ethernet.
Tuesday Feb. 1
Sun E250 up and communicating via Gigabit Ethernet.
Compaq Alpha DS20 up and communicating via Gigabit Ethernet.
[Now all four platforms are operational on GigE.]
Host bus adapters installed into RS/6000.
Found we needed 64 MB memory for the NT machine.
Switch put on the ethernet.
Wednesday Feb. 2
Memory on NT machine upgraded.
Sun can't talk to the switch. Newer driver needed.
Graphics adapter in Sun flakey; replaced later in the week.
Thursday Feb. 3
Needed more disk space on NT machine; old stuff deleted.
Sun patched; now it can talk to the switch. Sun's done now.
Started on the RS/6000.
RS/6000 can't boot when fiber plugged into second host
bus adapter.
Friday Feb. 4 - Friday Feb. 11
StorageTek engineer back home. Hiatus; behind-the-scenes consultation and planning.
Meanwhile we did some trying-out and configuration work on the platforms to make them full-fledged nodes in our environment.
Monday Feb. 14; StorageTek support engineer returned.
RS/6000 configuration corrected. Drives now visible, but each shows up several times.
Now start on the Compaq.
Tuesday Feb. 15
AIX and IRIX patched so they recognize the drives correctly.
All platforms are now functional. All see the drives
and see them correctly.
Start investigating zoning in the switch so multiple
platforms or interfaces don't step on each other
trying to get to the storage arrays.
By the end of the day, via NaviSphere, he'd created
RAID 5 and RAID 3 and RAID 0 sets.
One drive proved to be bad and the NaviSphere software
noted it correctly.
HOORAY!
Wednesday Feb. 16
Write up all the notes and school Dan.