Sorry, seemed to have sent my message without finishing it!

Individual ports are setup and zoned as follows:

PORT                                                                 ZONE(s)

S1&2-0  Clustered HABs to SAN                        File Cluster, Backup

S1-1  File Cluster Node A                                   File Cluster

S2-1  File Cluster Node B                                   File Cluster

S1-4  Network Backup Server                            Backup

S1-5  PV-136T                                                    Backup, File Cluster

The PV-136T has its drives and robotics connected via the SNC to port S1-5.

Soooo...I have a few questions:

1.  Would I need to use separate HABs (QLA 2310F) in the three servers so that the actual clustered nodes and Tape Library aren't in the same zone?

2.  Is the zoning correct (I understand that there's a mountain of opinions on this... ).

Thanks!

Proper zoning is completely dependant on the storage arrays involved, the HBAs and the environment.  For example, in a DELL|EMC SAN environment, you must use single initiator zoning.  You must also take into consideration the redundant fabrics for fault tolerant environments.

I am trying to draw out your topology based on the info provided and I am unclear on ports 0, 1 and 3.  On Ports 0 of switch 1 and 2, does port 0 of each switch go to the same server (one connection per HBA--  that is, you have two HBAs in the server?)  Is Port 3 a similar setup?

The servers connected to port 0 of each switch--  are they clustered together?

The servers connected to port 3 of each switch, are they clusterted together?

From your info, it appears that you have one server on port 1 of switch a and a server on port 1 of switch 2, correct?  They are clustered, correct?

It is always difficult to view a topology with words, but I think I have most of it correct?

As far as tape, each server that will run a backup job must be zoned in with the tape hardware.  You can easily zone the switches to do this, and a third HBA is not required.

 

 

 

 

Sorry to be so confusing.  I have a XioTech Magnitude SAN (Sorry!), and, it has four input HAB's.  I have them setup as two clusters (or groups) of two HAB's apiece for redundancy, and, one cluster is connected to the port 0's of the two switches.  Each server, PE2650, has just one QLA2610, and they are in two  two-node clusters, one for file storage and the other for printing.  The cluster to be used for printing will be backed up over the network by my standalone backup server, so, I'm not concerned about its zoning, and, its two nodes cannot see the tape library.

So, on ports 0 are the two redundant connections to the SAN, and on ports 1 are the nodes of my two-node Win2003 cluster (LUN Masking is used so that each node only sees the SAN drives via one SAN HAB, not both, on port 0).  On ports 2 are my two print nodes, and, on ports 3 are the other set of clustered (grouped) SAN HAB's that are used to provide access to several non-clustered servers connected to other ports.

The PV-136T is connected to port S1-5, and the standalone server is connected to port S1-4, and those ports as well as both ports 0 and both ports 3 are in a zone named backup.  I have another zone named FileCluster which has both ports 0, both ports 1, and port S1-5. 

What I'm concerned about is that, as I did deeply into MS Clustering, I'm finding references to NOT having the tape devices and the clustered disks in the same zone, and, I'm not even sure if the tape device and the SAN even need to see/know about each other.  It may be that all I need is for the Backup zone to consist of ports 1 and S1-4 and S1-5, so that just ther servers and library see each other, and, the FileCluster zone consist of just the ports 0 and 1.  This would require just the single QLA 2310F in each server.

OR...I need two QLA2310F's in each clustered server, one is in a FileCluster zone with ports 0 and 1, and the other is in a BackupZone, with two new ports and port S1-5, or, even in individual zones with just one cluster node and the library in each node.

Since I don't have any more ports open on my two switches, I was thinking I could use the ports on the SNC, and, instead of having a connection between the SNC and one of the switches like I do now, I'd have the standalone backup server connect into only the SNC with its one HBA, and the second HBA in the clustered file nodes connect into the SNC, too (maybe need three zones there, too?)

The illustrations from MS, Veritas, and Dell don't really go into the zoning in great detail, so, it's unclear on the exact way to do this...

Hope this is as clear as mud!

Thanks!!

Maybe I can make this even more simple...

Let's just go with one switch:

  Port 0  SAN (single connection)

  Port 1  Node 1 of FileCluster

  Port 2  Node 2 of FileCluster

  Port 3  BackupServer (will be Admin Server using BUEWin9.1 and the two nodes will also be used with the SSO option)

  Port 4  PV-136T

Each of the three servers currently has one QLA2310F

Zones:

I'd obviously have to zone 0,1,2 together for the cluster.  Doubt I'd need 3, but, not sure if I'd need 4.  I'd have to zone 3,4 together for backup just for that server.  Now, would I need to have a single zone for 1,2,4 or two zones, 1,4 and 2,4?

Finally, would the clustered nodes need a second QLA2310F JUST for backup, not zoned with either the SAN or the other QLA2310F, and, since I'm out of ports on my switch, could I just run the single QLA2310F from the Admin backup server, and the second QLA2310F's from the two cluster nodes down to the SNC on the PV-136T (all in one zone, or, three zones), and, all would work.

Hope that's even less confusing!

Thanks!!

Based on the single switch sample you mentioned in your last posting:

(note:  each SAN vendor has different rules for zoning, so this is just one method)

Port 1,2,3 are all servers and have the capability to back up directly to the 136T (by using the SSO option).  Therefore, all three of these ports would have to have a zone with the 136T (port 4).  In other words, who ever has direct access to the library will have to be zoned in with the 136T.  Port 3 (backup server) does not have to be zoned to port 0 (san) unless the backup server has fiber channel storage connectivity to a storage array (i.e. EMC).

Here is one zone configuration:

Zone 1: Port 0,1,4  (file server needs direct access to library to backup directly to the 136T.  Need access to port 0 (san) for storage array.

Zone 2: Port 0,2,4 (same reason as above)  (do not include port 1 because this puts two initiators in the same zone.  keep them separate)

Zone 3: Port 3,4    (the backup server needs direct access to library.  no need to include port 1 and 2 because those 2 servers already have access to the library.  The backup server (port 3) is responsbile for backup up other remote servers.

Note:  I did not put ports 1 and 2 in the SAME zone because in a DELL|EMC storage environment, this would violate the "single initiator" zone rule.  Only one initiator per zone.  However, each SAN vendor is different and you need to check with the storage array vendor.)

A second HBA is not required for any of the servers, even if tape is on the same path.  Tape can co-exist with the cluster on the single HBA.   But again, this depends on the HBA and storage array vendor.   What HBA vendor and storage array vendor do you have?

Thanks, that's the configuration I came up with too.

The HBA's are QLA2310F's and the Storage is XioTech's Magnitude.