Mounting a CIFS share to a Windows 2003 Server

Question

I need to have a LUN that is 5TB that can grow to about 13TB and connected to a Widows 2003 Server. I originally tried to create the LUN using ISCSI through Celerra and received an error that it was too large. I created a CIFS share, but I need to mount the share in Windows and just mapping it as a drive will not work. Is there a way to do this?

BillStein-Dell · Answer

From the sounds of your requirements, you have to have a direct-attached LUN, not a share mapped as a drive. That being the case, you won't be able to use Celerra iSCSI, since the maximum LUN size is 2TB (minus 1MB for overhead).

Your best bet will be to use a direct-attached fibre channel drive. Depending on your storage array, you might be able to add the fibre channel option. This will, however, require a SAN switch and host bus adapters in your Windows host. Contact your EMC sales team or authorized third-party reseller for specific options tailored to your existing environment.

Can you use multiple LUNs instead of just a single LUN? If your application can handle more than one LUN, that might be an option. You can have up to 256 iSCSI LUNs per target, but the maximum amount of data you can have behind a single DM/blade (and therefore bind into an iSCSI LUN) is dependent on the model of your storage array.

dynamox · Answer

if it's not a cluster you could use dynamic disk to combine multiple iSCSI LUNs. Unfortunately Microsoft iSCSI initiator does not support dynamic drives so your option is to use a hardware iSCSI initiator ..something like this:

http://www.qlogic.com/Products/SAN_products_iSCSI.aspx

Out of curiosity ..what is the function of this server ?

rhfoit · Answer

We are setting up replication from all of our offices to go back to one central point for online archiving and backup. We are using a product called CommVault and Server 2003 has to be the front end for this product.

dynamox · Answer

what is the model of your Celerra ? FC enabled models provide fibre channel connectivity in addition to iSCSi/CIFS/NFS.

rhfoit · Answer

We have the EMC NS80. It is fubre capable, but we do not have fibre in the environment.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

as dynamox said if you buy an ISCSI HBA for your client then you can use MS Windows dynamic disks and create a drive out of multiple 2TB ISCSI LUNs

What is the application ? do you really need block-level ?

dynamox · Answer

We are setting up replication from all of our offices to go back to one central point for online archiving and backup. We are using a product called CommVault and Server 2003 has to be the front end for this product.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

well, sounds like you are using the Celerra as a "data store" for the CommVault software similar to other Backup2Disk solutions

Now it depends if that config does allow using a CIFS share (UNC Path) - I know that other backup apps do.

If that is the case it would be simple to just use a CIFS share instead of an ISCSI LUN
A CIFS share can be up to 16TB and also be replicated between Celerra's

Celerra

Mounting a CIFS share to a Windows 2003 Server

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