Read only access from Win2k3

Question

Hi,

I have a CX3-10 accessed from 8 x ESX3.5 and 1 x Win2k3.

The windows server is for VCB, which requires read-only access to CX3-10, thus I would like to configure CX3-10 read-only for specific servers to avoid accidents. (In this case read-only for the windows server.) Is it possible to configure in such a way?

I also have brocade5000 (FC switch) between CX-3 and servers. Maybe FC switch can achieve read-only?

Thanks,
yoshi

Kiran3 · Answer

this is possible in case of symmetrix but on clariion you cant make a LUN read only to a host...

AranH1 · Answer

What is the data that the win2k3 server needs read only access on the clariion? And why? There may be a different way to achieve your needs if you share some more info.

dynamox · Answer

look at attributes flaghttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/ca099518-dde5-4eac-a1f1-38eff6e3e5091033.mspx?mfr=true

Kiran3 · Answer

does this stay persistent if I add/remove more disks to this host and if I assign this disk to another server ?

dynamox · Answer

i don't know about adding it to another host, but in my experience re-adding the same disks kept them read-only.

dynamox · Answer

this is something i am not clear myself about VCB ..do you actually present VMFS LUN to your proxy server that's running windows (i don't think windows can read VMFS) or does VCB process copies data from VMFS lun to a NTFS lun and then presents that to your proxy server for backup ?

AranH1 · Answer

But isn't that an attribute bit that is set on a NTFS volume? It is a volume level bit that I don't think will work if the host is presented with a VMFS volume like the thread is asking.

AranH1 · Answer

Yoshi,Have you looked at the VMWare Consolidate Backup Guide (vi3_35_25_vm_backup.pdf) from the VMWare support site?I don't think this is an array configuration beyond ensuring the VCB server has access to the LUNs, but seems more like a software configuration within the VCB proxy.

yoshi2 · Answer

Thanks for the replies.

The purpose I would like to set read-only is to prevent from breaking VMFS disks by human operation error. Some disk arrays can make specific LUNs read-only so i wondered if CX3 has such a function, or achieve it at windows or FC switch level. Also I read a VCB guide but the guide was for 3.0, not 3.5, about 1 year before, so I will try read the guide for 3.5.

Thanks
Yoshi

dynamox · Answer

yoshi,

page five contains this statement:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_consolidated_backup.pdf

the VLUN driver presents a read-only drive to the proxy¿s Windows operating system. For image-based backups, full virtual machine images are presented as files to the proxy server.

yoshi2 · Answer

I read the document, but according to it read-only disks are mounted via VLUN driver of VCB, and it doesn't prevent from breaking SAN from windows by human operation error.

When non-skilled operators use disk administrator they can easilly break SAN disks and in such case the damage spreads out over the entire ESX landscape. I would like to prevent it. (backup proxy is not a critical server at all but SAN is very very critical.)

dynamox · Answer

some things have to be addressed by a procedure, technology alone may not provide the answer. If procedure is to hard to implement give your management another option ..a little DMX4-950, there you can make devices read-only

CLARiiON

Read only access from Win2k3

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