I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz, Tom De Wit Uptime Belgium
________________________________
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Completely agree!
Da: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] Per conto di De Wit Tom (Consultant) Inviato: venerdì 25 aprile 2008 16.26 A: Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Oggetto: RE: Snapdrive alternative
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz,
Tom De Wit
Uptime Belgium
________________________________
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
I agree with all points but have never seen hard documentation about using too high a MS iSCSI version. Every time I've checked the compatibility matrix it said to use version x.xx or higher / newest. We heavily use 4.2.1 as well, do you know off hand what versions of iSCSI are too new?
Setting preferred filer ip will solve a lot of weird issues with snapdrive, as well as make it 10x more responsive.
- Hadrian
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of De Wit Tom (Consultant) Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 7:26 AM To: Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz, Tom De Wit Uptime Belgium
________________________________ From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
You have to look to the supported versions for the iSCSI Windows Host Utilities. In the latest version of those host utilities I ecplicitly read that it adds support for MS iscsi initiator 2.05 and 2.06.
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/kit_iscsi/microsoft/4.1/
I don't know if using a newer version will give problems, but as they talk of adding support for a specific version of the initiator, I don't think you can just use newer versions. Like you said it is hard to find in the documentation, and I don't know what the official statement of NetApp is.
Grtz,
Tom Uptime Belgium
________________________________
From: Hadrian Baron [mailto:Hadrian.Baron@vegas.com] Sent: maandag 28 april 2008 17:27 To: De Wit Tom (Consultant); Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I agree with all points but have never seen hard documentation about using too high a MS iSCSI version. Every time I've checked the compatibility matrix it said to use version x.xx or higher / newest. We heavily use 4.2.1 as well, do you know off hand what versions of iSCSI are too new?
Setting preferred filer ip will solve a lot of weird issues with snapdrive, as well as make it 10x more responsive.
- Hadrian
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of De Wit Tom (Consultant) Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 7:26 AM To: Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz,
Tom De Wit
Uptime Belgium
________________________________
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Hi Tom :-),
I have come across at least one case where a later version of the MS iSCSI initiator (in this case 2.05) had to be rolled back to 2.03 or 2.04 because it was unsupported in combination with SnapDrive, and crashed regularly because of the wrong iSCSI version.
Regards, Filip
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 3:19 PM, De Wit Tom (Consultant) tom.de.wit@volvo.com wrote:
You have to look to the supported versions for the iSCSI Windows Host Utilities. In the latest version of those host utilities I ecplicitly read that it adds support for MS iscsi initiator 2.05 and 2.06.
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/kit_iscsi/microsoft/4.1/
I don't know if using a newer version will give problems, but as they talk of adding support for a specific version of the initiator, I don't think you can just use newer versions. Like you said it is hard to find in the documentation, and I don't know what the official statement of NetApp is.
Grtz,
Tom Uptime Belgium
From: Hadrian Baron [mailto:Hadrian.Baron@vegas.com] Sent: maandag 28 april 2008 17:27 To: De Wit Tom (Consultant); Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I agree with all points but have never seen hard documentation about using too high a MS iSCSI version. Every time I've checked the compatibility matrix it said to use version x.xx or higher / newest. We heavily use 4.2.1 as well, do you know off hand what versions of iSCSI are too new?
Setting preferred filer ip will solve a lot of weird issues with snapdrive, as well as make it 10x more responsive.
- Hadrian
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of De Wit Tom (Consultant) Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 7:26 AM To: Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz,
Tom De Wit
Uptime Belgium
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Tom is indeed right. I was remembering from our SD 3.1R1 days, where the Snapdrive matrix guide showed iSCSI version supported:
"iSCSI driver 1.06, 1.05a, 1.04 (Note: NetApp recommends always using the latest iSCSI software initiator from the ones listed above)"
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/olio/guides/snapmanager_snapdrive_c...
For SD 4.1 they start requiring MS iSCSI 2.0 and drop the "use newest" verbage.
To confuse matters, if I use the super new online compatibility matrix tool for Win2k3 I don't find anything newer than Snapdrive 4.0 supporting S/W iSCSI (requires Initiator 2.0 and 2.01) - Nothing for S/W iSCSI for SD 4.2.1 :)
- Hadrian
-----Original Message----- From: Filip Sneppe [mailto:filip.sneppe@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 8:08 AM To: De Wit Tom (Consultant) Cc: Hadrian Baron; Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Re: Snapdrive alternative
Hi Tom :-),
I have come across at least one case where a later version of the MS iSCSI initiator (in this case 2.05) had to be rolled back to 2.03 or 2.04 because it was unsupported in combination with SnapDrive, and crashed regularly because of the wrong iSCSI version.
Regards, Filip
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 3:19 PM, De Wit Tom (Consultant) tom.de.wit@volvo.com wrote:
You have to look to the supported versions for the iSCSI Windows Host Utilities. In the latest version of those host utilities I ecplicitly read that it adds support for MS iscsi initiator 2.05 and 2.06.
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/kit_iscsi/microsoft/4.1/
I don't know if using a newer version will give problems, but as they talk of adding support for a specific version of the initiator, I don't think you can just use newer versions. Like you said it is hard to find in the documentation, and I don't know what the official statement of NetApp is.
Grtz,
Tom Uptime Belgium
From: Hadrian Baron [mailto:Hadrian.Baron@vegas.com] Sent: maandag 28 april 2008 17:27 To: De Wit Tom (Consultant); Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I agree with all points but have never seen hard documentation about using too high a MS iSCSI version. Every time I've checked the compatibility matrix it said to use version x.xx or higher / newest. We heavily use 4.2.1 as well, do you know off hand what versions of iSCSI are too new?
Setting preferred filer ip will solve a lot of weird issues with snapdrive, as well as make it 10x more responsive.
- Hadrian
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of De Wit Tom (Consultant) Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 7:26 AM To: Webster, Stetson; Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
In my experience with dozens of customers, I found that instable snapdrive issues where almost always caused by the customer not following the hardware interoperability matrix (wrong MS iSCSI version (even too new!), incompatible HBA or HBA driver/firmware, not supported server HW or OS version, ...). Also MPIO problems can cause Snapdrive instability. Do upgrade to DSM 3.1 as it is much more stable than 3.0.
I have very good experience with Snapdrive 4.2.1. This was really a nice piece of software, so I tend to stay with it and still have to be convinced to go to 5.x ...
A nice trick with slow performing Snapdrive software can also be to set the preffered filer IP address in the Snapdrive configuration for all filers you connect to. This can make a huge difference in visualisation speed. I got this trick from Netapp support, they can really help solving Snapdrive issues so do create a case there !
Grtz,
Tom De Wit
Uptime Belgium
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Webster, Stetson Sent: vrijdag 25 april 2008 13:38 To: Smith,Eddie; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I went back and read this email and found a promising aspect of the nature of this setup.
With FC, the odds are extremely high that your issue is in the configuration of your MPIO stack which is an important pre-requisite step for a stable SnapDrive deployment. You can actually verify these steps in the SnapDrive installation guide.
But either way, the support center is very capable of isolating this and is your best source for detailed, conclusive analysis.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Smith,Eddie Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 02:59 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Webster, Stetson; lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
I think Stetson forgot to mention that you also need to shut the OS down as well otherwise your NTFS buffer cache will not get flushed and you will still be inconsistent...
You really need SnapDrive or a piece of software like the "sync" driver in VMware which will ensure that your system will boot up afterwards. Not sure if there are any alternatives on the market though.
SnapDrive isn't unstable (I have multiple happy people who think it isn't) ...I'm sure if you have any issues they can be sorted without looking for an alternative.
Even better use SnapManager for SQL, this uses Microsoft APIs to ensure that not only the OS but the database is properly consistent during backups.
Honestly though, if SnapDrive is causing you pain I'm sure it can be fixed - call up NetApp support and you'll get a good response.
If you don't have support, firstly you should....but if its a generic issue I'm sure there are people out there that can help.
cheers Eddie ________________________________
From: Webster, Stetson Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:44 AM To: lists@up-south.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Snapdrive alternative
Yes. It's simple. Just stop the db's, confirm completion of the stop, take a snapshot, restart db's.
Pardon brevity, typos, etc; sent from mobile.
-----Original Message----- From: Steve Rieger [mailto:lists@up-south.com] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 07:32 PM Pacific Standard Time To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Snapdrive alternative
We found that snapdrive is not very stable. Are there any alternatives ?
Setup is as follows Win 2k3 servers Sql dbs 3070c running 7.2.2 With fiber Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Hi Adrian,
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:19 PM, Hadrian Baron Hadrian.Baron@vegas.com wrote: ...
To confuse matters, if I use the super new online compatibility matrix tool for Win2k3 I don't find anything newer than Snapdrive 4.0 supporting S/W iSCSI (requires Initiator 2.0 and 2.01) - Nothing for S/W iSCSI for SD 4.2.1 :)
I find that very annoying too. What I basically have to do now is look up the version of iSCSI Host Utilities (Support Kits) I want to use and look up the supported versions of the MS iSCSI initiator in there.
Honestly, I can't say I like the online compatibility matrix tool. All I want is a static web page with all the information (including the supported MS iSCSI versions) I need to know about ...
Regards, Filip
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De Wit Tom (Consultant) -
Filip Sneppe -
Hadrian Baron -
Milazzo Giacomo -
Webster, Stetson