New speeds in servers and storage systems HP - SAS 6 Gbps interface
The problem of insufficient disk utilization goes hand in hand with an increase in the bandwidth of channels and the volume of data pumped through the server disk subsystems and separate data storage systems. It often happens that hard drives are capable of higher speeds, and the storage interface to the server, or disks to the controller, acts as a performance limiter. This is usually a feature of relatively affordable servers and storage systems where speed is sacrificed for price reduction. There are also frankly unsuccessful architectures where, it would seem, all the components should work as they should, but no, somewhere, and the bottleneck lurks. Such servers and storage systems turned out to be half-hearted - disks and other elements are speedy, but in the end everything works slower than it should.
Until recently, in fairly inexpensive HP P2000 storage systems, Fiber Channel was used as a “fast” interface, but using all its advantages in real applications was not easy. Therefore, the problems of low disk utilization described above were partly related to these products. P2000 discs were able to produce data at speeds exceeding the capabilities of the system as a whole. This was obviously particularly noticeable in applications with large amounts of data transferred, web hosting systems and “clouds”.
However, more recently, HP has updated the entry-level storage system line (this segment includes the popular P2000 in Russia and around the world), releasing the third generation, the G3. And one of the key features of the new systems was the SAS interface with a bandwidth of 6 Gb / s.
And at the moment this is exactly what the doctor ordered. Largely because HP itself (and other vendors, we must pay tribute to them) began to actively implement SAS in their servers, including the entry and middle-level, that is, the most common and most commonly used.
It is important to note that, until recently, SAS worked at speeds up to 3 Gbit / s, but the new revision provides bandwidth already at 6 gigabits. Doubling the speed (plus compatibility with SATA and other small “buns”) in one fell swoop solves a lot of minor problems. However, the solution would be incomplete if a new, faster interface was simply tied to an existing system. Its bandwidth simply would not be needed: in order to use new features, it is necessary to optimize the motherboard (backplane) and all the piping of the disk subsystem.
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To the credit of HP, all these measures have been taken, and the systems released to the market are fully prepared for operation at new speeds. Now the speed capabilities of the disks are used at full capacity. The half-heartedness of the solution is absent as a class: the problem of low disk utilization is solved, and the disks and the backplane work through a high-speed interface. At the same time, Fiber Channel and iSCSI have not gone away, and, if the existing system was built using these interfaces, the new HP StorageWorks P2000 G3 will become there like merged.
Thus, the main advantages of the new systems are the availability of the equipment of the initial class against the background of serious performance and remaining flexibility with the ability to use one of the three interfaces. With today's data growth, optimizing IT costs and growing consolidation of server and storage equipment, such a set is exactly what you need.
Until recently, in fairly inexpensive HP P2000 storage systems, Fiber Channel was used as a “fast” interface, but using all its advantages in real applications was not easy. Therefore, the problems of low disk utilization described above were partly related to these products. P2000 discs were able to produce data at speeds exceeding the capabilities of the system as a whole. This was obviously particularly noticeable in applications with large amounts of data transferred, web hosting systems and “clouds”.
However, more recently, HP has updated the entry-level storage system line (this segment includes the popular P2000 in Russia and around the world), releasing the third generation, the G3. And one of the key features of the new systems was the SAS interface with a bandwidth of 6 Gb / s.
And at the moment this is exactly what the doctor ordered. Largely because HP itself (and other vendors, we must pay tribute to them) began to actively implement SAS in their servers, including the entry and middle-level, that is, the most common and most commonly used.
It is important to note that, until recently, SAS worked at speeds up to 3 Gbit / s, but the new revision provides bandwidth already at 6 gigabits. Doubling the speed (plus compatibility with SATA and other small “buns”) in one fell swoop solves a lot of minor problems. However, the solution would be incomplete if a new, faster interface was simply tied to an existing system. Its bandwidth simply would not be needed: in order to use new features, it is necessary to optimize the motherboard (backplane) and all the piping of the disk subsystem.
')
To the credit of HP, all these measures have been taken, and the systems released to the market are fully prepared for operation at new speeds. Now the speed capabilities of the disks are used at full capacity. The half-heartedness of the solution is absent as a class: the problem of low disk utilization is solved, and the disks and the backplane work through a high-speed interface. At the same time, Fiber Channel and iSCSI have not gone away, and, if the existing system was built using these interfaces, the new HP StorageWorks P2000 G3 will become there like merged.
Thus, the main advantages of the new systems are the availability of the equipment of the initial class against the background of serious performance and remaining flexibility with the ability to use one of the three interfaces. With today's data growth, optimizing IT costs and growing consolidation of server and storage equipment, such a set is exactly what you need.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/99906/
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