[ Thanks to Michael
S. Mimoso for this link. ]
Linux servers have proven their mettle on the edge of the
enterprise, as print and file servers. What’s next? Storage is the
next frontier, according to SearchEnterpriseLinux.com’s resident
experts. Building Storage Area Networks (SANs) on Linux can
increase storage productivity and efficiency and reduce storage
hardware, software and management costs. In this interview, our Ask
the Expert advisors offer tips on implementation of and product
selection for Linux storage solutions. On this panel are Sam
Greenblatt, senior vice president/chief architect, Linux Technology
Group, Computer Associates of Islandia, N.Y.; and Matt O’Keefe,
CTO, and Joaquin Ruiz, marketing and product management vice
president, of Sistina Software Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn.“What are the challenges of integrating Linux into an
existing SAN environment?“Greenblat: Integrating Linux into a SAN
environment is really no different than integrating in any other
operating system into the SAN. You must be careful in ensuring that
when defining the LUN (logical unit number) to the SAN that you
understand the ramifications of enques and integrity with the logic
volume defined. If you look at using the global file system and
integrate Logical Volume Manager (LVM) and LVM2 into a SAN
environment, you must take into account the intricacies of the
underlying file system. Sistina does a great job of guiding you in
the use of GFS (Global File System) on their Web site, and this
could be a great jumping-off point. You also need to look at tools
to manage the complete SAN environment, not just Linux…”