Netapps - simultaneously accessing same data source

[sez141]

This is what I know - we have a need for multiple servers to access the same data storage area and perform reads/writes.

Servers are Windows 2003. Data storage area will be on NAS - NetApps (900 series I think). We're using the iSCSI protocol which the initiator was installed on all servers. Single LUN setup; however only one of the two servers can see this.

Everything I've read indiates LUNs can be shared between multiple servers BUT says can be catastrophic to access same LUN simultaneously without means of coordinating changed blocks to ensure data integrity. That solution is clustering software but looking to validate this some or determine what options are available in accomplishing this. Everything I read on Netapps site indicates this is possible but I can't get to the "how".

Any thoughts/suggestions/comments?

 

[RMGBELGIUM]

the only way to access a lun from 2 hosts at the same time ( and even not at exact the same time ) is through cluster software.It's all about scsi reservations.Perhaps concurrent access is possible through the use of an LVM like Veritas.I have seen disk or lun sharing on an AIX box with concurrent volume groups.On Netapp,the snapdrive software will allow you to create luns that are shared,but therefore MS cluster service must be active.

rgds,

R.

 

[xmsre]

iSCSI is a block mode protocol used to access LUNs. It encapsulates SCSI commands in IP packets. FCP encapsulates SCSI commands in Fibre channel packets and is also a block mode protocol used to access LUNs. Both iSCSI and FCP are SAN protocols.

CIFS and NFS are file level protocols that provide access to files. They are NAS. CIFS in particular implements oplocks so that two or more clents can access the same file (altough only one can write at any given point in time.

What is the application and how does it expect to see the data? It sounds very mich like a NAS solution utilizing CIFS or NFS may meet your needs.