Systems
– Macintosh computers with an Intel or PowerPC G5 processor
Memory
– Clients should have a minimum of 256 MB of RAM.
– Controllers should have a minimum of 512 MB of RAM. For optimum performance, add an additional 512 MB of RAM for each SAN volume hosted by the controller.
Supported Operating Systems
You can install Xsan 1.4 only on computers running
– Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server v10.4.7 or later
To join an Xsan 1.4 SAN, Windows, AIX, IRIX, Linux, and Solaris clients must be running ADICs StorNext File System version 2.6 or 2.7. For complete compatibility information,
see Version Compatibility on page 12.
Supported Storage Devices
Although you can use any standard LUN storage device, this guide assumes you are using Xserve RAID systems for your storage devices.
Important: Be sure to install the latest firmware update on your Xserve RAID systems before you use them with Xsan.
For the best performance, use Xserve RAID systems that have:
– A full set of 14 Apple Drive Modules
– 512 MB of cache in each controller (1 GB total)
Fibre Channel Fabric
Unlike file system metadata, which controllers and clients exchange over Ethernet, actual file content in an Xsan SAN is transferred over Fibre Channel connections (as is
metadata that controllers access on a volume). To set up the connections, you need:
– Apple Fibre Channel PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E cards for each client and controller computer
– One or more supported Fibre Channel switches
– Fibre Channel cables connecting computers and storage devices to the switches to form a Fibre Channel fabric
Fibre Channel PCI Cards
Install Apple Fibre Channel PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E cards in all Macintosh computers that will connect to the SAN.
Fibre Channel Switches
The following Fibre Channel switches have been tested with Xsan, Xserve RAID systems, and the Apple Fibre Channel PCI, PCI-X, and PCI-E cards:
– Brocade Silkworm 3200, 3800, 3900, and 12000 series
– QLogic SANbox 28, SANbox 216, SANbox 264, SANbox 1400, and SANbox 5200
– Emulex SAN Switch 355, 375, and 9200
– Cisco MDS 9000 family