SAN That Can Handle SSD Drives

[mapleLC]

I am looking at purchasing a used SAN chassis, one that uses a typical 2.5" laptop size drive.  Can these units accept SSDs instead without any changes besides perhaps a generic adapter?

The one in question is a NetApp DS series, I have not chosen a specific one yet, and am open to other brands if anyone can recommend something in this space.

My main wish is to add SSD drives over time so its a much less mechanical system on the cheap, but also uses way less power than spinning HDDs.  Synology products have started to become too proprietary, so I want to take more control of my data before they start forcing me to buy their kickback deal disks and cough cough approved lists.

[tunk]

Netapp devices may require disks with Netapp firmware. Agree with you on Synology.
I think Dell, HP, etc. makes disk shelves.

[mapleLC]

I think NetApps tend to accept anything, there are some servers that format different size sectors, I cant recall which. 

[JeremyC]

I am looking at purchasing a used SAN chassis, one that uses a typical 2.5" laptop size drive.  Can these units accept SSDs instead without any changes besides perhaps a generic adapter?

The one in question is a NetApp DS series, I have not chosen a specific one yet, and am open to other brands if anyone can recommend something in this space.

My main wish is to add SSD drives over time so its a much less mechanical system on the cheap, but also uses way less power than spinning HDDs.  Synology products have started to become too proprietary, so I want to take more control of my data before they start forcing me to buy their kickback deal disks and cough cough approved lists.

As @tunk mentioned, NetApp may require the code in hard drives.
Check "UNIX Surplus", they sale used computer equipment, link: https://unixsurplus.com/

As software solution check "TrueNAS" (former FreeNAS), it's based on FreeBSD and ZFS filesystem and it's free.
Since ~2015 I have in production few FreeNAS based storages, >250TB formatted. Link: https://www.truenas.com/truenas-core/
It supports NAS, SAN and more...

[mapleLC]

I am looking at purchasing a used SAN chassis, one that uses a typical 2.5" laptop size drive.  Can these units accept SSDs instead without any changes besides perhaps a generic adapter?

The one in question is a NetApp DS series, I have not chosen a specific one yet, and am open to other brands if anyone can recommend something in this space.

My main wish is to add SSD drives over time so its a much less mechanical system on the cheap, but also uses way less power than spinning HDDs.  Synology products have started to become too proprietary, so I want to take more control of my data before they start forcing me to buy their kickback deal disks and cough cough approved lists.

As @tunk mentioned, NetApp may require the code in hard drives.
Check "UNIX Surplus", they sale used computer equipment, link: https://unixsurplus.com/

As software solution check "TrueNAS" (former FreeNAS), it's based on FreeBSD and ZFS filesystem and it's free.
Since ~2015 I have in production few FreeNAS based storages, >250TB formatted. Link: https://www.truenas.com/truenas-core/
It supports NAS, SAN and more...

Cool, thanks for that link... and gosh golly a phone number.  I might even spend a few of my hard earned dinero there.

I am aware of TrueNAS, that was my plan.

[Halcyon]

The NetApp DS4246 works great with TrueNAS and any old drive you throw at it.

Though make sure you get one with caddies, there are plenty of sellers on eBay trying to charge hundreds for a full set of 24 drive caddies. Despite what the listed price for these units are, I'd suggest a reasonable price for a used model complete with caddies would be around $650-900.

[shapirus]

You meant to write NAS in the title rather than SAN, didn't you?

SAN = Storage Area Network (multiple devices)
NAS = Network-attached Storage (single device)

[mapleLC]

You meant to write NAS in the title rather than SAN, didn't you?

SAN = Storage Area Network (multiple devices)
NAS = Network-attached Storage (single device)

I have a synology NAS, so no I meant SAN.  Part of my interest in the topic is as a hobbyist in having a SAN running at home.  I could turn an old PC into my junk yard Synology, so I want to try something else, a bit more interesting.

[shapirus]

I have a synology NAS, so no I meant SAN.

SAN at its level of abstraction does not deal with individual drives, so the question is whether it can handle a particular drive technology makes no sense.

[mapleLC]

I have a synology NAS, so no I meant SAN.

SAN at its level of abstraction does not deal with individual drives, so the question is whether it can handle a particular drive technology makes no sense.

Of course it does.  I defined my need as a SAN, so in your world I should be happy shopping for disks a NAS will use?  If not, the drive technology certainly matters.

[tunk]

No experience with Netapp DS, but I suspect they're dumb disk shelves
(aka. expansion array) that needs one of these:
- server plus RAID controller (which may accept non-Netapp disks)
- (Netapp) SAN controller (which most likely only accepts Netapp disks)

https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMP1115547

[mapleLC]

No experience with Netapp DS, but I suspect they're dumb disk shelves
(aka. expansion array) that needs one of these:
- server plus RAID controller (which may accept non-Netapp disks)
- (Netapp) SAN controller (which most likely only accepts Netapp disks)

https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMP1115547

This is correct.  The dumb stuff tends to run forever, I am shopping for a separate server with a RAID controller in it.  I think they call this JBOD now?  Just a Bunch Of Disks.

I don't think the disk piece is the case, a bit of searching shows that they are generally pretty flexible. 

The limitation is usually how you can't just swap a disk from one SAN to another, they all have formatting needs, but in the end they need to be compatible with the basics around disk management so these kinds of issues are usually worked thru.

[Zucca]

NetApp DS4246 works great with TrueNAS and any old drive you throw at it.

anything similar for a bunch of SATA 2.5" SSD?
I do not have (or want) spinning 3.5" anymore, and 24x3.5" it would be a waste of space with an 3.5 to 2.5 adapter.

Example
eBay auction: #195516699684

[mapleLC]

NetApp DS4246 works great with TrueNAS and any old drive you throw at it.

anything similar for a bunch of SATA 2.5" SSD?
I do not have (or want) spinning 3.5" anymore, and 24x3.5" it would be a waste of space with an 3.5 to 2.5 adapter.

Example
eBay auction: #195516699684

Wouldn't that auction be about the same?  That one would get expensive accumulating all those trays.  I don't know a lot about the 3Par line otherwise, it was an acquisition of some form.

[mapleLC]

I spent some time reading up on the 3PAR equipment, there are some haters out there but in general they seem well regarded.  It came down to the 3PAR and the NetApp mentioned earlier, both of them came with different drawbacks but it there was not a lot of difference between them.  The 3Par seems to handle SSDs better than the NetApp, the best I can tell, so I am going to go with an HPE 3Par 8000 series of some form.

Has anyone worked with fiber channel?  Its it ok or to be avoided?  These are the ones in question:

[Zucca]

Wouldn't that auction be about the same?  That one would get expensive accumulating all those trays.

I have already 24 SSD SATA to throw in. According to the picture the trays are there.

[Zucca]

Has anyone worked with fiber channel?  Its it ok or to be avoided?  These are the ones in question:

No, but for my home fiber is not required. Some good HBAs with SFF 8088s are more than enough for me.
I smell the price to get the fiber up und running and maintaining it... could be a bummer.

[mapleLC]

Has anyone worked with fiber channel?  Its it ok or to be avoided?  These are the ones in question:

No, but for my home fiber is not required. Some good HBAs with SFF 8088s are more than enough for me.
I smell the price to get the fiber up und running and maintaining it... could be a bummer.

Not required, but the 3Par has that as its only connection, so I will need to use it. 

[Zucca]

Not required, but the 3Par has that as its only connection, so I will need to use it.

Got it, for my purpose at home it would be overkill. Bare in mind you need may be to clean it and center it, if necessary.



That said to be honest I did not the homework so I do not know if the 3Par uses a fiber network cable or another fiber optic interface....

[mapleLC]

The SAN is working great, it has accepted the first 2 test disks I tried.  It takes longer for them to activate once seated than you expect, I thought I had a problem, then the light finally lit to indicate a drive is present.

It turns out the connection looks like an SFP or SFP+ socket from the photo, but its a mini-SAS, an it has various names. SFF-8644, SAS3.  I am researching connector cards for this in case anyone knows what to look for.

Its pretty limited info out there.

https://cs-electronics.com/sff-8644/