StoreEdge6140

Getting Started Guide

Logical and Physical Components
 
 * Disks form Virtual disks
 * Virtual disks form Storage Pools
 * From Storage Pools you can create volumes
 * Volumes are mapped to the Storage Domain
 * The Storage Domain contains Hosts & Host groups
 * Storage domains enable you to partition storage, allowing hosts or host groups access to specific volumes. Hosts access volumes on the array through the physical host ports (or initiators) residing on host HBAs. Volume-to-LUN mapping allows you to specify the host or host group that can access a specific volume on your storage array.

Storage Array Configuration Components
The array management software provides access to both physical and logical storage components.

The physical components of a storage array are as follows.

 * Host - A server, or data host, with one or more initiators that can store data on an array. You can define volume-to-logical unit number (LUN) mappings to an individual host or assign a host to a host group.
 * Host group - A collection of one or more data hosts in a clustered environment. A host can be part of only one host group at a time. You can map a host group to one or more volumes to enable the hosts in the group to share access to a volume.
 * Initiator - A port on a Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter (HBA) that allows a host to gain access to the storage array. The initiator has a World Wide Name (WWN) that is globally unique.
 * Tray - An enclosure that contains from 5 to 16 disks.
 * Disk - A non-volatile, randomly addressable, rewriteable data storage device. Physical disks are managed as a pool of storage space for creating volumes.

The logical components of a storage array are as follows

 * Storage domain - A logical entity used to partition storage. By default, users receive one storage domain. You can optionally purchase RTU licenses to increase this number to 4, 8, or 16 domains on a Sun StorageTek 6140 array with 2 GB cache; or 4, 8, 16, or 64 domains on a Sun StorageTek 6140 array with 4 GB cache.
 * Profile - A set of attributes that are used to create a storage pool. The system has a predefined set of storage profiles. You can choose a profile suitable for the application that is using the storage, or you can create a custom profile.
 * Pool - A collection of volumes with the same configuration. A storage pool is associated with a storage profile, which defines the storage properties and performance characteristics of a volume.
 * Virtual disk - One or more physical disks that are configured with a given RAID level (or RAID set). All physical disks in a virtual disk must be of the same type, FC or SATA II.
 * Volume - A container into which applications, databases, and file systems store data. Volumes are created from virtual disks, based on the characteristics of a storage pool. You map a volume to a host or host group.
 * Snapshot - A point-in-time copy of a primary volume. The snapshot can be mounted by an application and used for backup, application testing, or data mining without requiring you to take the primary volume offline. Snapshots are a premium feature that require a right-to-use license.