Isilon Gen6 / Backend Network Options

[jamie]

Cool that Gen6 can run InfiniBand or ethernet for backend networking flexibility. If you were running H400 in a new environment, what would be best: IB or 10Gb or 40Gb Ethernet? What's the specs on the IB switches to work well? Isilon docs just mention QDR speeds. Pick any Mellanox SX6000 series? Is this a different backend networking scenario than more performant H500?

[Dan Pritts]

They want to sell the switches as a bundle with the nodes.  They'll give you a hard time about support otherwise.

My SE recommended Ethernet for new installations, IB only if you are adding to an existing cluster.  Which makes sense to me, we bought ethernet.

jamie wrote on 9/14/18 3:42 PM:

Cool that Gen6 can run InfiniBand or ethernet for backend networking flexibility. If you were running H400 in a new environment, what would be best: IB or 10Gb or 40Gb Ethernet? What's the specs on the IB switches to work well? Isilon docs just mention QDR speeds. Pick any Mellanox SX6000 series? Is this a different backend networking scenario than more performant H500?

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Dan Pritts
ICPSR Computing & Network Services
University of Michigan

[Patrick Andrew]

I would consult the sales team for choosing your back-end switch.  We qualify certain switches to be used with the hardware, as there can be differences between vendors.  Given the back-end network is critically important, I wouldn't deviate from a qualified switch.

And yes, ETH is recommended for new installs.

[DAQ]

Adding to this thread, since it’s somewhat related:

How should the back-end switches be wired up? Should they have a link between them, or should they remain independant from each other?

On my X200 cluster, the Infiniband switches have a link cable connecting them. Due to a badly configured and deployed install, my X210 cluster does not have a link between the two Infiniband switches. I’m going to be deploying a new A200 Gen6 cluster with 10-gig backend switches, but I can’t get an answer from either my SE or EMC as to how this _should_ be configured or physically wired.

Does it matter? My X210 cluster works fine, and each switch is handling the each of the backend networks separately. I’m assuming that is the desired configuration and that the link on my X200 cluster is not necessary (provided that the nodes are wired the same as the X210). Anybody know?

[MissionSix]

DAQ,

The dual-backend switch configuration is for backend failover support.  AFAIK they should not have a direct link.

Cheers,

Patrick

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Patrick Andrew

360.870.3517

[Alistair Stewart]

Back-end switches should be completely independent. No cables should be run between them. All A ports should be connected to one switch and all B ports to the other. If you wire them up incorrectly the cluster will not allow a node to join the cluster

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Regards

Al…