Re: EMC DASD vs. IBM DASD and MIMIX for 24/7 operation

[Al Barsa <barsa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

IMHO, the best DASD is IBM internal.  When using any external DASD, IBM
does not have the diagnosis tools to find specific problems.  They do with
internal DASD.

The reason that you by an AS/400 (a few people call it the iSeries [that
way IBM insures that it will *NEVER gain mindshare]) is to buy one product
from one vendor, IBM Rochester, and when it breaks, you have one phone
number to call.

I have a client that upgraded his system to V5R3 before checking the code
level of the EMC DASD this spring.   Turned that DASD in to fairly near 2
TB of boat anchor.  This would not have happened with IBM internal.

Al

Al Barsa, Jr.
Barsa Consulting Group, LLC

400>390

"i" comes before "p", "x" and "z"
e gads

Our system's had more names than Elizabeth Taylor!

914-251-1234
914-251-9406 fax

http://www.barsaconsulting.com
http://www.taatool.com
http://www.as400connection.com



                                                                           
             "Dave Odom"                                                   
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                                       EMC DASD vs. IBM DASD and MIMIX for 
             12/09/2005 06:54          24/7 operation                      
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Gang,

First, have any of you hooked up EMC DASD to an iSeries?   If so, good
news/bad news?
Second, how do you like it vs IBM's DASD?
Third, supposedly EMC has a way to "split" or "mirror" or some such
their DASD to allow a site to have a similar function like what MIMIX
and MIMIX Lite can perform?   Yes/No?
Any MIMIX users out there that have used it between iSeries LPARs?
Good News/Bad News?

Problem statement:  I'm looking for a way to reduce or eliminate my
current 5-6 hour backup and 5-6 hour reorg windows so I don't impact my
e-commerce and other applications as much or at all.

Alternatives considering:

- Faster tape drive, like an IBM 3581 - Might reduce my current window
for backups in half; does nothing for reorg window
- Add fourth LPAR with MIMIX between it and our Production LPAR and
backup and reorg jobs that make the environments for applications
essentially 24/7 operation, i.e. backup from 4th LPAR which is the MIMIX
"mirrored" LPAR from Production.   Since I also have "blade servers"
under the LPARs, I probably would need to use the MIXIX for Windoz
solution as well to keep the 5 blades in each LPAR synced.  For reorgs,
switch back and forth between LPARs and reorg the one that is not
"online" at the time.   Resync LPARs after backups and reorgs.
- Use EMC DASD if it has a good or better solution than adding another
LPAR and MIMIX
- Don't install 4th LPAR but instead use our 2nd LPAR used for testing
of new releases of application software and for our ODS/DW (Operational
Data Store/Data Warehouse) Project. Install MIMIX between it and the
Production (1st) LPAR, add more DASD and perhaps turn on 4th Processor
if necessary.  I understand this would work even though application
levels might be different as MIMIX doesn't care about application
levels, only data changes and the application's file structure RARELY
changes.
- Just use SAVE WHILE IN USE function of V5R2 or V5R3
- Turn on 4th Processor if necessary for reorgs or whatever needs more
power
- Is there a better mousetrap with V5R4 due out soon?

Thanks in advance,

Dave Odom
Arizona
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