Direct SAN connection to other end of building?

[gshaw]

Hi,

We're purchasing Veeam to backup our new VMWare infrastructure but as part of the backup I'd like to keep the server at the other end of the building to the server room. Is it possible to link the Veeam server to the iSCSI SAN fabric using a fiber cable in between?

[tsightler]

Absolutely, assuming the link is fast enough to support what you want to do. We actually backup our servers across sites using a fiber MAN that spans sites approximately 6 miles apart. The Veeam server at our local site has a direct iSCSI SAN connection to the Equallogic array at the remote site across this link.

[gshaw]

That's good news

It'll be a Gigabit link so pretty much the same it would have if the backup server were next to the SAN, just need the fiber as the other office is just over the max 100m run for copper cable.

Not sure if to go SAN switch>fiber>switch>server via CAT6 or use a fiber NIC in the Veeam server and go SAN switch>fiber>server

[joergr]

Hi, no prob with gig connection, both of your ways. If you´ll switch to 10GB connections sometime in future try avoiding 10GBE, instead use fiber (for your desired distance), but stay with a minimum of OM3 cabling, check also this out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Gigabit_Ethernet

best regards
Joerg

[gshaw]

Cool, might do it direct via fiber to save traffic on the network edge switch. 10 Gig is probably well beyond what we need for now but will be keeping an eye on it over time