Cisco FC SAN switch decision

Posted by Chopper3 on Server Fault See other posts from Server Fault or by Chopper3
Published on 2009-07-15T20:15:59Z Indexed on 2010/04/14 20:54 UTC
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san

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switch

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cisco

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fibre-channel

I've got to buy a bunch of FC SAN switches in the next week or so, I have to, and want to, buy Cisco MDSs.

Servers are HP BL490c G6's in C7000 chassis with Virtual-Connect Flex-10 ethernet interconnects and VC FC interconnects (Emulex HBAs btw), all running ESX 3.5U4 (for now).

I think I've only really got two choices;

MDS 9509's with dual-supervisors with a single 48-port 4Gb FC card
MDS 9222i's with single supervisor and the built-in 18-FC-port/4-GigE-FCIP-port option

Both have the same functionality (I think, buying the enterprise licence btw), both have plenty enough performance and adequate ports for now and the next three years.

The 9222i's are about 55% the price of the 9509's - logic says get the 'i's but will I really miss the dual-supervisors? I've got lots of 9509's with dual-supervisors that I'm very happy with but I'm not sure I've every benefitted from the dual-sups in the past and they are nearly twice the price - but if I don't buy them and miss them I can't retrofit them later.

What are your thoughts?

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