topic Compaq RA4100 - multipath problem in Disk Enclosures

Compaq RA4100 - multipath problem

giuseppe_38 — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:11:17 GMT

I have a Compaq RA4100,a dual controller storage Active /Passive where all luns are presented to the server by the active controller; the other controller is passive and ready to take over for the active controller in case of failure.

I can see this situation after i boot into SmartStart 5.40 :
Slot 4 fibre channel host adapter --> ID 1 - RA4x00 Controller (redundant to Slot 5 ID 1)

Slot 5 fibre channel host adapter --> ID 1 - RA4x00 Controller ---> SCSI Bus 1 --> Physical drives .....

So Slot 5 Controller is Active, Slot 4 controller is Passive.

Now i remove fibre channel from Slot 5 fibre channel host adapter and can see :
Slot 5 fibre channel host adapter error report:
no controllers attached to fibre channel host adapter

Slot 4 RA4X00 controller redundant to slot 5 id 1
redundant controller parameters :
Redundant controller status : 0x02
This is a standby controller

mmm should i set a jumper on the controller or download a new redundancy firmware into it ? Any ideas ?

Thanks in advance

Re: Compaq RA4100 - multipath problem

Stephen Kebbell — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 02:41:27 GMT

Hi Giuseppe,

that sounds normal. You need to install an operating system and multipathing software (in Windows 2000 it's SecurePath 3.1A for RA4100) for any failover to happen.
Only when securepath notices that it can't see the LUN on the active path does it initiate a failover to another path. Simply pulling a cable while booted into SmartStart won't do anything.

The last firmware released for the RA4100 was 2.58 (I think). You can get it here:
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/14694.html
Just create disk 4 of this set.

Regards,
Stephen

Re: Compaq RA4100 - multipath problem

giuseppe_38 — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 05:39:33 GMT

Compaq RA4100 isn't a multipath hardware ?

SecurePath is a software necessary to let passive Controller to become Active ?

i'm using RedHat AS 3.0 and SecurePath is not available; there is a tool for linux RedHat 3.0 AS ?

Thanks in advance

Re: Compaq RA4100 - multipath problem

Stephen Kebbell — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:59:03 GMT

Hi,

the only time the storage controllers would failover without intervention from the host is if the active controller itself failed. Then the standby controller would go active.

There is no SecurePath for Linux for the RA4100. On a Linux box the RA4100 is only supported in Single-Controller mode (no redundancy).

Qlogic has software to manage HBA failover, but I'm not sure if it will work with the RA4100.

Regards,
Stephen