topic Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure in Disk Enclosures

EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Pramod M — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:36:28 GMT

Hi Experts,

We have an EVA8000 with XCS6.11 firmware. Today both batteries of Controller A failed. But still the Controller was showing status as Operational State in Command View EVA and from one of the hp-unix host I checked the h/w path for the disks and all the 8 paths were showing as claimed.

I want to make sure what will be the impact to the cache in this condition? Is really both Controllers are functional now? I was thinking that, if both cache batteries fails on a controller, that controller will be in a failed state (because cache is disabled) and the ownership of virtual disks will be transfered to the other Controller.

I woud like to get your opinion on this.

Thanks in advance ..

Pramod M

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Johan Guldmyr — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:03:24 GMT

Hey,

XCS 6.24 has improvements to the batteries, especially for the EVA8k.

Yes, if both batteries in a controller dies, that controller should not present any LUNs.

So either they aren't broken or they're in some weird middle state.

Maybe the controller event log can tell you more?

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Pramod M — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:14:53 GMT

Hi Johan,

one more query..

>>Yes, if both batteries in a controller dies, that controller should not present any LUNs

If this is the condition then from the host while we scan disks it should show NO_HW for the disabled cache controller paths, isn't it? But I am getting all the 8 paths as claimed.

Regards,

Pramod

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Johan Guldmyr — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:45:26 GMT

I don't know about the output of your commands.

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Torsten. — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:47 GMT

"NO_HW" would be the output of HP-UX "ioscan" command if the hardware is no longer visible.

But the controller doesn't stop presenting the LUN, but most likely it has disabled the write cache.

Replace the batteries ASAP!

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

gregersenj — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:01:43 GMT

I also have some doubt aboute this.

But AFAIK, the controller will "stop", and failover all LUN's to the other controller.

The following I do know.

The controller is not shut down, and the path do stay up.

Also, when all batteries on both controllers has failed, the EVA will stop.

So agree with Torsten, get the batteries replaced asap.

/jag

Re: EVA8000 Cache battery failure

Prakash Singh_1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:58:07 GMT

Link below serves an advisory explaining battery replacement procedures for repeated failure.

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay/?javax.portlet.tpst=ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01&javax.portlet.prp_ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%25253Demr_na-c02925460%25257CdocLocale%25253Den_US&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

Also,

For instant step-by-step solutions you can check HP guided troubleshooting tree on the below link and follow the steps for troubleshooting>>HSV Controller related issues>>Cache battery related issue and select your issue scenerio.

http://h20584.www2.hp.com/hpgt/guides/select?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=470490&lang=en&cc=us

Regards,

Prakash