topic Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic in Disk Enclosures

XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 14:37:04 GMT

It seems the QLogic QLA2200F FC-HBA is not supported under Red Hat Linux for the XP512. Does anyone know why? Or please correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, I bet it would work regardless.

THX, J

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

David Bell_1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 14:53:20 GMT

Joseph,

Have a look at the following manual:

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/manual_set/lpg28612.pdf

On page 68, you will note the interface and mode settings.

HTH,

Dave

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 14:58:47 GMT

Any idea why it isn't supported? It's a pretty standard adapter now adays.

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

David Bell_1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 15:29:15 GMT

Joseph,

See page 11 of the same document. It mentions not being able to configure LUSE devices on the QLA2200F interface. I'll see if I can find a more definitive answer.

Dave

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 16:20:33 GMT

It's says that caution is only for the QLA2100 and not the 2200. I didn't think that those cards were the same. Arn't they different cards all together?

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

David Bell_1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 16:25:35 GMT

Joseph,

It would appear that the QLA2200F and the QLA2100F are supported on Red Hat Linux Version 6.0/6.1. However, the only shown supported card on Red Hat Linux version 6.2/7.1 is the Emulex LP8000, LP9000, LP9002, and LP952L. These cards support Private Loop and Direct Fabric Attach but do not support Fabric Loop. The Qlogic cards ONLY support Private Loop. I think that is probably the reason you see the change in support. Further, the change is for the ability to support the software suite. These HBA's also added boot support as well as N-Port fabric capability not supported by the QL2200F.

So, I'm sure you could get the QL2200F to work in Private Loop, however, you would lose the ability to run a large portion of the software suite and limit your capability in configuration. I guess if you're spending that kind of money on an XP512, I'd spend the few extra dollars on the correct/supported interface.

HTH,

Dave

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 16:35:44 GMT

I'm sorry, but I believe you are incorrect. The QLA2200F is a fully fabric aware adapter. Please visit http://www.qlogic.com/products/fc_san_hostadapers.asp

So back to my original question. Why not the QLA2200F HBA on Red Hat?

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Greg Carlson — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 17:06:42 GMT

Joseph,

Have you seen the driver link from Qlogic for Linux?

http://www.qlogic.com/support/os_detail.asp?seriesid=57&osid=26

Ciao,
Greg

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

David Bell_1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 17:09:04 GMT

Joseph,

I'm aware that the QLA2200F is a fabric aware card. You asked about the support on the XP512 and Red Hat Linux. I'm simply stating what HP's support documents state. On the XP512 side, what I provided to you is accurate. I can't give you a reason why the support is the way it is there must have been a reason fabric login to the XP512 is not supported on the QLA2200F. So, the QLA2200F will indeed work on Red Hat Linux versions 6.0/6.1. Although not mentioned in the support document, I'm sure they'll also work in the versions above 6.0/6.1, however, fabric login is not supported. I'm sure there is some reason that HA and Fabric Login is not supported but that reason is not disclosed in the document. So dependent upon what version of Linux were referring to, you are both correct and incorrect. As to whether it would work, it may, that's what development boxes are for right?

Dave

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 17:42:44 GMT

All I really wanted to know was why the card is not supported in the desired config (point-to-point). Development boxes have little bearing in a mission critical environment; even if the testing works. If, at the end of the day, HP does not support this HBA in the desired configuration, then I can't use it because it goes unsupported. And what if I do and call for support then? Then it's back to square one, the RTFM treatment.

We have been using 4 XP512's for over a year now and the QLA2200F card has been working flawlessly, point-to-point, in our W2K and Solaris environments and also supported by HP. Why not later versions of Red Hat? I can't let a reason such as, "that reason is not disclosed in the document", stop a vital project from coming online. If I do, I better have a reasonable excuse. I want to avoid turning this into a political issue between management at RIM and our HP account reps. A technical solution is much more feasible and to say the least, much more appealing. Ordering different FC-HBA's has it's own headaches because then we would have to alter the server and cluster architecture and re-certify that instead.

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

David Bell_1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 18:28:56 GMT

Joseph,

I'm still working on this. If I can get anything significant, I will post it. However, I do find it interesting that IBM shows a similar policy in it's support:

http://ssddom02.storage.ibm.com/hba/hba_support.pdf

Dave

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Vincent Fleming — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 19:03:15 GMT

You should talk with your Salesperson or Solutions Architect (Technical Consultant) about finding out for you why that configuration is not supported. Be prepared for it to take a while - that information is not commonly known, and there's little reason to distribute it - so it can take a bit more than a 10-minute phone call sometimes.

I hope you realize that it's very hard to keep up with Linux. Support means a lot - it means it's been tested, people trained, documents prepared and distributed, etc. It sometimes takes a while for some hardware to get certified in every configuration. Everything has to be done on a priority list, too.

I hope you can be patient - I'm sure it will be supported eventually. Maybe even next week? Who knows when, but eventually.

Meanwhile, if you need certified configurations... Can I interest you in a nice rp5470? ;-}

Good luck!

Re: XP512, Red Hat Linux & QLogic

Joseph Vrankovic — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 19:07:17 GMT

Thanks for the dialogue gentlemen.