topic Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux in StoreEver Tape Storage

Data Protector Problem on Linux

Sigurdur Bjornsson — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 06:23:55 GMT

Hi there!
I have a rather irritating problem to say the least... I installed DP 5.5 locally on a computer running RHEL4. I have SAN connected tape drives and at first DP could detect them and use them (although devbra -dev took 5mins+ to complete) but then it stopped working. DP couldn't detect any tape drives even if they were available to the OS. After re-installing DP, pulling hair, trying this and that, and pulling some more hair, I tried re-installing and then upgrading (patching) from a Solaris installation server we have on our network.
Finally DP could detect the drives again but devbra -dev still takes a LONG time to complete.

Has anyone here had the same or similar problem?

(HP OpenView Storage Data Protector A.05.50: DEVBRA, internal build PHSS_32842/PHSS_32843/DPSOL_00151, built on Fri Jul 1 11:23:35 2005)

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Thayanidhi — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 07:00:16 GMT

Hi,
As per support matrix (attached) RHEL 4.0 is supported as Disk agent only. MA connot be loaded. Posibly some new patches enables this. Read the patch texts.

Regds
TT

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Sigurdur Bjornsson — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 08:09:44 GMT

Hi Thayanidhi!

I am afraid you are incorrect.
By applying patches:
PHSS_32842 - HP-UX 11.x (PA) CM / IS
PHSS_32843 - HP-UX 11.23 (IPF) CM / IS
DPSOL_00151 - Solaris 2.x CM / IS
you can use the media agent on RHEL4.

I have done so but I still have this problem.

http://www.openview.com/products/storage_data_protector/device_matrices/Platform_Integrtn_SptMtx_DP55.pdf

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Scott McIntosh_2 — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 11:23:36 GMT

You could try running it in debug mode and see what the devbra debug file shows the process sitting around doing.

devbra -dev -debug 1-500 scan.txt

then look for *scan.txt in /tmp.

Most likely it's trying an inquiry against every lun number on the HBA, which if waiting for a timeout everytime, could take a very long time.

Is there a way to limit the allowed LUN range on the HBA to limit the time it takes to scan the SAN?

Thanks,
Scott
HP Support

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Sigurdur Bjornsson — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 12:58:25 GMT

Hi Scott!

Thanks for the info... here is a snippet from the log....

...
[ 10] AddToPhysicalDeviceList_File: checking token "/dev/nst0" read from "/usr/omni/.ls"

[199] 2005-10-04 16:50:47 ("ma/devtool/devlist_file.c /main/dp55/dp55_fix/1":455) A.05.50 bPHSS_32842/PHSS_32843/DPSOL_00151
[199] ===>> (4) CreatePhysicalDevice {
[199]

[199] 2005-10-04 16:50:47 ("ma/devtool/devlist_file.c /main/dp55/dp55_fix/1":359) A.05.50 bPHSS_32842/PHSS_32843/DPSOL_00151
[199] ===>> (5) DebugPhysicalDevice {
[199]
...

It reads /dev/nst0 ok but once it gets to nst1 funny things happen... (I have the HBA zoned with 4 tape drives)

...
[ 10] AddToPhysicalDeviceList_File: checking token "/dev/nst1" read from "/usr/omni/.ls"

[199] 2005-10-04 16:50:47 ("ma/devtool/devlist_file.c /main/dp55/dp55_fix/1":455) A.05.50 bPHSS_32842/PHSS_32843/DPSOL_00151
[199] ===>> (4) CreatePhysicalDevice {
[199]

[199] 2005-10-04 16:52:48 ("ma/devtool/devlist_file.c /main/dp55/dp55_fix/1":359) A.05.50 bPHSS_32842/PHSS_32843/DPSOL_00151
[199] ===>> (5) DebugPhysicalDevice {
[199]
...

It hangs at "CreatePhysicalDevice" for 2 mins 1 sec per nstXX device after that.

I have another machine running Red Hat Linux 8 or 9, can't remember (kernel 2.4.9)
The whole thing takes a second on that machine. And that one is zoned with 8 tape drives...

Any ideas?

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Kurt Beyers. — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:31:29 GMT

Sigur,

You have to run the command 'hp_rescan -a' in order to make the RHEL4 detect the library.

I ended up by adding this command in a startup script. Still do not now why the library is not detected by default after a sustem reboot.

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Sigurdur Bjornsson — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 16:38:32 GMT

Hi Kurt!

I'm afraid that's not the problem as I can see the devices in /proc/scsi/scsi and DP detects them in the end... It just takes 6 minutes...

Re: Data Protector Problem on Linux

Scott McIntosh_2 — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 18:09:08 GMT

Looks exactly like another problem we have already in progress on SLES 9, another 2.6 kernel distro.

Log a support call and point out QXCR1000279713. The text all talks about SLES 9, even after they were told to verify this on SLES and RHEL.

So log a support call and remind them that this issue is on RHEL 4 as well. Looks like India just finished a fix candidate last week, so be more than happy to test it out on RHEL 4 for them. :-)

Thanks,
Scott
HP Support