topic Re: Switch setup in HPE EVA Storage

Switch setup

Lacrosse — Wed, 14 Apr 2004 14:59:30 GMT

I want to hookup 4 HPUX servers to a Brocade switch and a 2 port FC60 (going cheap obviously) I realize I will see all disks by all systems without some sort of LUN masking software....is there a poor mans way to limit what LUNS are seen by which hosts i.e. in Solaris I can configure the sd.conf file to limit which disks are seen can I do the same or something else in HPUX

Re: Switch setup

James A. Donovan — Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:23:11 GMT

It would be so nice, but HP-UX has no equivalent to the Solaris sd.conf file.

The only thing you can do is setup a script using ioscan/rmsf which checks for, and removes, unwanted disks.

Re: Switch setup

Lacrosse — Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:28:34 GMT

I guess I could remove and recreate the disk device files as a kludge to being able to hide and see the disk as needed? this should work right? i.e when I wanted the backup system to see all disks for backup purposes I could recreate the disk device files

Re: Switch setup

Jan-Erik Karlsson_2 — Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:56:16 GMT

how about zooning in the switch?

Re: Switch setup

Peter Mattei — Thu, 15 Apr 2004 03:02:08 GMT

Zoning will not do the job because you would have to zone the host HBAs to the FC60 ports (overlapping); thus the result would be the same: all servers will see all LUNs.
Your options are:
- To only mount individual LUNs to the respective server!
- A better way is to use MC Service Guard and build a 4 way HP-UX cluster which will take care of your LUNs and resources. This would also make your services higher available, but of course also means $!

Cheers
Peter

Re: Switch setup

Lacrosse — Thu, 15 Apr 2004 07:43:18 GMT

Peter is correct about the zoneing....already been down that thought process...but I guess I can see all LUNS and control which ones get mounted to which servers as long as I control this properly it should work correct???

Re: Switch setup

Peter Mattei — Thu, 15 Apr 2004 08:07:39 GMT

Yes, you are right!
As long as you do not mount a LUN/HP-UX device you cannot do any harm to a LUN of an other server!
I know quite a few HP-UX installations that run this way!

Cheers
Peter

Re: Switch setup

James A. Donovan — Thu, 15 Apr 2004 13:06:53 GMT

Uhm, I wouldn't say that it's impossible to do harm. Without a script to constantly monitor and delete (i.e. rmsf) those luns, a reboot will automatically add the devices to the system. Then it's just a matter of time before someone accidently adds the wrong disk at the wrong time to the wrong volume group, and which then writes the wrong data and ends the wrong career (OK, maybe a little overdramatic, but just trying to emphasize the point...).
Everyone goes on vacation eventually. You don't want to come back to problems.

Re: Switch setup

Lacrosse — Thu, 15 Apr 2004 14:44:36 GMT

Cool thanks