XP512: Multiple OS on the same port

[Bosco Tsang]

We are conneting the XP512 port thru Brocade Switch which allow multiple hosts to be connected, and we have Secure Manager in place. We have request for the connection, from serveral other OS including Linux, W2K, and SGI. As we cannot spare port for each OS. We are wondering if we can do so over the same port, via Brocade Switch? Besides on some unofficial chat with HPCE, it can be done. If so, how can I set this up?

Also, will Business Copy (Raid Manager) work on Linux and SGI (I only got the cd that work on HP, Windows and Solaris), or we have to map it to a HP hosts then export?

[Christopher Caldwell]

I'm speaking a bit out of school here, but the HP SE explained that you tell the port what it's running "most of the time", but that the ports supported heterogeneous access (i.e. Unix and Windoze simultaneously).

[Bosco Tsang]

Yes, of course ...what will be running "most/all" of the time is my concern. And just have words from the HPCE that we cannot "run" different OS on the same port :(

[Peter Mattei · Accepted solution]

Hi Bosco

In fact, you can share a single XP port as long as they can use the same Host Mode.
Each XP port is set to a certain Host Mode which defines it's behaviour, i.e. 08 for HP-UX.
If you do not have clusters like MSCS you will be able to share an XP port set to host mode 00 between Linux RedHat 6.2 with QLogic QLA2200F and Linux RedHat 7.1 with Emulex LP8k,LP9k,LP9002,LP952 and SGI IRIX 6.5.x with QLogic QLA2200F and W2k with HP,Emulex, QLogic HBAs.
Your HP CE will be able to give you more details out of the HP internal streams documents.

To your Business Copy question: You can use it for all supported Host-OSes.
You can control it from Raid Manager which will run on HP-UX,NT,Solaris,AIX and Tru64.

Cheers
Peter

[Vincent Fleming]

Use host mode 00 for the port. It supports multiple OS types at the same time.

Good luck!

[Duncan Edmonstone]

Interesting (amd slightly related) point...

At a recent briefing with HDS, we were told about some of the new features in the HDS 99xxV series (will be the XP1024 & XP128) - this included s/w on the array to allow you to create 'virtual' ports on physical ports, thus getting round this thorny issue once & for all... Haven't heard from HP whether this s/w will appear on the XP though...

HTH

Duncan

[Vincent Fleming]

Duncan,

Yes, the XP128 and XP1024 include that feature.

There is nothing that the HDS box has the the XP does not. The reverse is NOT true, however.

Good luck!