Connecting an EVA 4100 and MSA 1500 to same server

[Kevin Bass]

We are trying to migrate Oracle data from our two MSA 1500 arrays to our two EVA 4100 arrays. The only hosts connected to the MSAs are running Linux (Red Hat). Each server has two Qlogic HBAs (each with two ports).

Is there anything that would preclude us from presenting a LUN from the MSA and from the EVA simultaneously to the same server so that we could copy the data over? Or looking from the positive angle, is there any guidance that would show me the proper configuration to simultaneously connect this equipment to the same server? Thanks

Kevin

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi Kevin,

The one thing that might catch you out is different multipathing requirements for the two storage systems...

What firmware are you running on the MSA1500 ? If you're at 7.0 then this is Active/Active which is the same as the EVA, so things should be OK...

Also, how are you currently handling multipathing within Linux ?

Cheers,

Rob

[IBaltay]

Hi,
what is the version of your:

a) RH (4 or 5)?
b) MSA firmware (active/passive or active/active), (eva4100 is active/active only)
c) multipathing
c1)active/passive
probably qlogic multipath driver

c2)active/active both msa/eva
the same multipathing:
probably one of these 3:
c1) qlogic multipath driver
c2) native device mapper per HPDM 4.0.2
c3) LVM2

[Uwe Zessin]

A current version of the QLogic failover driver should handle both arrays fine, even if the MSA1500cs is active/passive. If nothing helps, deactivate all multipath software on the host and map a single port (active port from an A/P array, of course) from any storage array. That way, we've done some migrations from old HSG (A/P) to EVA (A/A).

Another possibility is to completely set up the new system and do a restore from your backup. That way, the original system with its data is not changed in any way AND you have tested your backup/restore.

[Kevin Bass]

Thank you all for responding. I'll try to provide one response to incorporate all of the questions:

1) Right now each host (Linux - Red AS 4.0 Update 2 Kernel 2.6.9-22.EL)has two connections to the MSA via two separate fabrics.
2) The MSA (FW v5.10)is in an active/passive configuration
3) The multipathing is controlled by Qlogic drivers (HBA - A6826A v.8.01.15)

Kevin

[Uwe Zessin]

If I read HP's compatibility list correct, they suggest RHEL4 U6 [ES/AS/WS] 2.6.9-67.EL or some errata kernels at earliest and A6826A device driver version 8.02.11 if using the EVAx100.

Support for the MSA1500cs A/P is Red Hat EL 4 U2...U5 (AS, ES, WS), but not U6 and device driver versions 8.01.03p5 / 8.01.07.25 (U5). The active/passive (A/P) MSA1500cs is _not_ supported by the device mapper multipath.

[Kevin Bass]

Uwe,

Thanks for the information. I guess I'm still a little confused by what you meant. I understand about the driver version being lower than what's listed in the compatibility matrix for the 4100. So at the very least I would need to upgrade to 8.02.11 if I wanted to connect the EVA 4100 to the Linux hosts. But I didn't quite understand what you were saying about the MSA and multipathing. Was there something else that needed to updated as well?

I guess I'm still unsure whether an EVA (active/active) and an MSA (active/passive) can be connected to the same host (via different fabrics and separate hba ports)? Does the multipathing have to disabled during this connection? Thanks

Kevin

[IBaltay]

Hi,
according to the older compatibility matrixes (SPOCK), for
Linux - Red AS 4.0 Update 2 Kernel 2.6.9-22.EL

both EVA 4100 (aa) and MSA 1000 (ap) should use the same multipath qlogic driver -> 8.01.03p5(Qlogic)
check it pls

[Kevin Bass]

Thanks Ibalty,

If I understand you correctly, the SPOCK has documents that contain older compatibility matrix information that shows that both the EVA 4100 and the MSA 1500 (MSA 1000) should be able to run off the lower Linux kernel and a lower hba version.

A couple of questions if you don't mind...

1) How does a non HP support person, like myself, get access to these older compatibility guides?

2) Should I interpret this to mean that these can be connected to the same host?

3) How should I connect the devices (2 hba ports for the MSA and 2 hbas for the EVA or 1 port for the MSA and 1 for the EVA)?

4) When you wrote check pls, did you want me to check the version again or check the compatibility information?

Thanks again. If nothing else I'm learning more and more with each response.

Kevin

[IBaltay · Accepted solution]

Hi,
one is common for all of us :-)
If nothing else we are learning more and more with each question/response:

1. The SPOCK is accessible if you are HP Partner you should request your HP Passport credentials perhaps from your local HP support team

2. Yes it should be compatible from one host (no notes against this were mentioned there) but surely it has to be checked

3. you should do it via the zonning:
2 hba ports separately with the MSA IO ports
2 hba ports separately with the EVA front ports

4. here once again list all the details on the RH4U2 version (is it 32 or 64 bit, etc.) pls... Then I will recheck the compatibility information albeit there is no such a combination explicitely quoted there....