Question regarding EVA x400 and backplane FC loops

[Fredrik Uddin-Backman2]

Hi

Can someone with knowledge put some light on how the newer EVA's is connected between controllers and disk shelfs? I know the EVA 5000 & 8000 had an switch option but if you don't get the switch option is all shelfs connected in a big loop? What about if you loose a whole shelf, wouldnt that bring the whole loop down and subsequently access to all shelfs?

[Víctor Cespón]

The new EVAx400 uses M6412 disk shelves. These shelves use new I/O modules based on the EVAx100 I/O modules. They are essentially FC switches, they direct a packet to a disk on it's shelf if it's for one of the disks on that shelf, or send it to the next shelf if it's for a disk on another shelf.
The cabling is made so that loop A goes from top shelf to bottom shelf, for example, and loop B goes in the opposite direction.

This way, even in the event of a entire disk shelf failing, the shelves above it can be accesed through one loop, and the ones below it through the other loop.

[Fredrik Uddin-Backman2]

I have tested an 4400 setup and it essentially died on me when simulating a disk shelf failure. The whole EVA went offline and was inaccessible from CV EVA until we did a complete reboot of the EVA. This was in a test environment of course :-).

[Uwe Zessin]

The software in the I/O module has bugs - you're not the first one who has noticed...

[Fredrik Uddin-Backman2]

Bugs in IO-module. Can you please give more detail to that? Which versions and what level should we be on in order to fix these bugs?

[Uwe Zessin]

XCS 09501000 should include the fixes, but it was recalled due to other problems.

- unability to manage the system after the upgrade
-- should have been fixed with CV 9.0.1

c01717503 - HP StorageWorks 4400 Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA4400) updates to XCS 09501000 are temporarily suspended

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c01717503

- potential problem during controller swap - could result in TOTAL data loss

c01712861 - HP StorageWorks 4400 Enterprise Virtual Array - Caution when Replacing Controller when Master Controller Is Running XCS 0950000 or 0950100

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c01712861

- according to the CV 9.0.1 announcement, some fixes should be in XCS 09501100. I've just checked, but the software is not there - yet.

c01725396 - NOTICE: HP StorageWorks Command View EVA 9.0.1 server-based management and array-based management application software released

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c01725396

[Peter Mattei · Accepted solution]

XCS09501000 is the latest firmware for all EXAx400 model.
In the release not you will find beside other the following fix note:
Improved I/O module firmware to reduce resets and loop disruption.

Note: XCS0950100 is currently only supported for new installs. There will be a next version supporting online firmware upgrades from XCS0900xxx to XCS0905xxx.

Cheers
Pete