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Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

 
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simon_164
Super Advisor

Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

hello,
Is it possible to upgrade from an EVA 4000 (without loop switches) to an EVA 6000 without shutting down the array? or without loosing any data?
we are thinking of buying two loop switches and add them to the array then change from the arbitrated loop to the switched loops. how to do that? any procedure?

Thank you!!
13 REPLIES 13
Peter Leddy_1
Esteemed Contributor
Solution

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

Hi Simon,

I wouldn't be sure on any of the specifics however I do know that if you contact your HP contact they could arrange for an assessment of the upgrade you are proposing and this would then provide you with all of the specifics.

Hope this helps,

Peter
Mark Poeschl_2
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

You can definitely do this upgrade without losing data and I'm pretty sure you can do it without downtime. Do everything to the 'A' loop first and then proceed to 'B'. This is, however, anything but a routine operation and I definitely concur with Peter's recommendation to engage HP. And of course the usual storage caveat: be darn sure of your backup before starting.
Tim Nelson
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

I have been recently discussing this option with my HP var and the concensous is...

The controllers/loop switches are replaced as part of the upgrade which also effects the WWN of the array and presented storage.

This in general is a disruptive upgrade. Recoverable but depending on the OS of the systems attached the hardware addresses will change. Specifically in the UNIX world all vgs will need to be exported and reimported with their new hw addresses unless you are running hpux 11iv3. WINTEL altough would scan the volids on the disk and hopefully mount the right stuff in the right place.

If you find something different please let me know as I am interested. ( BTW, I am looking at purchasing another array as it was cheaper than the upgrade ).

Mike Bollman_1
Respected Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

I'm not so sure you can do this without downtime. We just upgraded a 5K to an 8K this week and there is quite a bit involved.

New cabling
new EMU's
New switches
new controllers
new I/O modules
new licenses

The WWN is copied over from the metadata on the drives to the new controllers during the initial boot. Along with the other information (vdisks, disk groups, etc).
Mike Bollman_1
Respected Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

oh and as Tim mentioned HP/UX will not be happy.

On the wintel side you will need to update your hosts with the correct MPIO driver now as well.

So even if it is technically possible to upgrade the array without taking it down the hosts will need to go down. Unless they are vmware, they seemed to recover just fine here.
Uwe Zessin
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

> change from the arbitrated loop to the switched loops

Minor not pick: FC_AL protocol is still being used with the loop switch hardware. However, you now have multiple independend loops.


> I have been recently discussing this option with my HP var
> and the concensous is...
>
> The controllers/loop switches are replaced as part
> of the upgrade which also effects the WWN of
> the array and presented storage.

Errr, WHAT?

The EVA4000 and the EVA6000 use the *SAME* controller modules (HSV200)!

If you scroll through the quickspecs at:
http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12408_div/12408_div.html
you can read:

"Upgrading an EVA4000-A to an EVA6000-A does not require a controller replacement. 2 FC loop switches must be added, Business Copy EVA and Continuous Access EVA upgrade licenses must be purchased if previously installed."

So there will be no change to the front-end:
- no new WWNs
- no change in MPIO (unless you might do an XCS upgrade as well)


In EMEA we also have an item to put into an existing rack:
AD525B which is described as:
"EVA4000/6000 Controller Pair assembly".

The license for CV, BC and CA will define if this is an EVA4000 or 6000.
.
simon_164
Super Advisor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

I agree with Uwe for the controller. However about the upgrade. do you have any procedure to follow. or should i just remove the side A plug it in the switch, then remove the side B and plug into the B switch?

what about the EVA 4000 information. because i will always get the information that it is EVA 4000, I have read in one topic that i should do a reinitiate to get rid of that.

Any ideas?
Uwe Zessin
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

Simon,
sorry, I can't say anything on the hardware upgrade. I am not sure that you can dynamically add a loop switch to an EVA system as I think that it is recognized during controller boot, but I am not familiar on _that_ deep level.

> i will always get the information that it is EVA 4000,

Where do you get that information?
I have once been told that "the HSV200 does not know if it works in an EVA4000 or EVA6000".
.
John_246
Advisor

Re: Upgrade from EVA 4000 to 6000

Heya Group,
Forgive me for not understanding, however I have a quick question regarding this upgrade from a 4000 to a 6000. Uwe Zessin mentioned the following "Upgrading an EVA4000-A to an EVA6000-A does not require a controller replacement. 2 FC loop switches must be added, Business Copy EVA and Continuous Access EVA upgrade licenses must be purchased if previously installed.". Ok I understand that you need to add 2 loop switches. However, why would you need an upgrade to the BC and CA licenses? If the WWN has stayed the same ?

Thanks:)

John