XP512 XPPF (XP power Fail Program) issue

[Geert Casier]

We had problems to get up the XP512 after
an uncontrolled powerfailure.

Due to a 48 hour battery limit on the XP512 this can led to a Cache Memory Protection
problem when this time frame is exceeded.

Therefore a XPPF (XP power Fail Program)
utilty exist on the XP512 to flush and deactivate the cache during powerfail.

This can be implemented in the gracefull shutdown procedure on an HP-UX server with
the XP512 raidmanager. Does someone have experience in the implementation of XPPf ???

[charles butkus]

How will the XP be able to flush the data to disk if the spindles aren't powered? If you have the frame under support, I would reccomend that you call the response centre well before the 48 hours are up, and tell them that you will need both a fresh set of batteries, and a CE on site for when the power comes back. And why would you want the XP flushing several gigs of cache (and doing whatever else the powerfail proceedings would do to it) everytime that you shut down one of the servers?

-Charls

[Vincent Fleming]

If you monitor your UPS with your servers (there is software available from most of the UPS manufacturers for this purpose), you can use XPPF to prepare the XP for a power failure.

When the UPS kicks in, your server (via the above software) will know about it, and can prepare the disk array before a hard power failure occurs.

What's done is that XPPF tells the XP that a power failure is immenient, and the XP will destage cache and go into a write-thru mode.

It is then capable of sustained power outages without losing and data from the cache - even if the batteries on the cache fail (ie: over 48 hours).

Speak with your local HP ASE for details and help setting this up.

Good luck!