multiple VA7110 connected to single HP-UX host?

[Jenni Wolgast]

Hello,

I used to have 2 HP-UX servers and each had their own set of VA7110's and DS2405's for storage. We moved up a bit and got an EVA4400 so now one of the HP-UX servers is entirely off its VA7110 hardware. I'd like to re-use the hardware with the other HP-UX server for a bit and I'm wondering the best way to accomplish this. I also have an 8 port fiber/SAN switch in the mix with no zoning at all. The VA7110 I want to reuse used to be plugged right in to the other HP-UX server but I was thinking I might be able to just plug it into the fiber switch and run an armdiscover and manage it from it's new HP-UX host. After an ioscan I think I'm seeing the LUNs from the "new" VA but I'm not able to "see" it with armdiscover. Is there something else I need to do here? TIA!!

[Torsten.]

Depending on the connection the host port topology setting must be fabric or private loop. If you connect to fabric, you probably need to adjust the zoning on the switch.
Once the switch can see server and array, check if secure manager is active on the array. Adjust or disable it.

[Jenni Wolgast]

I'm 99% sure the host can see the VA (I'm seeing the LUNs with ioscan) but CommandView on the host does not seem to be detecting the second VA... I'm wondering if there is something else I need to do to see it on the "new" HP-UX host. It seems like I saw somewhere that the VA can be set to private loop or something else depending on whether it is direct connected or connected through a switch. Could this be the issue? If so how do I switch it since I cannot direct connect it to the new host? TIA!!

[Torsten.]

The host port mode can be adjusted via serial CLI if you cannot access it from commandview.

Does "armtopology" work for you?

[Jenni Wolgast]

I was afraid of that, I do not have a serial cable or a laptop with a serial port to connect to it... armtopology does not detect the second VA either. Is it likely that if the VA had been set to private loop and I tried to connect it to a new host through a switch that the OS could see the LUNs but CommandView would not work or would I not even be able to see the LUNs with the OS?

[Torsten.]

I would expect the host can see the VA even if it is running in loop mode.

Can you send an "ioscan -fn"?

[Jenni Wolgast]

Here's the ioscan results. The disks without the device files are the ones I think are from the second VA. I intend to completely reconfigure the VA as RAID10 with different LUNs so I did not bother running insf to try to actually look at the currently configured LUNs.

The ioscan is pretty "busy" as I have a bunch of tape drives plus this host was already connected to another VA7110 and our EVA4400 before I even plugged the second VA7110 into its switch...

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

I'm pretty sure you need to create device files (at least for LUN0) in order to find the "new" array with armdiscover or armdsp.

[Jenni Wolgast]

running the insf to create the device files worked... armdiscover found the second VA and I'm in business now, thanks a bunch!!!