PV and LV timeout values for rolling SAN Firmware update

[GTownes]

Hi All,

We are planning updating our SAN environment to the latest firmware. We have been advised to we can do rolling updates, but must set timeout values greater than 60 seconds on the applications, and OS. We are running wndows and HPUX in our environment.

With regards to the HPUX OS, would recommend changing the timeout on the PV or both PV and LV?

[Torsten.]

What is your "SAN"?

I assume you are talking about a fibre channel disk array.

[IBaltay]

Hi,

Intro
1. Selecting a period of low I/O activity is essential
2. checking the MPIO/native MPIO/PVlinks/Autopaths both path activity and accessibility to the array

3.For all your platforms
you should go to 60 (HP-UX/Windows standalone) or more seconds of 90-120 (HP-UX SG/MSCS clusters) seconds

[IBaltay]

The above applies only to EVA storage, XP storage microcode upgrade is fully online-nondisruptive as well as the SAN switches firmware upgrade

[IBaltay]

but the first prerequisite (which must not be forgotten) especially in the storage controller firmware ugprade is to upgrade all the hosts HBA BIOSes/firmwares/drivers/multipathing drivers at SPOCK:
http://h20272.www2.hp.com/

[GTownes]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes, I am referring to EVA's. EVA 8100 and 8000. The HPUX servers hba's are up to date with firmware. I am just trying to figure out if I need to set just the PV timeout or both PV and LV timeouts on the servers.

[IBaltay]

lvdisplay = "forever"
pvdisplay = 30s.
So the PV timeout value should be changed to 60s

[Torsten.]

For HP-UX the driver is much more important than the firmware, because the driver will replace the firmware while OS is running.

Now it depends - what version of hp-ux, and multipathing software in use?

[Torsten.]

This will help too


http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00795548/c00795548.pdf




HPStorageWorksEnterpriseVirtualArray
online ï¬ rmwareupgradebestpractices

[Uwe Zessin]

I would be *very* careful on these large boxes as the 60 seconds might not be enough:

c01815339 - HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) - Online Firmware Upgrades May Take Longer Than Expected

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c01815339

(the support people who are pressing the "GO!" button do know why they want to do offline upgrades...)