SAN Firmware Upgrade LVM & Replication

[Rahim Johnson]

We have two EVA500 SAN Devices (with replication) with HP-UX Servers and Windows servers with numerous vdisks presented to these servers. Two of our HP-UX servers are in a serviceguard cluster and we have a few windows servers that are clustered as well.

We are planning a required firmware upgrade and are proceeding with caution. We have critical data on these disks and in the case that there is a problem, we will be able to restore data but that would stop our company's business in its tracks if we have to restore everything. We have DR plans but that would be better understood if the entire building went, not if we lost data because of a firmware upgrade.

We are looking for any documentation on how to deal with the logical volumes in relation to the SAN (also the possible ramifications of using the backup SAN if needed , knowing that the HW paths to the LUNs will be different but with the same data needing access)

Note: We will be getting some assistance with this upgrade but we are doing our homework as well. The contracted help will not lose their job if this fail, we might.

Any recommendations, references are welcome. And Thanks

[Torsten.]

The hp-ux forum might be a better place for this.

However, IMHO vgchgid command is the key:

the http://docs.hp.com/en/B3921-60631/vgchgid.1M.html

so you can import the duplicated volumes as a new vg and adjust your config if needed.


BTW, what kind of FW update? A/P to A/A by chance?

[skt_skt]

are you planning to do the firmware update online?DO yu have BC voumes setup for PROD data?

[Rahim Johnson]

It will be a two stage firmware upgrade, the switches and then the actual SAN.

[Rahim Johnson]

Part of the direction that we have already been given is that all hosts will be taken offline during the upgrade.

Sorry about the typos, the SAN(s) are EVA 5000's not 500's. Not sure what type of SAN that would have been. Perhaps coal powered?

As far as the Data is Concerned we are talking about literally terabytes of data including user files, production databases and the like.

Thanks for your quick responses, it is appreciated.