EMC PowerPath corrupts Kernel RP4440 11i

[isaac_loven]

Hi all,
We have a new RP4440 with A6796AX Fibre cards, and a new Clariion CX500.
After swinstall of EMCPower.HP.4.2.0 , the system recompiles the kernel ( & adds drivers).
But it fails to boot.
I then have to start the machine from vmunix.prev.
I have HWEnable11i December 2003, and have done all the other patching.

PowerPath does add these drivers: IS it all necessary ??:

emcp Out Out Module Static No EMC PowerPath Pseudo Driver
emcpcg Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath Consistency Group Extension
emcpdpm Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath DPM Extension
emcpevm Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath EVM Extension
emcphr Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath HighRoad Extension
emcpmp Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath Multipath Extension
emcpmpaa Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath Multipath Extension
emcpmpc Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath Multipath Extension for Clarion
emcpsapi Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath Symmetrix API Extension
emcpsc Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath SC Extension
emcpsm Out Out Module Selectable No EMC PowerPath SM Extension
Thanks Isaac

[Johan Lorimier · Accepted solution]

Hi,

yes you need all these drivers if you want the powerpath capabilities, and in particular the load balancing with the differents links.
Is your system on the EMC array or on the local disk ?

[Geoff Wild]

We have installed EMCPower.HP.4.1.0 with no issues at all on RP7410's....

Do you also have ECC installed? (we have version 5.1).


Rgds...Geoff

[Berislav Varga]

Hi.
Are you booting from Clarion or from local disc?
Usually when you install PowerPath he doesent make any changes until you configure it.
Are you able to boot in single user mode?
If yes chechk if powerpath is configured over vg00.It could be the reason why you are not able to boot up.

[Ted Buis]

Is PowerPath required at all for the CX series? It didn't used to be required for Symmetrix. 'pvlinks' would work fine on the old Symmetrix for simple failover, and you could use static load balancing by using one path as the primary for some LUNs and the second path as the primary for other LUNs.

[isaac_loven]

I would never put the o/s on the array.
This would be a problem waiting to happen.
We have decided now not to use powerpath. We will just use LVM, (what u call pvlinks)

[cferbrache]

There is a patch out PHKL_30038 that should fix this problem. I had the same issue on my RP4440. The problem is due to the cdrom. You can boot the system up to single user mode mount a cd in the cdrom drive then bring the system on up using init . You can now install the patch and the system should boot up fine.

[Devesh Pant_1]

I happen to face the exact same situation and my RP4440s ( three of them) would panic after the EMC powerpath 4.2 install.
Cary thanks for such a wonderful response. I would have definitely given you 10 points for this one. It saved my pain here. I installed the PHKL_30038. Well, I did a little different
1. Interact with ISL at boot
2. At the ISL booted off of the old kernel /stand/vmunix.prev
3. The server came all the way up.
4. Did a swremove for the Powerpath - kernel rebild and reboot
5. Installed the patch
6. Re-installed teh Powerpath software.
I just wante to have this posted since I know many others will face the same problem

thanks
Devesh