MSA 2040 SAS Controller to another unit as a replacement

[MCHS]

Afternoon Folks,

Im looking at two separate MSA 2040 SAS based dual controller systems(12G SAS) (one is in production and the other is decomissioned)

We have seen a controller fail on the production unit and would like to use one of the identical controllers from the decomissioned unit to replace it. Could anyone point me to the procedure for doing this, for example would we need to clear down the controller from the decomissioned unit before inserting it into the production SAN as a replacement.

Realise there is a procedure here for replacement using a new part, but this would be for a controller part that is from another system so just checking the difference.

Any helpful advice is welcome.

Kind Regards

[Shawn_K]

Hello,

It would be best to clear all the configuration details from the decommissioned controller before you insert it into the production system. However, if you do not the controller from the decommissioned system will still have the configuration changed to reflect the production system. The transition just goes smoother if there are no lingering configuration details that need to be modified upon insertion to the production system. 

I would also suggest to do this during a period of low host IO. Once the new controller is inserted into the production system allow 30 minutes for the configuration details to sync and the firmware to balance. Once done be sure to verify you are running the latest firmware version. You can easily check firmware on the following site: https://h41111.www4.hpe.com/storage/msafirmware.html

For detailed instructions you can refer to the following guide: https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c03793459&docLocale=en_US 

Cheers,
Shawn

I work for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The comments in this post are my own and do not represent an official reply from HPE. No warranty or guarantees of any kind are expressed in my reply.

[MCHS]

Thanks Shawn  appreciate the info

[MCHS]

Just a short update , I notice the target chassis have controller firmware versions that are older than the firmware version on the replacement controller.

Would this mean:

A)The replacement controller would syncronize the older firmware to match the existing system

or

B)We would need to upgrade the firmware in the system that has the degraded controller to a equal or higher version than the replacement one?

Kind regards

[Shawn_K]

Hello,

If you have PFU (Partner Firmware Upgrade) enabled, then yes the firmware will upgrade to which ever controller has the latest firmware version. I would recommend that you install the new (decommisioned) controller into the system wait 30 minutes. This will give the controllers enough time to sync, copy configuration information, and upgrade firwmare. Once that is done I would suggest to upgrade to the latest firmware verion using the Smart Component. Using the Smart Component will also flash the midplane and controllers. This will ensure everything is at the correct version for better operation of the array.

The latest firmware versions can be found here: https://h41111.www4.hpe.com/storage/msafirmware.html

I would also suggest that this would be a good time to upgrade the hard drives in the system. You can find the drive firmware here: https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c04315770&lang=en-us&cc=us

Cheers,
Shawn

I work for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The comments in this post are my own and do not represent an official reply from HPE. No warranty or guarantees of any kind are expressed in my reply.