SAN Volume Maintenance

[Patrick Kane_3]

We have an MSA8000 (2) sets of dual-HSG80 controllers running firmware V87F-3. (42) 72.8 GB Disks per SAN. We carved out (6) 339 LUNs, and are presenting them to (4) HP DL580G2 servers running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, SP4. 580s have (2) Compaq FCA2101 2GB HBAs each, running driver 5.4.82.16. Multipathed using Compaq SecurePath V4.0c. Connected through (2) redundant Compaq Fibre Channel SAN Switch 16's, firmware V2.6.1c. No database or application hosting. Pure file shares. Okay, now to my question. Does Compaq publish a recommended volume maintenance schedule for a similar environment? Defrag, file cleanup, etc.? Is it best practice to use the default Windoes defrag program, or does Compaq recommend a third party utility? I'm currently dumping cookies, temp Internet files before running backups, but that's about it.

[Mark Poeschl_2]

The kind of "volume maintenance" you're asking about has nothing whatsoever to do with the storage array or storage hardware configuration. It's strictly an OS / application issue. "Compaq" (sadly, no longer existant - it's a blue, blue world now ;-) as the storage vendor wouldn't make any such recommendations. Use whatever tools and procedures Microsoft or your application vendor recommend.

I would also note that all of your firmware and drivers are pretty far out of date. HP would, I'm sure, recommend bringing them up to current levels.

[Patrick Kane_3]

I know our HSGs are down a card. I currently have Firmware V8.82F and need to schedule downtime to install. I also see that I'm a couple firmwares down on the SAN switches. v2.6.2d is most current, correct? I have a question regarding HBA driver for the FCA2101. As it appears on HP's website, it lists a description for the FCA2101 HBA card at driver level 5-4.82a16 (what I'm currently on). Then, there is (4) additional driver versions above this one, ranging from 4.82a16 to 5-5.20a10. What I'm concerned with is that each of the other descriptions shows a component(?), and nothing else that references it back to the card type. The most current description is for SCSIport driver component. I went out to the Emulex website and located driver version 5.5.10.9 released on 2/2/2004 and installed on a server. Compaq said they would not provide support on this leve, so I rolled back. I will be updating the firmware soon. Guess I'll just have to call (800) 633-3600.

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi Patrick,

the newer Emulex drivers are not supported with the HSG80 controller, only with newer storage arrays (i.e. MSA1000/1500, EVAs and XP). You should stay at 5.4.82a16. Actually the newer drivers use a different filename. The older ones are CPQKGPSA.SYS, the newer drivers are LPXNDS.SYS. The newer drivers would probabaly work, but will never be supported by HP. Switch Firmware 2.6.2d is OK, and you can update SecurePath 4.0C to SP2-1

Regards,
Stephen

[Patrick Kane_3]

That's what HP Storage explained to me on the phone yesterday. I made a note of it. He actually said that no new HBA cards were qualified for use in an HSG80 environment. One addition I will be making in the next couple of weeks is HSG firmware upgrade from V8.7F4 to V8.8-4. Thanks for your input.