Proliant DL580 G7 + P800 Controller + MSA P2000 (SAS) - OS unable to detect array

[HarryZ]

Hi all,

I am having trouble with the P2000 array I have set up. It is directly connected via SAS to a P800 controller on the server.

The trouble we are having is that the OS cannot detect the array. the array configuration GUI sees the P800 controller just fine but states:

Error 267 - There are no configurable physical drives attached to the current array controller. 

The issue does not seem to be a fluke, because I am running two identical setups as described above. Both have been cold booted with all hardware plugged in and in place. 

The server is a Proliant DL580 G7; P410 internal controller with 6x 1TB 7200RPM SFF;  Win2008 R2 x64. 

The array is a HP P2000 G3 SAS 12x1TB SAS SFF setup. 

Cable goes from Port 1E on P800 controller to port SAS1 on theP2000.

Has anyone had this problem?

Are these two systems even compatible with each other?

Is there a critical step I am neglecting?

A driver that is needed that I don't have?

Thanks in advance for your efforts and input.

-Harry

[xmate · Accepted solution]

Hello

the reason of the problem is that you cann't use P800 controller or any other smart array controller to attach P2000 array.

Because Smart array controllers can attach external JBOD disk shelves, but not arrays that provide LUNs (like P2000).

You need SAS HBA to attach P2000 to a G7 server:

HP SC08e 6Gb SAS HBA for G6 and G7 rack servers 614988-B21

You can read about this in quickspec for P2000 or quickspec for DL580 G7 server.

[HarryZ]

Thank you. that was a very concise and helpful answer. It sounds that the SAS HBA you stated (HP SC08e 6Gb SAS HBA for G6 and G7 rack servers 614988-B21) connects from its own mini-SAS port(s) to the P2000 mini-SAS port. Is that right? I ask because on some product pages I searched, the picture seems to represent a fiber version of the HBA. There are fiber ports on the card, instead of mini-SAS. Are there 2 versions of this card or something?

In a situation like mine, how will the W2k8R2 OS handle the 12 drives on the P2000 once it is hooked up? Can I still use the HP Array configuration GUI? What makes the P2000 different from other arrays such as a MSA60 (which can use the P800 to connect to server). I'm not well versed when it comes to the concept JBOD/LUNs/HBAs.

[xmate]

There is only one version of the card. And it has two external SFF8088 Mini-SAS connectors. You can read about it here.

There are two common models:

1) Like with your P800 and MSA60. You attach a disk shelf like MSA60 to a array controller inside the server and that controller manages the drives in MSA60 like they are internal drives of the server. Controller can create RAID with those disks and so on. In this case MSA60 is a JBOD ( just a bundle of disks).

2) You have MSA P2000 and SAS HBA. P2000 is a disk shelf + array controller (one or two) in one eclosure. P2000 is called a storage system. Storage system P2000 manages disks and combine them in RAID by itself. After RAIDs are created in each RAID you can make so called LUNs (volumes/ virtual disks, call it as you like...). P2000 provides LUNs to the outside servers. And servers via host bus adapters (HBAs) can see these LUNs like internal disks. The difference is that you shouldn't create RAID in the server because it is already created in P2000 storage system.

You can manage P2000 system through SMU (not ACU). It is a software placed in the storage system. You can use it via web brouser. Just enter the ip address of one ot the storage system's controllers.

Sorry, may be my description is complicated but there are a lot of things to know and discribe. Cann't just write them in so few words.

[HarryZ]

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@xmate wrote:

You can manage P2000 system through SMU (not ACU). It is a software placed in the storage system. You can use it via web brouser. Just enter the ip address of one ot the storage system's controllers.

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So the P2000 system must have a static IP assigned to its ethernet mgmt port for SMU access through the OS? (or CLI) Assuming so, is this what is considered as a SAN?

-Harry

[xmate]

Yes. You can call P2000 (SAS) a low-end SAN Storage.

[HarryZ]

Thanks. But do I absolutely HAVE to put a switch between the P2000 and ProLiant to access SMU via IP address? Can I just connect ProLiant HBA to P2000 with the SAS cable and access the SMU a different way?

[Torsten.]

Data connection is one thing, management access is something different.

For management you can use the serial connection to have a CLI or the ethernet connection to have both, GUI and CLI. Direct LAN connection works too.

>> Assuming so, is this what is considered as a SAN?

What is a SAN? a Storage area network, usually over fibre channel, a network constist of (FC-) switches and (FC-) storage devices. n case of a (FC-) P2000 the array could be part of a SAN.

If you extend the meaning of iSCSI and SAS, you can build storage networks too, so it will be a part of a SAN too.

[xmate]

SMU is a controller module’s web-based management interface. SMU is accesable via ethernet port of either of the two controllers. SMU is the main management interface. You can access SMU either via http web brouser session, or via SSH/telnet to the same IP address of SMU.

As an alternative you can use CLI interface for executing text based commands. But it is a service interface and is not recomended for regular management. You need to use additional USB cable to access this interface.

And no, you can't use SAS cables to handle management traffic.

You need to connect ethernet management ports of both controllers to the management station (server or PC). If your management server have two ethernet ports or more you can use direct connection without any switch. But you can also use a switch between management station and P2000 storage.

[Torsten.]

>> As an alternative you can use CLI interface for executing text based commands. But it is a service interface and is not recomended for regular management. You need to use additional USB cable to access this interface.



Some activities work much faster/better on CLI than on GUI. You can access the CLI by serial connection and telnet/ssh.

It's up to you to use GUI or CLI.