Smart Array customer Drive Configuration

[Steven Clementi]

I've been tasked with having to deploy a 200 DL380G7 servers each with 16 drives in them.

The Customer wants themm all in one array with 1 RAID1+0 logical drive.

Is there a way to create the array using specific drives as the mirrored pairs?

I did not think there was, but I don;t use the CLI much and the GUI only allows you to select the drives and create an array.

My customer wants to it so that:

drive 0 is mirrored to drive 8
drive 1 is mirrored to drive 9
drive 2 is mirrored to drive 10
drive 3 is mirrored to drive 11
etc...


Is this doable via the CLI? or will the controller just handle it like it normally does through the gui?


Steven

[Terry Hutchings]

I'm of the same opinion as you on this......I don't believe the CLI will give you any new options that are not available in the GUI. I know you cannot do this from the GUI version of the ACU.

[Ali]

Hi Steven,

Did you check with ACU CLI or ACU Script.

there are few example in the guide but I didn't personally tried them.


Configuring Arrays on HP Smart Array
Controllers Reference Guide

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00729544/c00729544.pdf

thanks
Aftab

[Steven Clementi]

Thanks for the input.

I've viewed the acu guide already and looked at the examples. There were several examples, very simplistic configurations.

I did not read through the whole guide though so I'll give it another round.

I also looked at the scripting doc too, but there was no mention of specific disk configurations in the array section for the cfg file.

Again, i'll give it another round, maybe I missed something, but as stated... I did not think there was a way to do it, at least not on the Smart Array Controller.


Steven

[gregersenj · Accepted solution]

Try to read page 4
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00378986/c00378986.pdf

And try to translate it.

The SA distribute the RAID in a logical, and if possible redundant setup.
ei. if you have a 2 channel box, evenly filled, it will spread it over both channels, wit a copy on each side, so you can suvive a channel outage.

Bu do beware of the drive roaming support > you can mess it up yourself.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00378986/c00378986.pdf

BR
/jag

[Steven Clementi]

So in my case...

Drives 0 though 7 will be mirrored with drives 8 through 15 since the 2 drive cages are on a different bus.

...but maybe not necessarily 0 to 8, 1 to 9, etc.

Though using the same logic, it may work out that exactly like that.

Thanks for you input.


Steven

[gregersenj]

Yes.

If you have the possibilty. I will suggest you do a test, so that you will know for sure.

I have never had the possibilty / guts to test for sure.
I have done a test on a MSA1000 and a MDS600. Using 2 shelfs / boxes.

If you do test it, a will appreciate if you share the results.

BR
/jag

[Neal Bowman]

Steven,
In order to create logical drives across the different drive bays, you will have to use the 24-bay 3Gb SAS Expander Card. Using 2 different array controllers, you will not be able to mirror disk 0 with disk 8.

Once you go through the steps of setting up one server manually using the GUI, save the config file using hpacubin.exe.

You can point to this new input file in RDP to push to the remaining 199 servers.

If you are using SmartStart to configure the servers, I think there is a routine you can use to import the array config. I'll have to go back and review this.

[Steven Clementi]

Thanks all.


I did test out pulling 8 of the drives on one bus. The server booted up just fine.


Not an extensive testing period.. but good enough for me.


And yes, the servers I am working with have the extender in them.

Steven

[gregersenj]

Greate :)

BR
/jag