VA7100 and E55??

[Godfrey Zhang]

Hi, we have an E55 server which has disk space shortage, how can I get 2 x 9 GB or equivalent capacity added to this box? what about VA7100 for E55?

cstm>map
alpha

Dev Last Last Op
Num Path Product Active Tool Status
=== ==================== ========================= =========== =============
1 56 Bus Adapter (503)
2 56/36 NIO SCSI Interface (4)
3 56/36.2.0 SCSI Disk (SEAGATEST39173
4 56/36.3.0 SCSI Disk (HPC2490AM)
5 56/36.4.0 SCSI Disk (HPC2490AM)
6 56/36.5.0 SCSI Disk (SEAGATEST32550
7 56/36.6.0 SCSI Disk (SEAGATEST15150
8 56/52 NIO SCSI Interface (44)
9 56/52.0.0 SCSI Tape (HPC1537A)
10 56/52.2.0 SCSI Disk (TOSHIBACD-ROM)
11 56/52.5.0 SCSI Disk (HPC2490AM)
12 56/52.6.0 SCSI Disk (HPC2490AM)
13 56/56 NIO Terminal Multiplexor
14 60 Core I/O Adapter (11)
15 60/6 HSC LAN Interface (11)
16 62 CPU (483) Information Successful
17 63 MEMORY (25)


# bdf
Filesystem kbytes used avail %used Mounted on
/dev/vg00/lvol3 99669 46869 42833 52% /
/dev/vg00/lvol1 47829 17132 25914 40% /stand
/dev/vg00/lvol8 384173 258314 87441 75% /var
/dev/vg00/lvol7 512499 336960 124289 73% /usr
/dev/vg00/lvol6 61389 18979 36271 34% /tmp
/dev/vg00/lvol5 307157 132091 144350 48% /opt
/dev/vg01/lvol8 5017600 4670031 325851 93% /home8
/dev/vg01/lvol7 2969600 2696273 256308 91% /home7
/dev/vg01/lvol6 3227648 2908636 299079 91% /home6
/dev/vg02/lvol5 589824 482722 100414 83% /home5
/dev/vg02/lvol4 2060288 1911582 139416 93% /home4
/dev/vg01/lvol3 1859584 1778219 76285 96% /home3
/dev/vg02/lvol2 1679360 1478242 188575 89% /home2
/dev/vg02/lvol1 3993600 3676730 297111 93% /home1
/dev/vg00/lvol4 47829 27302 15744 63% /home

[Kyle Martin · Accepted solution]

This is a good question. I'll do my best.
Assuming that the E55 is running 10.20, you need to make sure that you have a compatible HBA card to attach the VA or the switch to through fibre. A3740A is usually the card that works. I may be mistaken.
If this is 11.0, you will need a different HBA card, like A5158A (A3740A is not supported on 11.0).

You will need to make sure that the disk array software is loaded. I am pretty sure that that is Commandview. Arrange your luns according to the disk array software you are using. Sorry so vague. I'm just not familiar with lun configuration.

If you are adding to vg00, vg01, or vg02, use pvcreate /dev/rdsk/c#t#d#
vgextend /dev/vg00 /dev/dsk/c#t#d#
lvextend -L #### /dev/vg00/lvol# (#### = finished size in MB)
Reboot into single user mode and do extendfs -F vxfs /dev/vg00/rlvol#
Reboot again and let it come all the way up.

If you are wanting to replace the disks you already have in vg00, you will need ignite. Latest ignite version for 10.20 is A.3.7.95 (Make sure you have the latest pax utility patch and be careful of PHKL_16751). Latest version of ignite for 11.0 is A.5.4 (Also remember the pax utility patch and be careful of PHKL_18543).
Run make_tape_recovery -A -I
Let it create the archive and then boot from it. In the interactive mode, change the disks in the Advanced Installation --> Basic Tab. Then press Go!


Hope this helps!

[Godfrey Zhang]

Many Thanks, Kyle. The OS is 10.20.

[rick jones]

IIRC, the VA7100 was a FibreChannel device. Being able to connect it to an E55 implies the existence of an HP-PB FibreChannel card. I'm not sure that HP ever made one of those - I know that the 5158 is _not_ a FC card, but PCI so that is right-out.

There are/were HP-PB SE-SCSI and FWD (akd HVD) cards. You could obtain one of those cards (the SE card was "half-height" the FWD was full) and install it into your E55, then get a SCSI tray of the proper flavor with a pair of proper flavor SCSI discs and go from there.

From the looks of your bdf output, the other option would be to replace your E55 with a "newer" system that supported 10.20 that held larger discs. While it is a "workstation" you might consider a J5[06]00 or a J6XXX system - the former support for internal discs up to 36 GB capacity each IIRC. The latter have two internal disc bays. You would need the "workstation" 10.20 media to install those systems. Those systems are probably reasonably inexpensive on the used market - including their discs

Or.... jump all the way to IPF with say an rx1600. It has two internal mech slots and IIRC we support up to 146 GB mechs in there.

[Patrick Wallek]

I think you would be far better off just looking at SCSI disks for an E55. I think it would be far easier than trying to get a VA and Commandview working on this machine.

You can find an A3311 enclosure (Jamaica enclosure) in the resale / refurbished market fairly easily. You can put up to 8 drives in one of those.

[Ted Buis]

There never were and never will be FC cards for the E55. HP-PB was <=28MB/sec downhill with the wind behind your back, and FC for the VA7100 is 1 Gb/sec (~100MB/sec) so you see this wouldn't make any sense. I would think that the E55 is near the end of it's support life if it isn't there already.

[Godfrey Zhang]

Good stuff. Thanks all your help. Now I'm to forget about the FC thing.