rx2660 disks not all visible

[Leann Jamison]

I'm familiar with PA boxes but this new rx2660 has me baffled. It has 3 disks and I have installed HP-UX 11.31 and mirrored onto the second one. Apparently, this box has some sort of array controller but it is the built-in hardware, not the optional P400 thingy. All the docs talk about configuring RAID setups -- all I want is a JBOD. There doesn't seem to be any documentation on how to do that.

Am I being forced to use RAID-something? I want to be able to replace a bad disk (HP-UX style) or add another one but the docs keep talking about complex RAID stuff. Did I make a mistake in buying mirroring software as it isn't really useful for the internal disks?

[DeafFrog]

Hi Leann ,
Welcome to forum.One of these , will give you details of inbuild controllers on you 2660 :

#/usr/sbin/ioscan -kfnd ciss
#sasmgr get_info -D /dev/sasd0 -q vpd
(check ls /dev/sasd* , for which one you have )

From my understanding , mirror disk ux is not required in this case.

Regards,
Rahul

[Leann Jamison]

>> #/usr/sbin/ioscan -kfnd ciss

No output, no ciss devices.

>> #sasmgr get_info -D /dev/sasd0 -q vpd

# sasmgr get_info -D /dev/sasd1 -q vpd
Vital Product Data Information
------------------------------
Product Description : PCI-X SERIAL ATTACHED SCSI
Part Number : AB419-60001
Engineering Date Code : NA
Serial Number : NA
Misc. Information : PW=15W PCI-X 66MHZ CORE IO
Manufacturing Date : NA
Manufacturing ID : N/A
Checksum : 0x96
EFI Version : 02.01.04
HBA Firmware Version : 01.16.00.00
Asset Tag : NA

So sasmgr is the tool but the output above doesn't help me very muchl. How do I configure it into a JBOD so LVM mirroring can be used?

Or, if it's not possible, am I stuck having to define RAID 1 mirroring for additional disks and volume groups?

And in looking at docs about disk replacement for 11.31, most of them seem to skip these sas controllers completely. I am assuming that they are just like little EVAs or XPs so replacing a mirror using RAID 1 is just a matter of hot swapping the disk and running some sasmgr command to resync the new disk, correct?

[DeafFrog]

Question1)
configure it into a JBOD so LVM mirroring can be used:
1)check the disk is being recognized by controller:
sasmgr get_info -D /dev/sasd1 -q phy=all
scsimgr get_info -D /dev/rdisk/disk<_you_own>
now do an ioscan
ioscan -fnC disk
pvcreate metadata on disk ( -B if you intend to use it as boot disk)
(If you inetend to create a mirror boot , search the many
thread on this forum)
add disk to existing vg , otherwise
mkdir /dev/vg01, mknod , vgcreate
pvcreate -f /dev/rdsk/c?t?d0
vgextend /dev/vg?? /dev/dsk/c?t?d0
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg??/lvol?? /dev/dsk/c?t?d0


Question2 )
just few threads below this thread
http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/System-Administration/Not-able-to-remove-device-file-for-internal-removed-disk/m-p/4744548#M387583

http://www13.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=emr_na-c01571733&docLocale=en&admit=109447627+1296368977766+28353475

Hope this helps ,
Regards,
Rahul

[Alzhy]

You really should be using the built in RAID1 (+ HotSpare) feature on the rx2660. It works better than having LVM to protect and mirror your OS.

Reboot, interrupt boot sequence, go to EFI Shell.. then : Shell> drvcfg -s 20

It should be very straightforward and intuitive.

Once configured, you will have a single IR disk -- something like /dev/rdsk/disk5

Use it as your LVM OS disk...

Monitor / check via sasmgr.

If you have SIM/EMS installed -- it wil also monitor the health of your RAID...

[Alzhy]

And failed disk replacement is much much easier too...

SO unless yo have a pressing/valid need to use LVM.. use the built in RAID...

You can also lkely do a no spare RAID1 so your other SAS disk (in jbod mode) can be used as safety/lifeboat disk where you can do periodic clones (prior to patching, etc) via DRD tool... (drd clone)

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

The array controller presents a single disk to represent mirrors, much like a LUN from a SAN.

The way to see all disks is to boot the system at console and take the prompt to get into the raid controller configuration.

Did you make a mistake? No. The mirror software is extremely useful for cutting mirror images of logical volumes and migrating data around.

With the P400, mirroring the boot disk is not necessary.

SEP

[Alzhy]

Salam.

"Did I make a mistake in buying mirroring software as it isn't really useful for the internal disks? "

Likely so Amigo.. unless you will in the future need to mirror local, non-RAID SCSI disks.

But ask yourself WHAT did you buy MirrorDisk/UX for? Is it for OS protection solely? Is it for having to easily have a backout, fallback copy of the OS in case patching or maintenance of main OS/vg00 disk goes haywire?

If all the above? Then the 2660's RAID1 facility with HotSpare addresses all along with DRD tool.

And disk replacement, sparing is much easier too compared with LVM...

[Torsten.]

Please provide the output of

# sasmgr get_info -D /dev/sasd1 -q raid

and

# ioscan -fn

This would be helpful now.

[Leann Jamison]

So it appears that the rx2660 is designed to eliminate the need for mirror/ux. I guess this makes sense except when this feature isn't documented very well at all. It seems that an rx2660 has at least two versions of the built-in controller (and sasmgr is the only tool to show the controller -- not even the MP command DF shows the internal controller). Then there are add-on controllers like the P400 but these don't work with sasmgr, I have to use sautil.

We're getting various models (rx3600 and rx6600) that come preconfigured with HP-UX installed. I've always used mirror/ux for PA systems, so I have to get used to having an internal array controller on these boxes. Since I already have HP-UX loaded, I will backup the system to my ignite server, then reconfigure the disks into raid1.

So how do I replace a bad boot disk without booting into EFI? I know all the steps for a jbod but since this is hardware mirrored, I assume that sasmgr options will rebuild the disk transparently and the system just runs without a reboot, correct?

[Torsten.]

If the disks are mirrored by the controller, you just need to swap a bad disk. That's all, no other steps are needed.


If the disk is mirrored by LVM, you need at least 10 steps (see the controller manual) for a replacement - could be a pain.


But a reboot is never needed.

[Alzhy]

"We're getting various models (rx3600 and rx6600) that come preconfigured with HP-UX installed. I've always used mirror/ux for PA systems, so I have to get used to having an internal array controller on these boxes. Since I already have HP-UX loaded, I will backup the system to my ignite server, then reconfigure the disks into raid1."

All those have the built in RAID'ing capability. So no need to purchase MirrorDisk/ux for HP-UX BOE if your intention is for it to protect your SCSI OS Disk...

An alternative option since most servers are SAN connected these days is just go with SAN Boot. I no longer spec my servers to have local disks anymore these days... Everything boots from the SAN... Of course some doubting idiotic thomases would ask -- "What if our SAN is out/broke?" -- Yeah right -- if SAN is broke -- what can your local SCSI boot disk do for you? Virtually NONE!