FCIP (MPX110) setup--WWN zoning

[Ann Ayson]

Ok, where do I start?

I have two MPX110 FCIP gateways that I'm trying to install and configure so that I can get two EVA8100's to replicate to each other. I've been reading the install guide ad naseum but I find a lot of the instructions unclear. For example the instructions say to "use WWN zoning". Uh...zone what? All the WWN's for both EVA's? (I believe this is the answer solely because I found someone else mention this on this forum). What about the FCIP ports themselves, do these need to be added into those zones???

Secondly, could someone out there who has a B-series switch let me know what a "switchshow", "portshow", and "portcfgshow" shows for the FCIP port? I followed the instructions as to what needs to be done to the B-series switch for the FCIP port but I have no idea if what I'm seeing when I do a switchshow is correct. The setup I did was:

switchdisable
iodset
aptpolicy 1
portCfgISLMode 8,1 (8 being the port the FCIP gateway is plugged into)
portCfgGport 8,1
switchenable

I did the above on both switches (4/256 Director Switches) which are in this fabric (I'm only talking about one EVA 8100 at this point).

When I do a "switchshow" I see for port 8:

N2 In_Sync (I don't see a WWN number)

When I do a "portshow 8"

The portstate is offline.

a "portcfgshow 8" shows that this port is Trunking set to ON, Locked G_Port set to ON, ISL R_RDY Mode on, NPIV capability ON.

So, if there is someone out there with the same setup do the settings I list above look correct? (are they the same as your FCIP port).

[Steven Clementi]

Ann:

I've set these gateways up successfully before. Let me see if I can help you out.

1st: The fibre port will not come online until you configure a link between the 2 gateways (as fas as I can remember). Have you done this yet?

2nd: The port should not have Trunking turned on (again as far as I can remember).

At this point in time, I do not have FCiP Gateways in my demo room, but I do have them in a box. I will see if I can set them up tomorrow to assist some, but I'll be working a lot of other issues so I may not get to it.

As far as zoning is concerned, you should not need to include the gateways in any zone as they should appear as ISL's to the switches.

For your EVA's, you will need to create 2 zones, 1 for the FP3 ports in both fabrics and one for the FP4 ports in both fabrics... assuming you want to dedicate these 2 ports to CA.


Steven

[Steven Clementi]

Additionally... make sure the firmware is up to date on the mpx's.

What XCS are you running on the EVA's?


Steven

[Ann Ayson]

Steven,

You have no idea how helpful your information has been to me, thank you!

I have not set up the second gateway so that explains why the port isn't showing up as active yet. The gateway I did set up is connected to an EVA that is not yet in production so I had no qualms about messing around with things. The other gateway is on our only production EVA and the fact that I have to make changes to the switches which require a "switchdisable" gave me pause. I wanted to double-check that I wasn't setting thing incorrectly on the switch (even though I followed the instructions to the letter) before disabling the switch. All servers connected to the production EVA have redundancy via the two switches in the fabric, but I still get nervous about disabling one of the switches. I want to make SURE I'm doing things right so I don't screw something up.

You asked what version of XCS I'm using. I'm not sure what you mean by XCS (sorry, I'm an EMC storage person who's just learning the EVA).

Thanks again!

[Uwe Zessin]

XCS is the TLA for the controller firmware:

eXcellerated Controller Software

The precursor was called VCS:

Virtual Controller Software

You can see it on the storage system's properties page in Command View EVA.


TLA? Three-Letter Acronym ;-)

[Steven Clementi]

Ann:

You do not need to make the setting changes to the switch to just play around with the gateways. They should work just fine, but when you want to put CA int production, you definitely need to make the changes.

Now.. the only thing would be when you do make a connection between the gateways, the switches will try to merge and if they are successful, you will have completed a 2 domain fabric. Make sure your DomainID's are unique.

Your XCS version can be found via the front Operator Control Palen on the EVA or from Command View. Command View is the easiest, just log in and check the initial page that comes up when you click on your EVA. Probable something like 6.100 or 6.110 or 6.200.


Steven

[Ann Ayson]

Steven,

The XCS version of the EVA's is 6110. The firmware for the Director switch is 6.0.0b which I'll be upgraded to 6.1.0d this evening.

So are you saying that the remote fabric and the local fabric will try to merge??

[Steven Clementi]

"So are you saying that the remote fabric and the local fabric will try to merge??"

Yes.

[Ann Ayson]

Boy do I feel stupid about this whole thing, I feel like I'm flying blind here. Oh well, at least I have some downtime tomorrow to try and get this thing set up while production is down.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Ann Ayson]

I give up. I've got the two FCIP's pinging each other so they can get to each other via the network, but I can't see the storage arrays under Control Center. I have 4 switches, 2 for the remote EVA and 2 for the local EVA. On each side, remote and local, one of each switch has a status of "no sync" for the FCIP port, and one of each switch displays the port as a loopback port. I've zoned the switches on both ends to see the EVA controllers but when I go into Command View and do a "discover" I can't see the other storage array. Do I need to zone the Windows box running Command View as well? In other words, for the local EVA command view to see the remote EVA, do I need to zone the local EVA management station with the FCP ports on the remote EVA?

I don't want to keep bugging you with all of this so I'll stop asking questions. If you could just let me know if you remember the FCIP ports showing up as loopback ports on the switches I'd appreciate it.

[Steven Clementi]

Almost positive they show up as ISL's. (An E-Port)

1. If you want your "local" Command View server to be able to "see" and "manage" the remote EVA, then yes... you absolutely need to create a zone with those devices.

2. Are the switches merging at all? Can you attach the output for the commands..

zoneshow
fabricshow
switchshow
version

..from your SAN Switches

3. Don't worry about "continual" question asking... Though I don't like speaking for others, I think that everyone here in itrc agrees that you should continue until your problems are solved. I certainly will not stop helping where I can.

4. The last time I implemented 2 FCiP Gateways, I did not have to create a zone for them to work, they just worked once my FC ports were matched up with my GbE ports.


Steven

[Ann Ayson]

Steven,

I've attached a word doc that shows the information you asked for. I only showed the information from one switch on each EVA (remote and local), just so there wasn't a ton of information. In my zoning for the two EVA's I didn't zone every single FP as right now I'm simply trying to test. So the zones include two FP's from the EVA that's local to that switch and one FP from the remote EVA.

I downloaded the MPX management GUI and found that the gateway on EVA2 doesn't see any FC initiators. the other gateway (EVA1) finds one of the EVA control center HBA's, and two of the EVA1 FP's.

-- Alison

[Ann Ayson]

Oh, one more thing. When I look the the FCIP Routes on both the remote switches and local switchs the "FC Link Status is 'down' "

[Steven Clementi]

What firmware version is the MPX at?

Make sure it is up to date...

" http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3373535&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=3373534&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=54 "


OK.. Review time...

1. Are your 2 Gateways plugged into the proper networks?

2. Is GbE1 and/or GbE2 on both gateways configured to talk to each other?

3. I wish I has a simulator on these things. (Still don;t have mine online yet)

4. You may need zones in each fabric that include the fibre port on the gateway and the 2 EVA ports you are going to use. I don't remember exactly, I will look at the config docs from my customer to help jog my memory. Otherwise, the gateways should simply connect to the switches as E-Ports.

You can try hard setting the ports to E_Ports. I think i may have done that "just to make sure"..


Steven

[Ann Ayson]

just. shoot. me. now.

The firmware of both my MPX gateway is the latest version available.

Each gateway can ping the other, both GE ports.

In the MPX Management GUI I see no FC Initiators but I see one iSCSI initiator which happens to be one EVA port (the EVA port that's local to the MPX on which I can see the iSCSI initiator). I have no idea what's up with that.

I tried manually locking the FCIP port as an E port but that didn't work.

I tried adding the Gateway WWN's into my zone, that didn't work (and you're right, if they are ISL's they shouldn't need to be zoned).

I'm going to go hang myself now, I'll make sure to use a Cat5 cable when I do so.

[Ann Ayson]

Steven,

Not sure if you're still out there but I wanted to let you know that I finally got my FCIP gateways working. One of the biggest issues turned out to be a bad network card on one of the gateways. The problem in figuring this out is that the network card didn't completely fail, it was just flakey. I kept thinking that it was something I was doing wrong because I'd get a link light but could only connect sporadically.

Second problem was that the two fabrics that needed to merge had different configuration names (duh). Such an easy thing in retrospect but I didn't see it. I only realized that this was the problem after I completely cleared out the configuration on the remote switch. Once I cleared the config and did a "switchenable" viola!

thanks for all your help!

[Chandler Bing FA]

What troubleshooting did you do to prove it was a faulty network card? I think we may have a similar issue. Thanks.