MSA 1500 CS with High Availability Option Pack

[Bryan Sockel]

We just purchased a new MSA 1500 with the high availability Option pack. I have been going through the documentation for about a week now and I am confused on how to set up the fiber switches. I have been unable to find some sort of step by step guide on how to configure the switches. Do I need to create a fibre connection between the two switches or install as diagramed through the guides? What additional configuration will I need to do after I program the IP address?

My Switches are running the following:
Kernel: 2.4.19
Fabric OS: v4.4.0b
Made on: Thu Feb 17 22:46:34 2005
Flash: Wed Apr 6 17:22:41 2005
BootProm: 4.5.0

Thanks

[Andrzej Kowalik]

- Install hardware as diagramed (two separate fabrics)
- Install HBAs in the server(s) and install multipath driver
- Configure SSP from MSA
- Configure zones on FC switches
ACU:
http://h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00139862/c00139862.pdf
Installation Guide
http://h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00149689/c00149689.pdf
SAN Design Reference Guide
http://h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00149689/c00149689.pdf
regards,
Andrzej

[Steven Clementi]

Bryan:

One thing to consider in your environment is...

If this is the only storage array in your environment and you only have a cluster using the MSA or just one host, you do not necessarily need to configure the Switches since the MSA has SSP (Selective Storage Presentation).

To answer some of your questions...

Need fibre between switches?: No, connecting the switches would effectively give you one fabric, which is not a Highly Available option.

Additional config?: Yes and No. Yes, if you have multiple hosts and other SAN devices that need to be zoned as per best practice. No, if you only have windows hosts and the one MSA. (but yes if you have Cisco switches,.... doubt it, but let us know)


Steven

[Bryan Sockel]

We have another SAN but is going to be totally segregated from the that SAN. Currently we are only hooking up one host to the HP San, but in the future would like to add additional host's to the SAN and possibly a tape changer.

[Steven Clementi]

With that said, you should probably configure some zoning now instead of having to potentially incur some downtime later on for the zone configurations to take effect.


Thats just my opinion.

You can even take into consideration your future devices by creating zones using the ports you plan on connecting the other devices too. This this would limit the configuration changes you would need to make later on and allow you to get the devices up and running relatively quicker.


Steven

[Bryan Sockel]

OK,

I have got my SAN up and running, created 1 logical array, with two logic Disk Drives. Saved the configuration and was able to see a total of 4 new drives in windows, Two of the drives would initiallize, and i was able to format them and the other two would. That is to be expected because it is the same drive going the second Link. I was able to format both drives and copy data to them.

The problem i am running into now is that i was doing some initial testing and rebooted my primary Fibre switch, soon as that happened i was no longer able to access the newly created drive. Did i miss something?

The other question i have is that i am in the process of researching zoning configuration, are zone memberships assigned on a per port basis or per switch basis or both?

Thanks

[Steven Clementi]

Bryan:

Here is what I see as of your last message. First, you need to install some sort of multipath driver so that windows only see's 1 driver per lun (not 2). Your options are Secure Path, if you bought it or HP's MPIO package found here... http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/sanworks/softwaredrivers/multipathoptions/windows.html

You may need to delete the drives in order to get the multipath software to function properly. I would delete the drives first, disconnect the fibre, install the software, reboot, reconnect the fibre and re-create the drives.

Without the multipath software, Windows will not switch paths for the LUN's correctly, if at all which is probably the answer to the first of your latest questions.

The other questions...
"i am in the process of researching zoning configuration, are zone memberships assigned on a per port basis or per switch basis or both?

HP Best Practice is to create zones, based on Aliases which are in turn based on WWID's (software zoning). There is also the option to use the port number instead (hard zoning).

Additionally, the zones would be per host. That is, you create a zone that includes the Alais of one host and the fibre connection to the storage controller. For you next host, create a new zone. When and if you add a Tape Library/Controller, you would have a second zone that includes the Alais of one host and the storage router's interface. For the next host that needs access to the library, another zone with the alais of the server and the storage router's alais. So on and so forth....




Steven