MSA1000 controller failover test procedure and replacement procedure

[dihung]

Hi All,

I have a MSA1000 with 2 x controller installed and the Redundancy configuration is in Active/Passive. I want to know how to test the controller failover since I try to plug out the active controller but the standy controller still can't take the active role.
Also, Is it correct that as the controller of MSA1000 will not have the ability to failover from controller#2(front view left side) to controller#1 as there is a fault of controller#2? A good controller#1 was replaced after the first failover occured and controller failover from controller#1 to controller#2 successful.
If I found the controller#1 fail and want to replace a good one. Can I power off the controller and swap the controller#2(Active) to controller#1 and power on the storage. Then I hotplug the replacement controller to #2 slot for resync information?

It is because I can't find the corresponding information in any way and please help.

Thanks & Regards,
Dic Hun

[Martin Smoral]

I believe pulling out the active controller is not a supported test of a failover. As long as your MSA1000 setup is fully redundant (dual Switches, dual Hba's, dual controllers and the Multipath driver installed on the hosts), then you should be able to power off/shutdown a Switch or disconnect a fibre cable from the Active path and all the luns should failover to the standby controller. Once this path is restored, you should be able to do the same thing on the Controller#2's path. If a controller is bad then you should be able to just pull it and replace it. If you want to replace a running controller, then you should use the serial console port and issue a shutdown command on that controller first, then pull it out and replace it.
regards,
Martin

[Dileep..]

Yes Martin you are correct. Pulling out conroller while its running is not recommended , this may cause to malfunction the H/W.

[dihung]

Hi All,

Thanks a lot your helpful support.
For example, if there is only 1 x controller in slot1 and slot 2 is no controller installed due to failure and plug out before.(All the other fibre controller, switchs is in pair)Is it available to do by power off all the hosts connected to the MSA1000 and then hotplug the spare controller to slot 2 for redundancy. It is because I don't know it is need to re-sync the information (including HDD volume info and FW info) in cache in slot 1 controller to slot 2 that the memory module and controller is new one. Or it is good to power off the storage and plug the controller to slot 2 and let them re-sync during power up.

Thanks & Regards,
Dic Hun

[Dileep..]

As per the below guide array restart is not required after inserting the controller. Please see page 76,81 & 82.

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00800928/c00800928.pdf

Hope this helps

Rgds
Dileep