Secure Path

[kamal_9]

Hi EveryBody
What is the difference between Secure path& secure manager.
I was asked to install 3 RPsevers and connect to the exsisting EVA. I have worked with CommandViewVA.
can you pls tell me procedure how to goahead
wht I was planning is ?
1.Make Servers ready with patches+commdview+secure path Installed
2.Created luns in the EVA.
3.Note down the WWN of my FC card .Creating zoning using securepath .
4. goahead my ceating the Filesyetms for the new luns.
I have not worked with SecurePath
Pls correct me if Iam missing out any thing ?

[Mohanasundaram_1]

Hi Kamal,

Securepath is multipathing to the EVA from OS. This provides you an alternate path to the LUNs in case of any failure to the "preferred path".

Secure manager was in VA systems to enable LUN security. That is, Secure manager restricts acess of LUNs to specified hosts only. By default, without secure manager, LUNs will be seen by all hosts.

However, In case of EVA this feature is embedded, which means a LUN cannot be visible to a host unless it is presented to that host.

Hope it helps.

With regards,
Mohan.

[kamal_9]

Hi Mohan
I case Eva I can present the lun to the host by using the CommandviewEva ??
I can use the Pri,ALT links in the LVM.for Alt path.If so then wht is the advantage other than this with Securepath ..is it zoning like that ???

[Mohanasundaram_1]

Hi Kamal,

In case of Securepath for EVA you need not worry about the multiple paths available to the LUNs. This is a layer masked by EVA and you will get only a single device file for the LUN.

In case of one of the path fails, Securepath manages to have the IO through the next path. Your device file still remains the same and you are transparent to this, as Securepath layer manages the re-routing.

You can do away with all those alternate links you were doing with VA LUNs. In addition there is a load balancing option in secure path as well.

read the securepath manuals that the below URL to get more Idea,

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual&locale=en_US&docIndexId=179911&taskId=101&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=315586

With regards,
Mohan.

[kamal_9]

Hi Mohan
Thanks..Okey i will go thru the docs..
Can u Guide me the best way to execute the given task
install 3 RPsevers and connect to the exsisting EVA.
customer is ordered for securepath also

regds
kamal

[Mohanasundaram_1]

Hi Kamal,

Are you in HCL Mumbai?

Let us discuss some details of the config here.

I assume you have,

1) 2 * FC HBAs in each of the 3 rp systems.
2) 2 * SAN switches
3) and of courese EVA 3000/5000

What you can do is,

1) Install the pre-requisite patches/patch bundles for your FC HBA and securepath.
You can check them at their respective release notes.

2) Install the HBAs in the servers. Ensure that you install each HBA in a different chassis IO of the server. ( I am assuming you are having rp7410/rp7420/rp8400/rp8420 servers).

So install 1 HBA in Chassis 0 and the next card in chassis 1.

3) Install the HBA drivers, if required.

4) Install the securepath software.( You have to ensure that all the pre-requisite are met for securepath, otherwise it may cause you lot of problems.)

5) Ensure that 2 HBAs from the same server goes to different switches. This way you have avoided single-point-of-failure on switch, FC link, HBA or server I/O chassis.

6) Then follow the EVA manuals for connectivity to the switch.

7) There is no commandview on the servers. This will be on the SAN management Appliance.

8) Now create the LUNs on the EVA through the SAN management appliance and present it to the required hosts.

You should have added the wwn numbers of the HBAs and associated with a host, prior to this step.

Hope this helps.

WIth regards,
Mohan.

[kamal_9]

Hi Mohan

Thanks A Lot
I was at HCL Delhi.But presently in Middle East.

Iam worried abt the securepath side only.
Any how I will manage .

Thanks
Kamal

[Mohanasundaram_1]

Hi Kamal,

You are welcome. I am in Dubai. So do let me know which country are you in.

I was working in HCL infosystems Mumbai until 1998.

With regards,
Mohan.

P.S: No points for this.

[Dave Hutton]

No real need to worry about secure path.
It's really pretty painless. I seem to have to reboot quite a few times, everytime I set up a new server that hasn't had securepath on it yet.
Usually these are my steps.
1) Install all the prereqed patches.
(I also make sure I have the latest HW/Gold packs installed at this point too)
2) Reboot (usually the patches make it reboot)
3) Install securepath.
4) Reboot (The older versions < 3.0E automatically reboots. 3.0E doesn't reboot 11.11 but I still do)
5) Present a lun. Which never seems to ever show up until. Yep.
6) Reboot

After you have 1 lun to the server you never have to reboot to add new disks. For some reason it just never sees it properly.

I usually alternate Path A no failback Path B no failback. But you don't have to worry too much about it. I usually turn on round robin load balancing.

You'll see if you have 2 HBA's in your server when you spmgr display 4 paths per disk in spmgr.
But ioscan will only show 1 disk usually down in the 255/255/0/..

[kamal_9]

Okey
Thanks Mohan/Dave
Now Iam confident in doing this . I went thru the docs.. Itseems pretty Good
Thanks again

Hi Mohan Iam in Bahrain
my mail id is kamalkhcl@yahoo.com.wht's your .pls mail me .I hope we can use mail.
Thank you guys again

[kamal_9]

Thak you all