Integrate 3PAR and Synergy

[cgiles]

Hello,

I'm trying to get a Synergy 12000 and 3PAR 8400 working together and not having much luck.  I'm a stranger to most of the concepts and technologies but have been tasked with setting this up.  The 3par is running 3.3.1.410 (MU2) and the Composer on the Synergy is running 5.00.02-0418011 with all firmware upgraded but the interconnects, which I'm having issues with.  

The 3PAR has a pair of 16Gb HBA and the Synergy has pairs of 16Gb and 40Gb VC SE.  I fumbled my way through getting the 3PAR VV to show up in OneView via "Storage Systems" and enabling WSAPI on the 3PAR.  I've been trying to figure out how to configure the FC network but am lost.  I try creating direct attach uplinks but am told that the 16Gb VC SE doesn't support it.  I thought that was the FlatSAN tech?  Do I need to add a SAN Manager?  I can't find good documentation on 3PAR/Synergy/FC setup - for a novice.

Any help is MUCH appreciated and expect some follow up questions.

[ChrisLynch]

The SE 16Gb VC Module for Synergy is not a FlatSAN capable device.  You will need an NPIV capable FC switch between the VC FC fabric module and the 3Par storage system.  The process to setting this up is in the Online Help, and even in the Guided Setup:

But, you should follow this process to setting up HPE Storage provisioning with 3Par, Primera and Nimble (both Primera and Nimble support will require you to update to OneView/Synergy 5.20 or newer):

• Add a supported SAN manager
• Create one or more Fabric Attach Fibre Channel networks
• Associate the Fibre Channel networks to specific Uplink Sets within your Logical Interconnect Group
• Perform the Update From Group operation at the Logical Interconnect if you already deployed a Logical Enclosure
• Add your storage system, and examine the Storage System Ports are identified with the fibre channel networks you created above.
• Ensure you have selected 1 or more storage pools to manage

You should now be able to create volumes in the Volumes section under Storage, and attach to server profiles.

If you still have questions or problems, feel free to let us know.

[cgiles]

I know the 40Gb VC SE modules are for linking multiple frames but if the 16Gb VC SE modules don't support FlatSAN and aren't switches, then are they HBAs?  I would connect them to the FC switch/SAN Manager?

[ChrisLynch]

The SE 16Gb VC Fabric module for Synergy is technically an FC switch, but only operates in a gateway mode.  Meaning, the uplink ports are NPIV N ports, not E ports.  You would physcially connect the edge ports of these modules to fibre channel switches.  And those switches must be NPIV capable as well.  Almost all 8Gb and newer FC switches are, but you should check the documentation of the FC switch vendor to ensure.

[cgiles]

I could use the 40Gb VC SE modules and connect the qsfp+ ports to a FlexFabric switch?  I only have the single chassis.  Two switches for redundancy.  I'd like to stick to HPE so a 5700 or 5900 if I need four qsfp+ ports.  Then the 3par's HBAs would connect to the SPF ports on the switch.  Would I need the 4 qsfp ports?

[ChrisLynch]

While yes you could connect the SE 40Gb Ethernet VC for Synergy fabric modules to an HPE 5700 or 5900 FlexFabric switch, I wouldn't advise that.  Why?  The Comware configuration would need to be manually edited for the FCoE zoning configuration every time you provision a new compute node with SAN storage.  You can directly connect your 3Par storage system to the SE40Gb module for FlatSAN.  The Fibre Channel network you would create would need to be set as DirectAttach type for FlatSAN.  The SE 16Gb VC Fabric modules we have been dicussing only support Fabric Attach.

[cgiles]

Back from the dead,

We are now using the VC SE 16GB with SN3600B switches to connect to the 3par.  3par to switches seems fine but I cannot get the Synergy's VC SE 16's to switches to work.  Amber lights.  I've configured everything in the checklist but can't figure out what I'm missing to jump this next hurdle.  SAN Managers added w/ auto zoning enabled (switches set to "no access").  Storage System added.  LIGs created with the proper uplinks.  Applied to server profile and powered server on.  Every step of the way I expected to see my switch lights light up with joy but no such luck.  SAN switches see the 3par as a device... no Synergy.   Any advice?

[manaswini-s]

"Hi cgiles,

Thank you for posting your query. As I see, you are looking for response to your query on Integrate 3PAR and Synergy.

Our engineers are looking into this and we will reply to you shortly.

Kindly await with us.
Regards,
Manaswini S
I am an HPE Employee
"

[ChrisLynch]

Some things to check:

1. Did you enable NPIV on the switch?
2. When you assigned your FC networks to uplink sets, are they set to Fabric Attach?
3. Do you have a support case?

[cgiles]

NPIV is enabled on the switch.  

Uplinks are correct and green

We do not have setup support so I'm bouncing questions off the HPE board.  Hope you don't mind.

We've gotten further.  Using Auto Zoning we can get the switches to configure aliases and zones on the two fabrics from Oneview.  Host is created on 3par by Oneview.  We have all green lights everything is recognized on the fabrics.  The problem, I think, lies in that the Oneview created host on the 3par does not have any system ports listed and when I try to add them they do not save.  No zones listed on ports on the 3par either.  We are testing with a Win19 server on a blade with all the drivers loaded and Emulex HBA Manager to see what's going on.  We cannot get the manager to show that the server is connect to a fabric.

This SAN fabic stuff is foriegn to me.  I think I have everything wired properly.  We have a two controller node 3par with 4 port FC ports per node.  I have all eight port populated.  Odd ports to Fabric1 and even ports to Fabric two.  A pair going to each fabric from a node as that's my understanding on how this should work with port persistence.  I have one cable from fabric1 to interconnect bay1 and one cable from fabric2 to interconnect bay4.  

Thanks again