Cannot Ignite HP-UX 11.23 on RP7400, Local SCSI Disks Not Found!

[Alzhy]

My rp7400 has no internal SCSI drives. It only has 2 SCSI Enclosures (8 disk each) connected to an HBA.

I attach the ioscan from a runing 11.11 OS on th system.

Any tweaks? I suspect the HBA is probably differential. Is it possible to add the driver at ignite time?


Also, my N-Class has PDC 43.43 -- does it support SAN Boot?

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

Hi Nelson,

accroding to your ioscan the disks are f/W differential SCSI - no luck, this is not supported / not working with 11.23.

You need different HBAs / disks to solve this.

How about installing on a XP LUN or internal disks?

[Alzhy]

Torsten,

Thanks for confirming.

BTW, the HP-UX SAN Boot Guide does not show the rp7400 supports SAN Boot.

Should I try nevertheless?

Thanks.


N.

[Torsten.]

Too many documents ... ;-)

What HBA do you have?

Is it listed here?

http://www.docs.hp.com/en/10260/FCI-SM-td3.htm

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Should I try None the less.

I would get supported disks in the thing and then try.

Without supported disks is like being on a tight wire without a net.

SEP

[Alzhy]

Yes .. A6795A's (XL2 Tachyons).
The thing is rp7400 is not listed as a "supported" boot environment.

Only rp7405 upwards are supporetd.

[Alzhy]

And I don't even see them disks in BCH "search" for bootable or ignitable media.

[Torsten.]

Well, the HBA is listed as a supported boot device in the matrix I posted above.

You will NEVER see a SAN device in BCH - its not clever enough to find it.

If you run the installer you will see them, because the install kernel has all the drivers.

[Alzhy]

Well on my rp84XX and SuperDome -- I see them at BCH man...

Anyways, I'll try... a Ignite sees the XP disks..

[Alzhy]

I did try, Igniting to the XP DIsks on my PDC 43.43 N-Class (rp7400). Ignite finishes but booting the SAN XP LUN results in the Port on the Switch getting disabled!

I am surmising on boot start up to the XP LUN, the HBAs (XL2 Tachyons, A6795s), defaults to Loop (AL) Operation. Why? The Port on the Brocade Switches shows as Disabled afterwards complaining about L-Port not suppored.

SO I guess rp7400's do not support SAN Boots even if the FC-HBAs are supported. PDC?BIOS perhaps?

[Torsten.]

Many possible reasons in a SAN:

- cable issue
- firmware issue
- driver issue

What OS release did you install?
Is the firmware up-to-date?
Does the kernel start to load?

If you have a fast switch (4/8GB), I would first try to set the speed to a fixed value.

Even the HBA firmware may be responsible for boot problems.

[Alzhy]

Torsten,

It's just as the SAN Boot DOcument says. RP7400's are NOT SUpported.

I've already tried fixed speed on my switch - still the same. I think the rp7400's firmware (PDC) does not know how to boot from a FC device or if it did - defaults the FC HBAs operation to Loop (AL)....

[Steven E. Protter]

Then Nelson, my friend don't do it.

If you want to use the system pick up a couple of internal disks on the used market.

How's the motor cycle?

SEP

[Torsten.]

Nelson,

the HBA support document

http://docs.hp.com/en/A6795-90006/ch01s01.html

refers to this matrix

http://www.docs.hp.com/en/10260/FCI-SM-td3.htm

where I find the "boot supported" information with PDC 43.43.

Do you have a Brocade 2800 switch by chance?

I found a possible problem description in the HBA release notes.

Just in case the problem occurs after the kernel takes the control - are you using current drivers?

[Alzhy]

Tors,

It's a Brocade Director SW48000.

I even tried HP-UX 11i v3 and the same issue.. Of course the rp7400 is also not listed as a suported 11.i v3 machine.

Strange, the SAN Boot DOcu I got did not show the rp7400 as supported.

Thanks anyways man.


SEP.

The motorcyle is a god-send. With $4.25 gallon gas -- it's helping making both ends meet. How are things with ya man?

HPTF 2008 was very well attended despite this economy. No major announcements there though -- even the Quadies (Tukwila) was not announced yet.

[Torsten.]

The old n-class cannot run 11.31.

SEP's solution with internal disks may be the most easy solution for you.

As mentioned above - too many different docs ... I still think it is possible, but anyway ...