Dynamically Adding and Swapping Tape's Between VM's

[WW393114]

Hello Team,

Can any one help in dynamically swap tape between VM's in 4.2 version. i am getting the following error when i am trying to add tape

hpvmmodify: Unable to dynamically create device tape:scsi:0,1,0:attach:/dev/rscs i/c0t3d0 - Protocol error.
hpvmmodify: Guest needs to be restarted (using hpvmstop followed by hpvmstart) f or all changes to take effect

[Eric SAUBIGNAC · Accepted solution]

Bonjour,

You try to add the tape to virtue bus/device 0/1 with scsi ID 0.

Not sure, but using scsi ID 0 could mean that you have no other device on the same bus/device 0/1. Right ?

In this case the virtual scsi HBA at 0/1 doesn't yet exist. If the virtual HBA doesn't exist, you can't online add new devices to this virtual HBA [ the same way than in physical world : if you have no scsi adapter you can't add any physical device to it ;-) ].

In other words, you can online add devices to a virtual HBA only if there is at least one device already connected to the specific virtual bus/device you want to use.

What you can do, is creating each VM with a "foo" device connected at 0/1. For exemple a virtuall null LVD : dvd:scsi:0,1,0:null:/depotcd

Then you should be able to online add a tape at : tape:scsi:0,1,1:attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0

Note than with HPVM 4.2 you can now share tape among VMs. Check chapter 7.1.3 Attached Device Support in AVIO from "HP Integrity Virtual Machines 4.2 - Installation, Configuration, and Administration", document c02023903.pdf

Eric

[WW393114]

Hello .. i did not understand what you mentioned.. i am attaching the hpvmstatus of the vm and ioscan ouput pls let me know how to add tape to VM

# hpvmstatus -p 2
[Virtual Machine Details]
Virtual Machine Name VM # OS Type State
==================== ===== ======= ========
sflqly 2 HPUX On (OS)

[Authorized Administrators]
Oper Groups :
Admin Groups :
Oper Users :
Admin Users :

[Virtual CPU Details]
#vCPUs Entitlement Maximum
====== =========== =======
4 10.0% 100.0%

[Memory Details]
Total Reserved
Memory Memory
======= ========
18 GB 64 MB

[Storage Interface Details]
Guest Physical
Device Adaptor Bus Dev Ftn Tgt Lun Storage Device
======= ========== === === === === === ========= =========================
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 0 0 disk /dev/rdsk/c2t0d2
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 1 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk111
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 3 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk118
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 4 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk119
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 5 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk120
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 6 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk123
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 7 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk126
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 8 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk127
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 9 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk132
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 10 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk135
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 11 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk138
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 12 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk143
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 13 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk144
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 14 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk147
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 15 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk150
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 16 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk153
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 17 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk156
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 18 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk158
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 19 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk161
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 20 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk165
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 21 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk167
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 22 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk171
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 23 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk174
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 24 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk176
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 25 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk180
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 26 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk183
disk avio_stor 0 0 0 27 0 disk /dev/rdisk/disk186

[Network Interface Details]
Interface Adaptor Name/Num PortNum Bus Dev Ftn Mac Address
========= ========== ========== ======= === === === =================
vswitch avio_lan vswitch2 1 0 2 0 da-dd-2e-6d-bd-c4

[Misc Interface Details]
Guest Physical
Device Adaptor Bus Dev Ftn Tgt Lun Storage Device
======= ========== === === === === === ========= =========================
serial com1 tty console
# ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/2/1/0.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 4-SCSI
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTnb

[melvyn burnard]

What you are doing is specifying a new adapter or virtual hba. This is NOT a hot-pluggable device, and hence requires the VM to reboot to "insert" the new "card"
The same wqould apply if you were to add a new vNIC to another vswitch.

Try doing it using:
tape:scsi::attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0

[Eric SAUBIGNAC]

In fact you have no bus/device 0/1.

So try :

- mkdir /depotcd, an emty directory
- add offline a device that point to it :

hpvmmodify -P sflqly -a dvd:scsi:0,1,0:null:/depotcd

- start the VM

Now you should be able to add online the tape with :

hpvmmodify -P sflqly tape:scsi:0,1,1:attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0

Eric

[WW393114]

Hi Eric,

Thanks .. Method Worked... Thanks a lot.

Only a small Change for adding the tape we need to use


hpvmmodify -P sflecc -a tape:scsi::attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0

Thanks a lot for every one

[WW393114]

Found Solution Given by Eric

[Eric SAUBIGNAC]

I would like to clarify a point, because in fact I am afraid you had some chance ;-)

You said :

.
. Only a small Change for adding the tape we need to use
.
. hpvmmodify -P sflecc -a tape:scsi::attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0
.

The syntax you used lets HPVM choose the virtual bus/device on which your tape is attached. If you want to always be able to add/remove dynamically a device you MUST control which bus/device will be use.

What probably happened is that your disks are attached to bus/device 0/0 which is an AVIO_STOR virtual HBA. So, you can't attach an SCSI tape to this HBA.

Then, as I suggested, you have attached a "foo" cdrom to bus 0/1 in VIO SCSI mode. So you have created a new SCSI HBA, with one slot occupied by the pseudo cdrom and 14 (15 ?) empty slots.

Then, when you added the SCSI tape, HPVM automatically chose an SCSI HBA with empty slots. Because the bus/device 0/1 has empty slots, the tape can be added online.

Now suppose that for some reasons all the slots on virtual HBA 0/1 are occupied ? It will not work online.

That is one of the reasons (among many others) why my advice for anybody dealing with HPVM is to always control virtual bus/device adressing.

HTH

Eric

[WW393114]

Hello Eric,

I am adding the tape to Vm's using
hpvmmodify -P sflecc -a tape:scsi::attach:/dev/rscsi/c0t3d0.

Now dynamically adding tape is possible and also i am able to swap.. but we are facing problems taking automatic backup using SAP.

Back Fails giving following error

BR0205I Backup volume initialization
BR0058I BRBACKUP action ID: beebveaw
BR0059I BRBACKUP function ID: tib
BR0102I Following backup device will be used: /dev/rmt/0mn BR0131I All volumes get the name SCRATCH BR0129I Force option set - no label checking during initialization BR0134I Unattended mode with 'force' active - no operator confirmation allowed

BR0207I Volume in device: /dev/rmt/0mn will be initialized with name: SCRATCH

BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.00.07 BR0226I Rewinding tape volume in device /dev/rmt/0m ...
BR0278E Command output of 'LANG=C mt -f /dev/rmt/0m rew':
/dev/rmt/0m: No such device or address
BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.00.08 BR0279E Return code from 'LANG=C mt -f /dev/rmt/0m rew': 1 BR0213E Winding tape volume in device /dev/rmt/0mn failed BR0219E Initialization of volume SCRATCH in device /dev/rmt/0mn failed

BR0206I End of backup volume initialization BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.00.08 BR0054I BRBACKUP terminated with errors


But once i use insf -e command buackup is running fine

After insf -e
--------------
BR0205I Backup volume initialization
BR0058I BRBACKUP action ID: beebvgfm
BR0059I BRBACKUP function ID: tib
BR0102I Following backup device will be used: /dev/rmt/0mn BR0131I All volumes get the name SCRATCH BR0129I Force option set - no label checking during initialization BR0134I Unattended mode with 'force' active - no operator confirmation allowed

BR0207I Volume in device: /dev/rmt/0mn will be initialized with name: SCRATCH

BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.24.38 BR0226I Rewinding tape volume in device /dev/rmt/0m ...

BR0202I Copying /oracle/SM1/sapbackup/.tape.hdr0 BR0203I to /dev/rmt/0mn ...

BR0209I Volume in device /dev/rmt/0mn has name SCRATCH

BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.24.46 BR0226I Rewinding tape volume in device /dev/rmt/0m ...

BR0206I End of backup volume initialization BR0280I BRBACKUP time stamp: 2010-09-09 13.24.49 BR0052I BRBACKUP completed successfully.

So i added insf -e command in cron tab. for 2 days it worked fine but again backup has failed.

Could you pls suggest me ...