Fibre channel new server

[Lacrosse]

When going from a K-Class to a rp5470 should we be able to move our fibre channel cables over to the new rp5470 HBA's without any issues (other than making sure of the LC or SC connectors are the right type) fibre channel goes to brocade switch then to EMC storage...Thanks

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi,

Yes. Except to make sure that the interfaces of the cables are compatible as you mentioned.

-Sri

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi:

It's likely that your device files will change. Hence, you should plan to 'vgexport' and 'vgimport'. For a task like this, you might want to use the '-f' option to capture your physical paths during export. Edit the file after the export and change the old paths to their new counterpars. Then apply it with the -f' option during the import. See the man pages for more information.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Michael Tully]

It is a certainty that your device will change.

Collect this information, especially the vgexport information, in *preview* mode only.

# vgdisplay -v >/tmp/vgdisplay.out
# vgexport -m myvg.mapfile -p -v /dev/myvg (for each volume)

Use the vgimport command to import the volume groups on your new machine.

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Nigel,

It's a matter of choice but I prefer to use the following when I KNOW the device files will change

vgexport -m /etc/lvmconf/vg_name.map -s -p -v /dev/vg_name

Then move the map file to the new system

This will NOT export (remove) the VGs but imbeds the VGid in the file so that when you import the VG it will search & find it on the array.

NOTE: You have to create the /dev/vg_name directory & the group file, via mknod, BEFORE you can run vgimport on the new system - EX:

mkdir /dev/vg_name
cd /dev/vg_name
mknod group c 64 0x030000

vgimport -m /etc/lvmconf/vg_name.map -s -v /dev/vg_name

This way you don't have to edit nor remember anything (except xfer the map file to new system ;^)

My 2 cents,
Jeff

[Ian Dennison_1]

Nigel,

Have not used EMC under Fibre Channel, but I imagine there may be some LUN Security set on the Array (similar to XP512). Check if it uses the WWN of the Fibre Card for identification and security; if so, you may need to update the security before the new Fibre Cards with new WWNs can see the disks.

Share and Enjoy! Ian

[Ted Ellis_2]

Ian is correct in that the EMC will use its own controllers to "map" a LUN to a specific HBA based on the wwn (mac address). We had to do similar mapping changes when migrating LUNs from an MTI disk array between servers....

with the mapping changes and a clean vgexport / vgimport using the provided examples, you should be able to cleanly move the LUNs. For us the Mapping updates was provided as maintenance support by the Vendor... you do not want to mess up the LUN mapping.

Ted