finding internal disk

[balaji_vvv]

How can we differentiate an internal and external drive? I have a server in a remote location, i want to know the disk is external or internal and also what type of raid its configured? Is it possible to find especially with print_manifest command. I have PA-RISC proc running 11iv1.

Thanks

[R.K. #]

Hello Balaji,

If you have the block diagram of the server, you can look for the HW address of the drives and make out which drive is internal/external.


Regds..

[TTr]

> I have PA-RISC proc...

Which model exactly? You need the backplane geometry of the server model and observe where the hardware paths are. (the hardware paths look like /0/0/1/2/0.0.1.0). Then you match the hardware path with a device file from the ioscan listing. If you have online diags installed (STM) you can also run the STM tool.

[balaji_vvv]

i have variety of servers there with N4000, L2000 etc. Can you explain me more clearly? I dont understand?

[R.K. #]

Hi Again,

This might help.

Regds..

[BUPA IS]

Hello,
I would start with ioscan -fn
this lists all the devices and their paths, and in most cases the make and model of the disks.
The path to physical slot tables are in the hardware manuals for each server.

As indicated above the stm command will give you more detail about the cards installed and their location in the machine.
If the disks are plain disks (jbod) then the lvm commands such as vgdisplay -v and lvdisplay will give you the groupings logical volume and mirroring settings.
If the disks are external arrays with the raid recovery managed inside the array then you will have to use the commands and tools relevant to the particular disk array to get the low level details.
The lvm commands will still show how the luns are used by the logical volumes and the operating system .

Mike

[Torsten.]

The attachement of R.K.# lists all the I/O pathes, this means external devices.

If you attach an "ioscan -fn" let's say from an L-class I can tell you most of the things you want to know.

[Raj D.]

Balaji,
Check this out:
This scans the internal scsi paths and finds the internal hardisks on the system.

find_int_disks_on_hpux_11iv1.v2.v3.sc


Hth,
Raj.

[Torsten.]

@Raj D.:
I currently have no system to test, but I wonder how you decide between internal and external disks - do you have a sample output and an ioscan?

[BUPA IS]

@Raj D.:
Your script needs more work.

I have tried it on a my rp3440 which has three internal disks the first two are in vg00 which it finds , It fails to place the third in vg01 and then places two external disks also in vg01 into vg00.
It also fails to detect the NEC DVD RW drive.

balaji
As Torsten says if you are able to post the ioscan -fn we can try and help

Mike

[Raj D.]

Mike,thx for checking. Earlier i tested it on a rx86xx and it was ok as there was no scsi external disk but FC disks and internal disks. Yeh needs more work on that.

Balaji pls post ioscan -fnC disk & ioscan output . and it will be figured out easily.

Cheers,
Raj

[Torsten.]

Raj, IMHO your scripts assumes there are all external drives on fibre, hence it says all SCSI, RAID or SAS drives are internal, right?

[Hakki Aydin Ucar]

first try to get info from

# ioscan -fnCdisk

then note all disk character device file name
then try this:

# diskinfo -v /dev/rdsk/cxtxdx to get more information and obtain an eye sight to which one is external. .

[Hakki Aydin Ucar]

OR easier way to differentiate (if you use Xmanager GUI ) directly go to support tool manager GUI: (first export DISPLAY=your_xmanager_display )

# stm

[Torsten.]

There is only one 100% way to find out:

Consult the servers manual and look up the hardware path for a specific slot or disk!

[TTr]

A script such as the above can not work for all servers and HP-UX versions. It would have to account for all i/o buses and types of controllers.

And there are controllers that have both internal and external connectors on the same bus so there is no telling which disk is internal or external.

[Torsten.]

The rp3440 is really a nice example for this.

The upper internal disk is sharing the bus with the external connector.

If you find a disk with a SCSI ID other than 2 on this "special" bus, it is external - a disk with ID 2 is internal. A lovely cause for issues ...

[Raj D.]

Tr, You are right, all scsi , sas , raid may not be be interanl,
fyi..I had rx6600 with raid and Serial Attached scsi controller with 16 Internal Serial attached disk,

And so there cannot be a single general script for this task, best way it needs to be figured out manualy from ioscan, diskinfo output(s).

Cheers,
Raj.

[balaji_vvv]

Thanks guys. I'm off yesterday. I will check it today.

[BUPA IS]

Hello,
All of the above is also greatly assisted by the eyeball utility. Balaji If you can get somebody to have a look at the physical arrangements for you and describe what they see this should assist you.
Mike