How come I cannot do vgimport?

[zhaogui]

I am using VA7400 as a SAN storage. Basically I just want to know whether I can activate the same vg on two systems. On node1 I run "vgexport -m /tmp/p3.map /dev/vg43" and ftp this file to node2. On node2 I run "vgimport -m /tmp/p3.map /dev/vg43 /dev/dsk/c4t5d7 /dev/dsk/c6t6d0 /dev/dsk/c9t5d7 /dev/dsk/c11t6d0" then I got the following,
Couldn't open physical volume "/dev/rdsk/c4t5d7":
Verification of unique LVM disk id on each disk in the volume group Verification of unique LVM disk id on each disk in the volume group /dev/vg43 failed.
If I run "strings /etc/lvmtab" then I found:
/dev/vgprz43
/dev/dsk/c4t5d7
/dev/dsk/c6t6d0
/dev/dsk/c9t5d7
/dev/dsk/c11t6d0

Anybody knows how come I am getting this error?
Can I use -s in vgexport and vgimport here if I have not installed MCSG?
Thanks in advance,

[T G Manikandan]

Hello,
your /etc/lvmtab file shows that you have created a volume group vgprz43
with four disks
/dev/dsk/c4t5d7
/dev/dsk/c6t6d0
/dev/dsk/c9t5d7
/dev/dsk/c11t6d0

when you do a vgimport you have mentioned a different volume group i.e.vg43 instead of
vgprz43.try your import with the correct name of the volume group.

mkdir /dev/vg43
mknod /dev/vg43/group c 64 0x060000
vgimport -v /dev/vg43 /dev/dsk/c4t5d0 (plus your devices)
vgchange -a y -q n /dev/vg43

[zhaogui]

In fact it is vgprz43. In my question I use vg43 in short. Pls focus on the error message.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Hi:

In addition to making the vg directory and group file, I suspect that the devices are different on the two hosts. It is rather unusual to /dev/rdsk/c4t5d0 to be the same physical device on two different boxes. It can happen but it is unususal. Do an ioscan -C disk -fn on both hosts and try to match the devices. I prefer not to use the -s import because the import does not choose the best possible combination of primary/alternate disk paths.

[harry d brown jr]

is the disk /dev/dsk/c4t5d7 the same disk as /dev/dsk/c9t5d7,
and is /dev/dsk/c6t6d0 the same disk (different path) as /dev/dsk/c11t6d0???

Did you have a mirror?

live free or die
harry

[Michael Tully]

Hi,

You can't have (as far as I know) use the same
volume group on two servers accessing the same
disks. You would need to be in a MC/SG
eenvironment.

Have a look this link for more information.
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,11866,0x31d3cf38d6bdd5118ff10090279cd0f9,00.html

To export and import to another server do this:

On server A
# vgexport -m myvolgrp.mapfile -s -p -v /dev/newgrp
# vgchange -a n /dev/newgrp (to de-activate)

ftp the file to server B
On server B
# mkdir /dev/newgrp
# mknod /dev/newgrp/group c 64 0x080000
(make this number 0x080000 to your next number
# ll /dev/*/group (to see what numbers are used)
# vgimport -m myvolgrp.mapfile -s -p -v /dev/newgrp
# vgchange -a y /dev/newgrp

HTH
-Michael

[zhaogui]

Yes. The disk /dev/dsk/c4t5d7 is the same disk as /dev/dsk/c9t5d7(alternate link),
and the disk /dev/dsk/c6t6d0 is the same disk (different path) as /dev/dsk/c11t6d0.

On node1, I did vgexport -s -m /tmp/p3.map -p -v /dev/vgprz43 and ftp p3.map to node2.
On node2, I did mkdir/mknod and run vgimport -m /tmp/p3.map -s -p -v /dev/vg43 and got error,
Beginning the import process on Volume Group "/dev/vg43".
Couldn't access the list of physical volumes for volume group "/dev/vg43"

[Animesh Chakraborty]

Hi,
It is possible to activate vg on two nodes(rw & ro).Before that make sure that your 2nd node can see the disk . Do ioscan -fnC disk.
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,11866,0x00b8cf38d6bdd5118ff10090279cd0f9,00.html

Regards
Animesh

[zhaogui]

You are right. One node1, I can see these disk drives. But on node2, It says "NO_HW" instead of CLAIMED when running ioscan. How come this could happen in VA7400? How can I fix it?

[Animesh Chakraborty]

Hi,
Try #insf -e

Animesh