Nike-20 and HP-UX replace disk with microcode

[Ken Martin_3]

With a Nike 20 array fully equipped with 20 drives and two controllers the drives A0, B0, C0 and A3 contain normal data and microcode for the SP's.

When replacing a faulty drive in position B0 with a rebuilt drive how do you get the microcode on the drive?

Is there a method for example to copy the microcode from position A0 or C0 to B0?

Thanks.

[Robert_Jewell]

Ken,
The update should occur automatically as part of the rebuild of the disk.

From what I recall on these Nike arrays the management of these 'code' drives (I forget the term used) was very limited. The backup code data is on each drive, but is there as a backup to the controllers. It is placed on several disks for further redundancy. The storage processors handle all of this. As long as you have one of these disks installed you can boot. Without any of them, the array is unable to boot.

HTH

-Bob

[Ken Martin_3]

Robert,

So you think if I pull the drive and install a new rebuilt one during the array rebuild process it will copy the microcode from one of the other drives say A0 or A3 to B0?

If the drive I install already has a 'version' of microcode on it I wonder how I can be sure it won't leave it on the drive or mistakenly copy it to the other microcode drives?

I don't know if the SP's keep the microcode on board during a power cycle. It would however be in the best interest of the array to make sure the disks that are supposed to have microcode have it, no?

I wonder if there is a way to verify this from the array maintenance port menu's.

[Robert_Jewell]

Ken,
OK, you got me looking :-)

The Nike Mod 20 Users Guide has the following to state about the database drives:

"The SP microcode is stored on the database drives and is loaded from one of these drives when the Service Processor is enabled or when the array powers up."

I can also state that when a disk is inserted in place of failed drive, that new disk will be completely rebuilt to be included into the array. Any previous data on that disk will be overwritten.

You can check on the status of the disks using the Grid Manager (this is the utility that is accessed through the array's serial port).

-Bob

[Ken Martin_3]

Robert,

You wrote:

'I can also state that when a disk is inserted in place of failed drive, that new disk will be completely rebuilt to be included into the array. Any previous data on that disk will be overwritten.'

I understand being rebuilt into the array, but, an array can have non-database drives. What does a rebuild do if the drive being rebuilt is also in a database drive position? Not to be soo specific but it's kind of important.

Ken ;-}

[Robert_Jewell]

I am not sure I understand.

Whatever drive, regardless of origin, placed into slots A0, B0, C0, and A3 will become a database drive (assuming the rebuild process completes).

Any drive that used to be a database drive that is installed into a non-db slot will simply revert to a "regular" drive. I am not sure if the db data is overwritten or not.

Does that help?

-Bob

[Ken Martin_3]

Robert,

OK, I think I understand.

When replacing a drive in a Nike-20 array if it's a database drive after the rebuild it will automatically copy the Microcode from any other available database drive.

If the drive is not a database drive it will simply be rebuilt.

Correct?

Ken

[Robert_Jewell]

That is correct. I know of no way to adjust this configuration, as its all done "behind the scenes". These arrays are actually Data General (now EMC) Clariion's if you weren't aware.

-Bob

[Ken Martin_3]

Thanks for the information...

[Ken Martin_3]

Robert,

One last question. Do you remember the 'escape' sequence when in grid manager to toggle the mode you are in?

Like from normal access to admin access.

[Robert_Jewell · Accepted solution]

Are you referring to "FE" mode?

CTRL+P, then SHIFT F, SHIFT E


Or something else? I cannot recall any other modes though.

-bob

[Ken Martin_3]

Yep. That was it.

Thanks for your help!

Happy holidays...

[Ken Martin_3]

General understanding of database disk replacement in a Nike-20 array.