Smart array 6400 in HPUX system assigning a single spare disk

[WilliamSmith11]

Hi I have a smart array controller installed in HPUX system running HPUX 11.11 , my question is .

Can I use a single disk to be a spare for all the six LUN that I have presented to the system.
I have six mirror.

Thank you

W.S

[mirco_1 · Accepted solution]

hy,

yes becase the spare is the spare for the disk.
the disk spare is not use untile one disk crash, the spare disk is unased and your space is not utilizzaded.

sorry for my english.

DM

[WilliamSmith11]

I will explain the configuration that the customer wanted.

The customer bought a shelf with 14 disk.
He request for six mirror and after he request that this six mirror were made a single volume group.

He want to add a spare to this six mirror .
I know that is possible to add a spare to a each one of the six mirror but not a spare that take place for whatever of some failed mirror disk.

Let me know if I am wrong

Thank you

W.S

[S.Arunkumar]

Hi William
If i am not wrong.What you have done is created a mirror copy of 6 disks i.e Raid 0+1.(stripped six disks and made a mirror copy for the six disks.In this case you will be left over with two disks as per your configuration.So you can make either one/two disks as hotspare i.e this is for the entire group.Out of 12 disks if any disk goes wrong then the spare disk will participate.

Hope this clears your query.

Regards
S.Arunkumar

[WilliamSmith11]

The customer request that I will configure six mirrors

After the six mirror were configured he want that throught the operating system I will configure only a volume group with these six logical drives.

In other words there are six separated mirror in the smart array ,

In the old mylex controllers was possible to add a single disk as hotspare for all the logical drives configured in the card.

I have read a lot about smart array and I have seen that is possible to add a spare for a configured LUN not a disk for all the LUN or I am wrong.

Thank you

W.S

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

You can always add spare for disks and not for LUN. Means that if you have 14 disks with 6 logical drives of two each you can configure two spare drives to be used whenever any one of the used 14 fails. Most of the smart array controllers I configure is by using by defining one space disk in each Logical drive (LUN). I really have not tried configuring one or two spare disk for drives in 6 different logical drives.

You need to check the documentation of the particular card for this or let us know the card part number.

HTH,
Devender

[WilliamSmith11]

so my command will be something like:

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 S -p 1:13

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 S -p 1:14

Thank you

W.S

[WilliamSmith11]

so my command will be something like:

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 S -p 1:13

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 S -p 1:14

Thank you

W.S

Sorry the command will be

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 -s 1:13

#saconfig /dev/ciss4 -s 1:14

I pretend to assign two hotspares

Thank you

W.S

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

For the card I am lokking for it asks a logical drive to be defined wjile specifying spare disk. In that case you can not do what you are trying to do and can add only one spare drive to any two of six drives defined. If your card allow that you are lucky one. Please let me know the card part nos to give exact details.

HTH,
Devender

[WilliamSmith11]

the part is

A9880A

W.S

[Devender Khatana]

HI Smith,

It appears to be the part number of the disk not the controller.

HTH,
Devender

[WilliamSmith11]

sorry

HP Smart Array 6402/128MB Controller A9890A

W.S

[Devender Khatana]

Hi Smith,

It is not possible to add two disks as spare for all six Logical devices. You need to recreate the config with maximum two Logical Devices and then defining one each as spare drive for both logical drives.

But the recommended config will be really to have all define in one single logical device and then assign both spare drives to that. It will provide more redundancy. But is not applicable if more than one host access the disks simultaneously.

Here is the manual for your card.
http://docs.hp.com/en/J6369-90011/ch05s02.html#chdjeadd

HTH,
Devender