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Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

 
Ed Bass at Born Capital
Occasional Advisor

Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

Hello, I need to install OpenVMS on an MSA1000 logical disk for an rx2660 and MSA1000 that just arrived. It's been years since I did this with a consultant's help, so I'm extremely rusty. Can I install VMS directly to an MSA1000 disk for the first-time OS install, or do I need to "prime the pump" and install VMS on a local SCSI disk first, figure out the WWIDs of the HBAs, build the MSA volumes and then do the VMS install again to the new volumes? Sorry I'm being such a newbie, I'm just having trouble finding a VMS consultant and need to get this system built quickly. Thanks!
6 REPLIES 6
Robert Gezelter
Honored Contributor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

Ed,

The install is direct to the MSA1000 volume.

You will need to do the needed housekeeping to allow the 2660 do connect to the MSA volumes before you can start, however.

[Disclosure: My firm provides services in this area, as do several other contributors to this forum].

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com
Colin Butcher
Esteemed Contributor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

You should be able to install the OS directly to the storage unit presented by the MSA1000. Having a local disc stand-alone boot environment is a good idea as well.

Order of events is roughly as follows:

- set up MSA1000 controller in active/active mode (assuming dual controllers and dual built-in fibrechannel switches). Update firmware if needed. Talk to the MSA controllers through the serial ports.

- create storage units on MSA1000, not forgetting to set the "identifier" for VMS that controls fibrechannel device naming (eg: identifier = 1001 would get you $1$DGA1001 as a VMS device name - which must be unique across all arrays in the entire SAN, not just within that array, so pick a sensible naming convention that gets you unique device naming that heps you know which array / site / function / etc. it belongs to).

- set up FC switches so that you can manage / monitor them over their ethernet connections. Update firmware if necessary.

- check FC switch zoning so that the MSA1000 controllers are visible to the rx2660 HBA ports (single initiator, multiple target zoning - HBA is initiator, array ingress ports are targets). By default the MSA1000 isn't set up for zoning, so all connected devices should just see the array controllers. However, setting zoning up is good practice and will help if you end up dealing with a bigger SAN fabric with multiple systems and multiple storage arrays.

- update rx2660 firmware if necessary.

- set up the rx2660 console and boot options (serial = primary, VGA = secondary, maybe disable autoboot, remove unnecessary boot options [eg: core LAN], shuffle the order about [EFI shell first maybe], etc. to suit your preferences.

- depending on FC HBA type in rx2660, it might be necessary to lock the FC port speed using the EFI based FC HBA utility (default settings are usually just fine though).

- boot VMS distribution DVD, but it's better make a copy to USB flash or local disc, then install from that - much faster.

- get to a DCL prompt and "SHOW DEV D" - you should see the FC device(s) presented by the MSA1000. If not, check back through the array setup and the FC switch setup - and the physical cabling!

- INIT the target system disc on the MSA1000 with your preferred settings (eg: INIT /nohigh/noerase/acc=255/win=80/struct=5/vol=hard/clu=16/ext=64/limit).

- Now do the install, selecting the preserve option.

- Make sure you add the new system disc to the boot paths (usually done for you by the install).

- Boot & go.

- Apply patches (PCSI, UPDATE and SYS_MUP at minimum, plus the DPLUS and TCPIP latest updates).

- Reboot & go.

- Make stand-alone boot environment on local disc (@SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT will take you to the correct place to do a minimal PCSI install to the target local disc. Add the necessary boot option for it and you're done.

If you're unsure or need someone with you, there's plenty of people (some here in the ITRC) who would be prepared to come and assist / teach you.

Cheers, Colin (http://www.xdelta.co.uk).
Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem (Occam's razor).
Steve Reece_3
Trusted Contributor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

Erm, why are you assuming dual built-in fibrechannel switches Colin? Initially, I didn't think these were supported on VMS. It also makes little difference whether they're internal or external does it?
Ed Bass at Born Capital
Occasional Advisor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

Thanks for the info folks!! Yes, this MSA1000 has dual FC switches and active/active redundant MSA controllers. We have a similar config up and running in a production two-node OVMS cluster, so I'm pretty certain VMS supports that.
Robert Gezelter
Honored Contributor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

Ed, (and others reading this thread),

Emphasis on Colin's comment concerning WWIDs.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com
Andy Bustamante
Honored Contributor

Re: Installing an OpenVMS system disk on an MSA1000 with an rx2660

One note, depending on the version of OpenVMS when you boot the install media the fibre channe drives may not be visisble. I don't recall when support was first provided in the distribution, but it was there by VMS 8.3.
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