MSA1500 Configuraion

[Warren Landrum]

Hi. I just purchased 3 Integrity rx4640's, a couple MSA1500 controllers, and some MSA30 storage shelves and disks that I will be migrating our company's Alphas to.

My question is what is the best and/or easiest way to establish communication to the MSA1500's so I can configure them and the storage? On my HSG80's, I have them hooked up to a Decserver and access them through Console Manager software or else via SWCC as a backup method.

I anxiously await your replies, so I can jump right into this when I get back off of vacation next week.

Rgds,

Warren

[EdgarZamora_1]

Hooking them up to the DECserver and accessing them through the console manager sounds good to me. Then all the goodness that comes along with a console manager (logging, filtering/alerting, remote access, etc.) will apply.

[Jefferson Humber]

The MSA1500 is not officially supported runnign under OpenVMS currently.

[Warren Landrum]

Jefferson,

The MSA1500 IS supported under VMS 8.3 as of about October, 2006. I know you have a pointed hat and I don't, but your statement is incorrect. I worked closely with HP internal Storage support personnel to make sure that this is true. It is actually supported as active-active now, as opposed to active-passive. Before October 2006, only the MSA1000 was active-active.

What is the source of your statement that makes you say it is not supported?

[Jefferson Humber]

Warren,

OK, if you've worked with HP on this then fair enough... they know more than I ever will. ;-)

I know HP have been promising MSA1500 support on OpenVMS for ages now, but I still can't find an official communication from them on it's availability.

The MSA1500cs QuickSpecs still don't mention OpenVMS as a supported O/S http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11945_div/11945_div.html

Also, the HP StorageWorks SAN Design Reference Guide (Nov 2006), also fails to mention OpenVMS as a supported OS for the MSA1500.

The OpenVMS v8.3 New Features manual, does mention Multipath enhancement for working with the MSA1500, but are there minimum firmware prerequisite's for this ? Where the MSA1500 page doesn't this at all, I wonder if this is for a future firmware release ?

The MSA1000 doesn't currently operate in Active-Active configuration. This will be released soon (as legend would have it), but the current v4.48 firmware is Active-Passive. (I am running this version on my OpenVMS clusters, so know this for certain.)

Hope this helps,

Jeff

[Ian Miller.]

can you give a reference for the MSA1500 being supported for VMS with an active-active configuration? I have been looking out for an announcement as I know there are people who are interested in this.

[Warren Landrum_1]

Guys,

In response to your queries, I just sent an e-mail to the HP Storage Suport person I have been dealing with, who, in turn, got his info from the MSA1500 product manager.

I know that in addition to HP telling me it would be suported, I saw that active-active was supported on OpenVMS somewhere in hard-copy, and I found one thing I can point you guys to:

On page 18 of the HP StorageWorks 1500 Modular Smart Array Installation Guide (355901-004, October 2006), there is a table entitled Basic MSA firmware and configuration options. It says that for Firmware Type = active/active version, Dual controllers are supported with a Configuration Status of Added hardware (controller and i/o module) and upgraded firmware for the following operating systems: OpenVMS, HP-UX, Linux, NetWare, Tru64 UNIX, SCO, and VMware.

I'm sure I saw somewhere else in all my readings that VMS 8.3 does do active-active with the MSA1500. But hopefully my HP Storage guy will get back to me soon with a definitive answer that will satisfy all of us

[Jefferson Humber]

Warren,

There is a thread on MSA1000 Active-Active on the ITRC Storage page presently;

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1061243

Jeff

[Warren Landrum_1]

Jeff,

Hmmm... Interesting. But all I care about right now is the MSA1500, cause that's what I have sitting in my computer room (smile).

I'll keep watch on that thread and this one, though.

[Warren Landrum_1]

I want to assign points to you guys, but I'm not seeing any options to do this.

Help?

w

[Art Wiens · Accepted solution]

If you're "logged in" (have a look on the left hand grey section of the screen ... should say "Welcome, Warren Landrum" and your id in brackets) each reply that someone has made should have a drop down to assign points and then a seperate assign points button at the bottom of the thread.

If this isn't true, then it's probably a "merry mixup" with which id created the thread and which id is reading it. Did you recreate your login id at some point?

HTH,
Art

[Warren Landrum]

Art,

The 'merry mixup' was the ticket on the assigning of points. I had been using 2 diferent accounts I have out there.

Gracias,

w

[Jefferson Humber]

Warren,

You are quite right, no one's really attempted to answer your original question. ;-)

OK, personally I configured mine through the MSA serial port using a Windows laptop and a terminal emulation program.

The MSA_UTIL.EXE program that ships with OpenVMS is a little lacking in my opinion (well the v7.3-2 version is anyway).

You could always connect the controller to the Itanium server, I'm sure there have been a few postings on here about how to set this up. This is the first one I found -> http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=509370

Hope this helps,

Jeff