using msa$util to partition disks on MSA50's /P800's attached to RX2800 i2's

[Paolo_c]

Good morning,

We're looking to purchase some rx2800 i2's,  each of which will be connected to x2 MSA50's and x2 P800 Controllers. We appreciate the kit is EOL and configuration not supported  by HP but as these legacy systems will be used to house static data we're hoping that the solution proposed below will work. I've also spoken to someone at VMS Software who indicated that it should work provided the controllers have read/write cache and battery backup (which they have) although with the caveat that they would be unable to support the configuration proposed.  

 What we're hoping to do is build VMS via on internal drive and then use the msa$util (under VMS) to raid the disks on the MSA50's (raid 5 with partitions), using msa$util,  but need to be able to Raid across all x20 drives installed on x2 MSA50 raid arrays (per system) from one or both of the Controllers (but preferably two for redundancy) .  I understand that if we were connect the x2 MSA boxes to different ports on the controllers then we wouldnt be able to perform array creation using both MSA50s , which would result in us having manage each array separately ? (which is not what we're looking to achieve). 

In order to achive the objective above we were planning to buy x2 SAS 4x to Mini SAS 4x 2M to connect the MSA50's to the x2 controllers, but in order to allow me to RAID all x20 drives i believe we would need to daisy chain the x2 MSA50's off each other by connecting a SAS cable P/N: 389668-B21 (between the SASin and SASout ports on the back of the MSA50's) ? .

I'm hoping that someone with experience of raiding under OpenVMS on msxxx might be able to offer some insight and/or assurance that the above might work (I did try posting this on the MSA forum but had zero replies).  Unfortunately we dont have the luxury of being able to test this solution locally as POC before deplyment to remote site (in other country) so although we're looking to save money on this solution, conversely we also need to know that this it is a potentially workable solution (which is proving very difficult to do) otherwise we might have to consider lifting and shifting existing kit ( Blades in c7k enclosures) across to remote site instead. 

[Sunitha_Mod]

Hello @Paolo_c,

Hope the below reply: https://community.hpe.com/t5/msa-storage/daisy-chaining-x2-msa50-s-connected-to-p800-controllers/m-p/7181759#M16227 resolved the issue for you.