XP (or XP like) Storage and VMS

[Abra]

Hello,

Customer is trying to attach an RX3600 server to a Hitachi SAN. I'm told the Hitachi is the same as an HP XP and should behave the same.

(there is the whole issue of Hitachi support for VMS and that issue is being worked. For the sake of this discussion, let's pretend its an XP)

The storage folks have carved up some LUNS and made them available in a seperate zone for the VMS server.

VMS can't see the devices. Neither can EFI. I've used the efiutil and I can see the FC HBAs, but, there doesn't seem to be anything attached to them.

In my mind, this may not even be a VMS problem, but a storage array to Integrity probelm becuase I can't see these LUNS at efi level.

I can't find any reference to a specific command or process that I should follwo to make the Integrity box aware of the HDS storage. Is there something I should do, or, should it happen automagically once the LUNS are available? I'm assuming I should be doing something at the console level, but maybe there is something at VMS? (SYSMAN IO AUTO didn't help)

[Jon Pinkley]

I know essentially zero about the XP or Hitachi controller. However, even if the hardware is identical, are you sure the firmware (software) is? I can run many different operating systems on my PC hareware, and they behave is radically different ways.

Do you personally know someone that is using a stock Hitachi with VMS successfully?

[Abra]

John,

Your point is valid. The essence of your point is, "maybe the problem is that these things just won't work together no matter what you do". That may turn out to be the case, and that was the point of my 2nd paragraph. And we are working that issue through other channels.

But, it might not be the case.

It might be that these things are 100% compatible right now, today, as they are sitting there powered up, connected, and humming along.

The problem is, I can't find anything that tells me what I should, or shouldn't be doing from the Integrity side to see the storage. Maybe there isn't anything for me to do, and maybe there is something I need to do. That is the point of my questions - assuming this is an XP, what (if anything)would I need to do?

[Robert Brooks_1]

What's the status of the relevant ports on the switch -- have the ports "logged in" to the switch?


-- Rob

[John H. Reinhardt]

I'm not sure what it's called in the XP/Hitachi world, but on HP HSG and HSV storage controllers you must also assign an ID number to each LUN presented for VMS. Other O/S can get along without this ID number, but not VMS. It may that your storage folks have already done this, but it's not mentioned in your description so I'm taking a guess.

John H. Reinhardt

[Volker Halle]

You might want to try the FC$SDA extension and/or the SYS$ETC:FIBRE_SCAN tool from OpenVMS.

$ ANAL/SYS
SDA> FC ADDRESS_LIST
SDA> FC NAME_LIST
SDA> EXIT

This should show you the FC port and node WWIDs and their state.

The FIBRE_SCAN tool will scan the whole fabirc and report anything found.

Volker.

[Uwe Zessin]

Right, OpenVMS requires a special unit number assignment on the storage array called the 'Unit Identifier' on HSG or the 'OS Unit ID' on EVA which is a vendor specific hack to do device persistence.

As far as I can rell, OpenVMS also needs a LUN at address 0, because it does a "REPORT LUNS" to find the disks, not a simple LUN address polling.

[Leif R. Jansson]

Hi

Just for reference.
We are running OpenVMS V7.3-2 on a AlphaServer DS10.
To this system we have connected 2 types of Hitachi storage using SAN-connections.
The types are 9570 and USP-disks.
On the Hitachi storage the LUN's have the type OPEN-V(what I see from VMS)

If it doesn't work check with Your storage-people that zoning and authorizations are done right. Otherwise the VMS-system is not allowed to see the LUN's.

/Regards
Leif J

[Bart Zorn_1]

Hello,

We are using both HDS- and Sun-branded HDS storage arrays. I am not a storage engineer, but AFAIK the following is done:

- for each array, LUN 0 is also made visible to OpenVMS.
- there is a one-to-one relation between HDS Ldev's and the $1$DGA numbers.
- there is no equivalent of the HSG ID setting.
- there are OpenVMS specific settings in the HDS configuration, but I do not know exactly what.

HTH, a little,

Bart

[Abra]

Thansk for all of the replies. From the replies I see so far, it appears that there is no specific commands or steps I must follow on the Integrity Server side of things. It appears that as long as the storage is configured correctly and the LUNs are "made available", the the server should see them, and VMS also should see them with no intervention at efi or VMS.

I haven't missed a step on the server side (based on the replies I've seen here).

Based on research late yesterday, the big question mark in my mind is LUN 0 (as a few have replied). I'm really hoping that is the problem. We'll see when the storage folks wake up this morning.

Specific responses:

Rob: I'm not exactly sure of the "status" of the ports, however, the storage folsk tell me they see the ports as active, they have the WWIDs of the HBAs and they match what I see from efi and VMS. My guess is they are "logged in".

John: there is a VMS specific setting or configuration on the HDS side of things, the storage folks have used it. And based on Bart's replies, I suspect there is no ID specific settings as there is in the HSG/HSV world. Or, perhaps by setting the HDS VMS paramaeter, the IDs or similar get set.

Volker: I will try SDA. Post in follow on reply. Thank you

Uwe: IDs I'm assuming are not needed with the HDS storage. LUN 0 is a big question mark for the storage folks to address first thing this AM. I'm hoping that is the problem.

Leif: thanks for sharing your success with HDS. Also, we have had the discussion with storage folsk about zoning, etc. Each server is in its own zone, everything outside of the Integrity server appears to be done correctly based on the documentation we can find (except possibly LUN0).

Bart: thank you for your experiences. We're aware of the LDEV to DGA relationship and that appears to be "OK".

[Abra]

Volker,

I tried SDA - all of the commands give me just the column headers and no data. I assume this means that VMS can't see anything off of the HBAs.

I tried the FIBRE_SCAN tool. It also appears to be saying it can't see anything out there. For all four FG devices, it essetially response with:


Probing Target 1
Target = 1. LUN = 0.
----------------------
Standard Inquiry failed, status = a58 (SS$_NOMOREDEV)
None found on this port.
End of scan for port FGD.

Does this tell us anything significant?

[Abra]

A related question.

Would you folks expect to be able to see the LUNS from console (efi?) level of the integrity server?

I've been trying to take VMS out of the equation (to eliminate the storage folsk whining about not knowing VMS), but maybe I am wrong. Does anyone have experience with Integrity boxes and FC storage and if so, is there a way to "see" the FC disks from the console? I'm assuming the efiutil tool from the tools CD, and the "LUNS" command in particualr should show me the LUNS available on each HBA. Has anyone used that tool? Can you see the LUNS?

[Volker Halle]

I've installed a rx2620 with FC disks on an EVA some time ago.

Early during boot of the EFI you should see all your HBAs showing up like:

HP 2Port 2Gb Fibre Channel Adapter (driver 1.42, firmware 3.03.150)

When you later go to the EFI shell, the FC disks (which your Integrity system can see) should be seen in the device mapping display.

blkx: Acpi(HWP0002,300)/Pci(1|0)/Fibre(WWN50001FE15003D5A8,Lun1000000000000)

Are you using a supported HBA ?

Volker.

[Brad McCusker]

Thanks Volker.

I do not see the LUNS in the device list.

I assume we're using a supported HBA - its a brand new Integrity Server.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

Sounds like simply bad cabling to me.
Can the switch see the HBA?
Can you see the light? (sic)

Run an (temporary) alternative connection ?!

fwiw,
Hein.

[Brad McCusker]

I better clear up some confusion.

Is it Brad, or is it "Storage Guy"????

It is both, it is the same!

I couldn't get into my ITRC account last night and I really wanted to post the question. So, I created a new account. I wasn't sure if that was "legal" or "OK" in the ITRC forums, so, I tried to disguise myself. I finally got my real account working but didn't intend to reply as the real Brad McCusker becuase I didn't want to confuse the issue. But, this morning, while reading other postings, Volker's reply came along and I forgot to change identities.

I guess I wouldn't make a good spy. ;^)

[Volker Halle]

Brad,

if there are other (VMS) systems in the SAN and the zoning is defined so that the HBAs on the rx3600 should be able to see them, then SDA> FC NAME_LIST should show the HBAs of those other systems.

The list of supported HBA adapters on OpenVMS I64 is here:

http://www.hp.com/products1/serverconnectivity/support_matrices.html#OpenVMS

Are the FGx devices online ?

Does SDA> CLUE CONFIG show them with a correct Device Name / HW-Id ?

Volker.

[Peter Zeiszler]

LUN0 is a definite possibility.

There is also a setting on the XP1024 (probably also on the Hitachi) that tells those LUNS that the group they belong to is for VMS.

The Conversion of the disks to DGA numbers is pretty straight forward. Take the CU:LDEV numbers from the frame. (CU * 256) + Ldev = DGA#

If the storage team is using Zones make sure that the zone is operational all the way through to the hitachi.

On the XP1024 we also use secure manager. That means we have to program in the HBA WWN into the Frame and tell it which device groups it can see. If they have the secure manager enabled then they need to program in your WWN.

Since I manage the SAN, Switches, and the VMS it was rather straight forward for me to check the settings from all sides. The easiest is check is from the switch. The switch should be able to see the WWN of the VMS systems and from the FRame. The zone is on the switch (or switches). Then they need to connect to the Storage frame to check the secure manager. (Secure manager might also be a feature on the HP portion but not hitachi).

[Uwe Zessin]

> (Secure manager might also be a feature on the HP portion but not hitachi).

"Secure Manager" is HP's umbrella name for the LUN masking feature on VA and XP storage arrays. On the HSG, MSA and EVA it is called "Selective Storage Presentation" (SSP).

_Any_ competent storage array needs to provide some kind of LUN masking - I know it does exist on HP's XP array and I don't think a high end Hitachi is an exception.

[Abra]

We've got the storage connected. The problem was in the configuration of the HDS array and LUNS. Here are some notes from the storage folks on what they did. Hopefully if will be useful for someone in the future:

The final resolution for enabling ClassyHP and RollsHP to see disk was
the following:

1. The following host mode bits will need to be set on each storage
port the host resides on. This is done using the mode/mode setting from
the SVP of the storage array.

Mode bit 12 Deletion of Ghost LUN
Mode bit 16 Open - V
Mode bit 228 OpenVMS Alternate Path
Mode Bit 278 Adding and reducing Luns for Open VMS/True64
Online
Mode Bit 346 Enables lun security

2. A small Console Device needs to be allocated on Lun 00. This can be
a regular lun and not a command device. The OS ends up reserving
whatever is in Lun 00 for the open VMS console.

The second one isn't related to the fact that I couldn't see any LUNS. Before they did that piece, I could see everything except the first LUN - obviously the first LUN was being used by VMS for its purposes. Once they added the new LUN 0, suddenly I had my missing device.

Thank you to everyone for their help.

Brad McCusker
Software Concepts International
www.sciinc.com

[Abra]

There is a realted discussion over in the SAN forum. Anyone looking at this thread will probably also be interested in this one: http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1140093

[R. Verkerk]

Hello,

Under EFI you have to enable EFI scanning on the fibre HBA's once otherwise you won't see any devices of the HBA's.
We do this as follows:
Insert a OpenVMS DVD in your DVD reader.
Shell> map -r
Shell> fs0:
fs0:\ cd efi\vms
fs0:\EFI\VMS> vms_bcfg boot fibre 1
fs0:\EFI\VMS> reconnect â r

gr,

Robert