lpar creation on power6 using SAS raid controller disk need some help 1

[alexia32]

Hello

I am building a new lpar on power6 mid range and I have a allocated a RAID controller, a network adapter and a fiber adapter.

I never use SAS before (always use standard SCSI disks). I have no idea what or how to configure this if I have to...
I activated the lpar on SMS mode to check all the IO I have allocated.
When I select list all devices I don't see any hdisk etc.. like we used to see.

I will then install the machine via NIM.
I just want to know how I can see the internal disk and be sure I will be able to install the os via NIM.

Could someone let me know if there are some action to be done or any document IBM I can look at ?

Thanks in advance

Al.

 

[MoreFeo]

If all the HW is correctly assigned, there may be 2 causes:
- problem with the firmware levels. A friend fo mine had this problem, didn't see the hdisks when trying to install. Upgrading the firmware level solved the problem.
- you may need to boot from a diagnostics CD and create an array with the pdisks. This array will then appear as a hdisk.

 

[alexia32]

I connected to Lmited maintenance function
and run some command lsdev and so no disks are configured

Enter 'exit' to return $lsdev |grep sas
sas0 Available 03-08-00 N/Enter 'exit' to return $
sissas0 Available 03-08 N/A



Enter 'exit' to return $lsparent -C -k sas
sas0 Available 03-08-00 N/A

Do you know how to configure the hdisk or normally nothing needs to be done and should show up?

Cheers
al

 

[DukeSSD]

Go here:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp

In the left search box type:
sas raid
and then hit the go button.
Happy reading.

 

[alexia32]

I have done the installation of the OS via boot on san as I needed to have the OS done and was hoping after the install I would be able to see internal disk or ..., after the os install, I don;t see any disks internal (I see only SAN disks)
# lsdev -p sas0
ses0 Available 03-08-00 SAS Enclosure Services Device
ses1 Available 03-08-00 SAS Enclosure Services Device

I just can;t see any internal disk.
What I am trying to understand if this machine has internal disk and don't know how to see it and be 100% sure there are not disk on the RAID controller...


I am wondering if IBM put a RAID controller is it empty ? without internal disk ?'
I am still trying to udnerstand if there is nothing missing or IBM put an empty raid controller ???

Thanks in advance for your help

Al

 

[MoreFeo]

Take a look at smit devices, Disk Array, IBM SAS Disk Array, IBM SAS Disk Array Manager, List SAS Disk Array Configuration.
You should see the controller, and if there are hdisks or pdisks associated.
If you have pdisks you need to format them as array candidates, and then create an array (one array with all pdisks, or one array per pdisk). Each array will then appear as a hdisk.

If you can see no pdisks, you should take a look in HMC, and see the HW assigned to the lpar.
There are some p6 machines that may come with 2 SAS controllers, so maybe you've assigned one that doesn't have hdisks associated.

There are several options for p6-520 and 550:
- by default it only comes with one SAS controller, with all the disks and the CD
- you can also have a machine with one controller for all the disk bays and another controller only for the CD
- and there is another option where there is one controller for half the disk bays and the CD, and one controller with the rest of the disk bays

See if you can assign another SAS controller, maybe it's the one that has the hdisks associated.

 

[alexia32]

Hi

thanks.
I checked and they were no pdisk or hdisk.
The power6 came with only 1 RAID controller at the time they bought it. But last year IBM add memory and an additional Raid Controller.
I thought the additional Raid controller would contains some disks and not be empty..
I don;t have any information about the work done by IBM and the billing / receipt which will contain the details of it...

I am still tryng to find out

But you helped me as now I understand that we can have a RAID controller with no disks...

Will continue my investigation
Cheers
Al