procedure replacing fiber cards of existing SAN server

[jie]

We are replacing a fiber card of a windows 2000 server that is connected in our SAN environment, we are using a mcdata switch and a ESS for our SAN environment.

My question is what will be our best approach so that will be able to recover the existing SAN disk use by the server?

 

[comtec17]

There are a few questions that need to be asked/answered first.

1, How is your Zoning setup? Is it done via WWN or Port?

2, How is your HBA setup? Are you manually adding WWN's or is it autoassigned? Are you autoassigning LUNs or do you do this manually.

 

[jie]

1. the zoning is done via WWN
2. We do it manually we assign lun in the ESS we created nickname in the mcdata switch and the ESS storage

 

[comtec17]

The best approach would be to remove the zone and the old HBA documenting all settings and LUNS.

Shutdown system.

Install new HBA.

Startup the system.

Watch your Switch to annotate the new WWN of the new HBA.

Redo the zone and add the new WWN of the HBA.

Setup your HBA settings the way they were.

 

[jie]

Will i not lose any data when I remove the zone and settings of the old LUNs?

we don't have any free ports in the switch will I able to use the existing cables of the old HBA card?

 

[comtec17]

You will not lose any data as long as your applications that are using the disk is shutdown. You are just doing an HBA swap, like replacing a SCSI card.