Solaris host not seen in Navisphere 1

[terrywashington]

I just installed two Emulex LP8000 HBAs in a Sun V880, installed the HBA drivers, PowerPath, Navisphere Agent/CLI and connected it to our FC4700 via fibre. I currently have only open port on the switch so only a single HBA is connected. The WWPN of the HBA is seen by the switch but I can't see the host in Navisphere. Is there another step that I am missing?

 

[Chacalinc]

Steps:

1. install HBA in SUN server (done)
2. Install drivers (done)
3. create zone in switch (???? done ????)
4. using navishpere: is the WWPN in the "connectivity status"?
5. install NaviAgent and CLI
6. start NaviAgent
7. is the host in the "connectivity status"?
8. NO: stop agente, restart agente.
9. is the host in the "connectivity status"?

 

[Chacalinc]

sorry, of course, after that assign LUNs via Storage Groups, modify /kernel/drv/sd.conf as needed, config Persistent binding as necesary, use the LUNs.

 

[terrywashington]

I am missing step 3. I am assuming this is probably why the WWPN is not showing up in the connectivity status. I did install NaviAgent/CLI and Navisphere is running. I forgot to mention that in my original post. I am a total newbie at zoning. I am assuming I can do what is needed by telnetting into the fabric switch or by browser access. What does this entail? Can you recommend a good doc?

 

[Chacalinc]

that is quite simple... what switch are you using? brocade? mcdata?

i recommend you to use the browser versions, GUI is easyest than telnet.

 

[terrywashington]

I am using EMC DS-8Bs running a2.3.0. I am told that these are Brocade switches with the EMC name on them. I really appreciate anything you can tell me about zoning.

 

[Chacalinc]

Ok. Yes, that's a Brocade Silkwork 2400. same sh@t )

BTW, I like Brocade switches, quite easy to use.

1. Login via browser to the switch: (

http://IP_switch)

2. Click on "Zone Admin" (left buttons)
3. Enter "admin" and "password"
4. Select "WWN zonning" if it asks
5. Select "zones" tab
6. Hit "Create zone" (or new zone, don't remember)
7. Enter a Name
8. The new zone will be empty, select the HBA WWPN and hit "Add member" (middle buttons)
9. Select the CLARiiON WWPN (SP-A 0 or 1 || SP-B 0 or 1, it's up to you) and hit "Add member"
10. Now both WWN should be in the right side
11. Hit "Apply" (don't be scared, just do it)
12. Select "Configuration" tab (the last one)
13. Select the new create zone (the name you give it) and hit "Add zone"
14. The new zone should be in the right side now
15. Select "Enable Config", the name of the current configuration should be the same in the "Enable Config"
16. Hit Apply (don't be scared, just do it)
17. Take a look to the status bar (bottom of the dialog window), it should say "commiting changes..." and then "Sucessfull.."

DONE!!

to make sure, telnet to the switch, admin, password and issue:

zoneshow

this command will give you the created zones AND the EFECTIVE CONFIGURATION. the last one is the configuration effectively running... you can have zones defined, but not running.. beware with that.

Cheers.

 

[Chacalinc]

oh, after that go to Navisphere and take a look to connectivity status. you can refresh (update) the navisphere in case the HBA or server is not listed. you can restart the naviagent...

 

[terrywashington]

Thank you very much for the info. Is there any chance that making a change like this will affect the other hosts connected to the switch? We just had a Clariion disaster a couple of weeks ago that disrupted our production environment for a couple of days. Management is very hestitant to allow any changes to the SAN unless they are assured that production will not be interrupted. I may have to wait until our weeken maintenance window to do this.

 

[Chacalinc]

I undestand what are you thinking, but what happened?

Anyway, when you change the zones configuration, you just change the paths between the servers and clariion. You must be sure what configuration is active right now, this configuration is the one that should be modified in order to add the new zone, and then enable this cofniguration (all configurations have names).

Now, you should have powerpath and redundant fabrics, so if you have a switch disaster, powerpath should support that.

If you want to be relaxed, do this changes on weekend window. This kind of activities can be done online (I have done it lots of time, always online at work hours), but you never know.

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to let me know. Tell me what you will do.

Cheers.

 

[terrywashington]

I added an additional DAE to our Clariion a couple of weeks ago during business hours and turned our Clariion into a very expensive paperweight. Disks in several of the other DAEs dropped offline, faulted and I/O on all of the disks basically halted. Processes that normally took 5 minutes took 5 hours. I made sure that I set the enclosure address switch so that it was not conflicting with the other DAEs before installing it and had it correctly cabled. I installed two DAEs about a year ago during business hours without a problem. I am thinking that the DAE had a bad LCC, a flaky power supply or something. I contacted EMC support and they could not figure out what was wrong. They ended up suggesting that I power-cycle the Clariion. I turned off the power to the Clariion for about 10 minutes and powered it back on. There were still a bunch of faults after it came back online. About 4 hours after the "reboot" I/O returned to normal and the faults disappeared. We had a second DAE that I successfully installed last weekend without incident. We are sending the other DAE back to the vendor.

I kind of figured that the zoning could be done during business hours. This is not an emergency so I will probably do it on the weekend just to be safe.

On a totally seperate note...I just added two Brocade Silkworm 2800s to our Clariion as were running out of ports. Now we have the two EMC DS-8Bs and the 2800s. The 2800s have nothing connected to them and no zones. I was going to install the same version of FabricOS on all of the switches, migrate the zones from the DS-8Bs to the 2800s and retire the DS-8Bs. I was thinking of connecting the 2800s to the DS-8Bs and running all four switches. Is this possible or even a good idea?

 

[Chacalinc]

1. on DAE subject: f*ck!! that is a DAE hardware failure...I'm sorry for that.. I remember sometime ago we installed a new DAE to a running box, fortunatelly nothing wrong happened, but it appeared as bad DAE!! It was new!! And lots of time I added new DAEs online to FC4700 and CX family, no problems!!

2. The DAE issue was a hardware change, with switches is only a software configuration change, switch will not get broke. ) but you will feel more confortable doing it on weekend. best luck!

3. Adding new switchwes: you have 2 options, one of them is to save the zoning configuration and load it in the new switches. The second option is what you are telling, connect the switches via ISL and replicate the zone configuration (this is done autommtically as soon as you connect the switches), this is a very good options and the best for me.. just beware about the Domain ID of each switch and you will be done!! beware with the following BEFORE to connect them: on new switches, change Domain ID to an unique ID per switch and in new switches, make sure that zones are clear (no zones and no configuration) in order to have only the production configuration.

Cheers.

 

[terrywashington]

Thanks a lot for all of your valuable info!

 

[Chacalinc]

tell me when you are done this weekend..

Good luck!!

 

[terrywashington]

Chacalinc,

I have a couple of additional questions if you have a moment.

I just found out that EMC does not support Emulex LP8000s in systems running Solaris 8/9 that are connected to an FC4700. We are in the process of getting our hardware re-certified for EMC support (long story) and may have to swap our LP8000s for LP10000s. Once this is done will it just be a matter of removing the old HBA WWPNs on the switch and adding zones with the WWPNs from the new HBAs? Will this be a painful procedure?

Also I am considering connecting the 2800 switches to the
DS-8Bs this weekend and running all four switches together. The DS-8Bs are running a2.3.0, one of the 2800s is running v2.6.1b and the other 2800 is running v2.6.1c. I am assuming it would be best to upgrade all to v2.6.1c. Do you know if 2.6.1c will run on the DS-8Bs?

One final question. Is the zoning on the switches tied to a specific port or can I connect a system to any port as long as the zoning is in place? We are moving one of our Clariions and several hosts to a differnet site and I was wondering if a system would have problems accessing LUNs if it was mistakenly re-connected to a different port on the same switch after the move. We are planning on marking all of the connections before the move.

 

[Chacalinc]

1. LP8000 question:

Take a look to the thread511-879207 (

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?SQID=879207&SPID=511&page=1).

The swap is not difficult, in switch you must erase and recreate zones with new WWPN, but erase the HBA in the clariion, restart the agent in order to register the new WWPN as the know server and get the server out from the storage group and then reinsert it to the storage group. (remember the "failover setup wizards" staff after the cards swap).

CAUTION: I used LP9002 HBAs with FC4700 and I had connectivity problems, the solution was to use LP8000, because LP8000 is 1 Gbps and LP9002 is 2Gbps; FC4700 is 1 Gbps..

2. Firmware Switches:

The best thing you can do is to have homogenous firmware because of compatibility issues.. may be the firmwares could be compatible between them, but is more safest to have all formware in the same levels. Now, I'm not sure if brocade 2400 will support the 2.6.1c release, I guess YES since they are the same family, you could ask to EMC directly... Anyway, that switches should be under EMC support contract/warranty, ask them (it is their obligation) to upgrade the firmware on all your switches as needed, or at least answer you the compatibility issue.

3. Zonning:

As you stated before, you are doing zones using the WWPN, this is a soft zonning and this means you can connect the HBA to any port, it does not matter, due to the HBA (WWPN) when logs in to the fabric it shows its WWPN, the swith recognise it and say "..hey, this WWPN must see this storage WWPN.. regardless the physical port where it lives.." do I expalin myself clear? when WWPN (soft zonnig) is used, it doesn't matter where you connect the FC cable, while you connect the HBA in the correct switch. When you create a hard zone, you state in the switch "hey.. make a path between the port A with port B.. regardless what I'm connecting in these 2 ports, just make the path" so, whatever you connect in port A and B, they will have communication (no matter WWPN or ALPA).

Hope this helps you.

Cheers.

 

[terrywashington]

Thanks again for the info! This helps a lot.

 

[Chacalinc]

Anytime tell me the results!

Best luck!

 

[terrywashington]

Chacalinc,

EMC told me that they do actaully support the LP8000s. I upgraded the firmware and FCODE and added zones to my switches this past weekend. I have one HBA from each system connected to the last two open ports on the switches. I am now able to assign SAN disks to both of our Sun V880s. Thanks again for the instructions! I do have another question though. Whoever setup the original zones setup aliases on the switch for the WWPNs of the SPs and the HBAs of the original SAN hosts. The aliases appear in the zoning instead of the WWPNs. I did not create aliases yesterday when I created the new zones. Do you know think that will cause problems down the road? Is there a benefit to using the aliases?

 

[Chacalinc]

1. EMC told me that they do actaully support the LP8000s.

Yes, I know that, in fact I can find it in the compatibility matrix, but it was my experience, I had a problem qith the LP8000, The fix was install LP9002... just a comment.

2.I did not create aliases yesterday when I created the new zones. Do you know think that will cause problems down the road? Is there a benefit to using the aliases?

No, no problems with that. Aliases are human names given to the WWPNs in order to have a readable (simple) name to the ports to make the zones readable, but you can use aliases or WWPN, they are the same... you can have both aliases and WWPN in the zoning configuration and no problem will be with that.

Congratulations!! you know lot more than before about SAN!!

Cheers.