HP Logical Server Management Best Practices

Figure 7: Fabric names known when creating storage pool entry

As shown in Figure 7, the Matrix OE software allocates a WWN for each of the logical server HBA ports defined

(shown in the Server WWN column). These WWNs would be shared with the storage administrator for storage

presentation and SAN zoning (or SPM can automate the presentation and zoning, or even the on-demand

provisioning of the storage volumes). The storage administrator returns information regarding the disk array controller

port WWNs and LUN information, which can be entered into the logical server storage pool definition (or thel

information can be automatically be populated by Matrix based on the SPM candidate storage).

Alternatively, the storage administrator may have reserved a set of initiator WWNs (via the lsmutil -reserve -

wwn command) and already created, presented, and zoned the storage. In that case, the administrator creating the

storage pool entry would enter the reserved initiator WWN (replacing the automatically allocated value, which

remains visible in the Current Server WWN column), and the appropriate storage details.

As noted, the administrator may instead use the capabilities of the HP Storage Provisioning Manager (importing the

volumes into the storage catalog for automated matching against storage pool entry requests and automatic

population of storage details, as well as operations such as changing host mode to match logical server needs and

adjusting LUN masking, or on-demand storage provisioning and automated SAN zoning in Brocade environments).

More details regarding these scenarios, including the storage validation feature, the ability to export and import

storage definitions, and use of SPM, are provided in the following Storage configuration section.

Storage configuration

A logical server can be created for activation on physical servers (also referred to as bare metal servers) or virtual

machines. The logical server can be created from and freely moved to any compatible resources in the portability

group. The ability to move the server profile freely across resource pools requires sharing of resources at all levels,

including shared storage solutions for the OS boot image, the application image, and the application data. To

achieve this flexible movement, logical servers on bare metal blades use Virtual Connect and boot from SAN (and the

switches need to support N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV)). The blade HBAs or CNAs need to use VC-defined or user-

defined WWNs, and not the factory-defined WWNs (which do not support migration). HP Matrix OE supports a

broad range of storage solutions (including HP and third party), with specific recommended storage (such as the HP

3PAR StoreServ Storage Systems , HP P6000/EVA, HP 9000/XP and MSA). SPM supports automated operations for

HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage Systems, HP P6000/EVA, and HP 9000/XP (with on-demand provisioning for HP 3PAR

StoreServ Storage Systems and HP P6000/EVA. Details are noted in the HP Insight Management Support Matrix

available at http://www.hp.com/go/matrixoe/docs).

Customers using Matrix infrastructure orchestration have the ability to define service templates containing servers

using SAN disks or local boot disks (DAS, Direct Attached Storage). MatrixIO will automate the creation of the