HP StorageWorks SAN Virtualization Services Platform Best Practices Guide (5697-0935, May 2011)

NOTE: Remember to zone any given host to only one DPM pair.
The above is just an example; you should determine the zoning strategy that works best for your
environment. Whatever strategy you use, ensure you use it consistently in the configuration to aid
troubleshooting.
VSM servers
VSM servers in SVSP perform two roles:
• Manage configuration and map information
• Act as data movers
Consider the following configuration guidelines for VSM servers:
• The VSM server must set up as part of a workgroup. Keep the VSM current with Windows
security updates and virus updates. See the HP StorageWorks SAN Virtualization Services
Platform Administrator Guide for information about firewalls, FTP, Telnet (used for SVSPSnap),
VSM to VSM communication, iSCSI, user interface), remote desktop, or other functions.
• VSM servers must be dedicated to the task of being VSMs. Additional services performed on
the VSM servers are not supported, as they will interfere with the performance of the VSM.
• Disconnect the VSM server from the fabric before upgrading to a newer version of VSM
software. Limit the period of time that two connected VSM servers are running different versions.
For example, after upgrading one VSM server and making it the active VSM, upgrade the
other VSM server as soon as possible. with the older software should be disconnected from
the fabric (in preparation for upgrade) as soon as possible.
• VSM setup databases are not intended to be backwards compatible with earlier VSM versions.
If you need to downgrade, you must restore a backup of the setup database (from when the
earlier version was installed) or perform an erase configuration.
CAUTION: SVSP is not supported in a Windows domain, which is typically used to allow updates
and security to be installed. An example occurred when an SVSP was added to the domain and
the security patches were downloaded to the VSMs. This made it necessary to run SVSP as
administrator, and since no one was there to click the run as administrator, the user experienced
several hours of data unavailability while the problem was identified.
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