HP StorageWorks SAN Virtualization Services Platform Manager Command Line Interface User Guide (5697-0936, May 2011)

1 Overview

The VSM application programming interface (API) and command line interface (CLI) allows storage

arrays to perform sophisticated virtualization tasks by calling functions from a VSM library loaded

in every client server. This VSM library communicates with the VSM device driver and with the

VSM itself.

Use the SVSP CLI to run individual commands and script files for virtualization tasks. Except where

noted, the CLI commands are OS-independent. The commands are passed through the Fibre

Channel SAN (not the LAN) to the VSM, which enhances the reliability of the operations by taking

advantage of the SAN’s redundant components.

The VSM CLI is a separate software package that can be installed on a host connected to SVSP.

To install the VSM CLI:

1. Insert the SVSP software CD into the host.

2. From the main menu, select Browse to VSM CLI Packages.

3. Right-click the applicable package and select Save As.

The VSM CLI is best suited for whenever automation or integration into an application is needed.

Predefined scripts, typically linked with host-based scripts, run on a scheduled basis to relieve an

administrator from having to perform daily tasks at specific times. The combination of VSM CLI

commands and hosts scripts interact with the application to ensure the best possible consistency

of data.

The most common uses for the VSM CLI are:

• Automated creation and deletion of PiTs—The PiT mechanism is a key functionality of SVSP

and is used within many features.

• Integrating with applications to create transaction-consistent PiTs—Backup processes can be

improved by providing the backup server with access to production data through the SAN.

A snapshot created on a PiT can be mapped to the backup server directly. This provides full

access to the snapshot for server-free and LAN-free backups.

• Reporting—Use snapshots or copies to refresh the data of reporting servers. Reporting servers

do not necessarily need live access to the data kept databases, for example. Because PiTs

taken at consistent states are like freezing the source data, the reports run on this data are

based on data in an optimal state.

Use the VSM CLI to perform:

• Basic operations available through the GUI except creating stripe sets and pools, and adding

presentations to virtual disks.

• Snapshots

• Snapclones

• Migrations

• Mirrors

• Operating system-specific commands (mostly for Microsoft Windows)