HP StorageWorks 2300 Modular Smart Array reference guide (500911-001, January 2009)

54 Provisioning the system
Selecting disks
Select disks to include in the vdisk. The Disk Selection Sets table has one row for each sub-vdisk in a
RAID-10 or RAID-50 vdisk, or a single row for a vdisk having another RAID level. The table also has a
SPARE row where you can assign dedicated pares to the vdisk. In each row, the Disks field shows how
many disks you can, and have, assigned. As you select disks, the table shows the amount of storage space
in the vdisk. For descriptions of storage-space color codes, see About storage-space color codes.
The Enclosure Front View table shows all disks in all enclosures. The Graphical tab shows disk information
graphically; the Tabular tab shows disk information in a table. Disks you select are highlighted and
color-coded to match the rows in the Disk Selection Sets table. Based on the type of disk you select first
(SAS or SATA), only available disks of that type become selectable; you cannot mix SAS and SATA disks in
a vdisk.
To select disks and spares
1. Select disks to populate each vdisk row. When you have selected enough disks, a checkmark appears
in the table's Complete field.
2. Optionally select up to four dedicated spares for the vdisk.
3. Click Next to continue.
Defining volumes
A volume is a logical subdivision of a vdisk and can be mapped to controller host ports for access by
hosts. This type of volume provides the storage for a file system partition you create with your operating
system or third-party tools. The storage system presents only volumes, not vdisks, to hosts.
You can create multiple volumes with the same base name, size, and default mapping settings. If you
choose to define volumes in this step, you will define their mapping settings in the next step.
To define volumes
1. Set the options:
• Number of volumes to create. Specify the number of volumes to create. If you do not want to define
volumes now, enter 0.
• Volume size. Optionally change the volume size. The default size is the total space divided by the
number of volumes.
• Base name for volumes. Optionally change the base name for the volumes. A volume name is case
sensitive and cannot already exist in a vdisk. A name cannot include a comma, double quote, or
backslash.
2. Click Next to continue.
Setting the default mapping
Each volume has default host-access settings that were set when the volume was created; these settings are
called the default mapping. The default mapping applies to any host that has not been explicitly mapped
with different settings. Explicit mappings for a volume override the volume's default mapping.
You can change a volume's default mapping, and create, modify, or delete explicit mappings. A mapping
can specify read-write, read-only, or no access through one or more controller host ports to a volume.
When a mapping specifies no access, the volume is masked. You can apply access privileges to one or
more of the host ports on either controller. To maximize performance, it is recommended to map a volume
to at least one host port on the controller that owns it. To sustain I/O in the event of controller failure, it is
recommended to map to at least one host port on each controller.
Volume mapping settings are stored in disk metadata. If enough of the disks used by a volume are moved
into a different enclosure, the volume's vdisk can be reconstructed and the mapping data is preserved.