HP StorageWorks 2000 Modular Smart Array Reference Guide (481599-003, August 2008)

CHAPTER

Managing Storage

This chapter describes how to use SMU to configure and manage virtual disks,

spare disks, volumes, volume-to-host mappings, and to use volume snapshot

features. It contains the following sections:

■ “Creating Virtual Disks and Volumes” on page 63

■ “Managing Virtual Disks” on page 71

■ “Managing Spares” on page 80

■ “Managing Volumes” on page 84

■ “Managing Host Access to Volumes” on page 94

■ “Using Snapshot Services” on page 104

■ “Using Volume-Copy Services” on page 121

■ “Using the Scheduler” on page 127

Creating Virtual Disks and Volumes

You can create a virtual disk when you have enough available disk drives of the

same type for the RAID level you want to use. A maximum of 16 virtual disks per

controller can exist. The controller safeguards against improperly combining SAS

and SATA disk drives in a virtual disk. The system displays an error message if you

choose drives that are not of the same type.

Each virtual disk is owned by only one of the controllers. For most purposes, it does

not matter which controller owns a virtual disk because SMU automatically selects

the owner and balances the number of virtual disks each controller owns.

Alternatively, you can select the owner yourself.

In a dual-controller system, when a controller fails, the partner controller assumes

temporary ownership of the failed controller’s virtual disks and resources. If the

system uses a fault-tolerant cabling configuration, both controllers’ LUNs will be

accessible through the partner.