Dell™ PowerVault™ Modular Disk Storage Manager User’s Guide w w w. d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l .
Notes and Notices NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. ____________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Contents 1 About This Guide . User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Summary Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Configure Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Tools Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 iSCSI Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Modify Tab Support Tab 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting a Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Password Guidelines Resetting a Password Connecting the Serial Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 24 Changing Expansion Enclosure ID Numbers 3 . . . . . . 25 Configuring Alert Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Configuring E-mail Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Configuring SNMP Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing iSCSI Statistics and Setting Baseline Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 . . . . . . . . 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Edit, Remove, or Rename Host Topology 4 Event Monitor Enabling the Event Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Disabling the Event Monitor 5 About Your Host Configuring Host Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Automatic Configuration . .
Disk Groups and Virtual Disks . Creating Disk Groups and Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . 53 . . . . . . . . 54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Manual Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Hot Spare Drive Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Automatic Configuration . . . . . . . 58 . . . . . . . . . 59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Automatically Configuring Hot Spares Manually Configuring Hot Spares Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping Creating Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings . .
Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 67 Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Simple Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About the Simple Path . . . . . . 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Preparing Host Servers to Create the Snapshot Using the Simple Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 . . . 71 . . . . . . 73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Creating the Snapshot Using the Simple Path Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Advanced Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preparing Host Servers to Create a Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying the Virtual Disk . . . . 87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Storage Array Performance During Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Copy Priority . . . . . . . 89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Stopping a Virtual Disk Copy Recopying a Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Device Health Conditions SMrepassist Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Support Information Package . Unidentified Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Recovering from an Unidentified Storage Array A Enclosure Hardware Replacement, Maintenance, and Configuration Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing and Inserting Enclosure Management Modules on Attached Expansion Enclosures . .
Contents
About This Guide Dell™ PowerVault™ Modular Disk (MD) Storage Manager software is used to create and manage multiple storage arrays. The software can be used on any host attached to the storage array, as well as on storage management stations connected to the same sub-network. MD Storage Manager is a graphical user interface (GUI) with wizard-guided tools and a task-based structure designed to reduce the complexity of installation, configuration, management, and diagnostic tasks.
• Beneath the Array Selector is the Content Area. Several tabs appear in this area to group the tasks you can perform on the selected array. When you click on a tab, the Content Area displays links for the tasks you can perform. The following sections list some of the tasks you can perform under each tab.
Tools Tab • Rename a storage array • Set or change a password • View or enable premium features • Turn on indicator lights • Change enclosure ID numbers • Set or change enclosure tags • Set up e-mail alerts and SNMP alerts • Synchronize controller clocks, change the network configuration, or reset the battery age • Inherit system settings • Change media scan settings iSCSI Tab • Set the authentication method supported by the target • Define permissions for mutual authentication • Se
• View online help • View the event log Other Information You May Need CAUTION: For complete regulatory and safety information, see your Product Information Guide. Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate one. • Setting Up Your Dell PowerVault MD provides an overview of setting up and cabling your storage array. • Dell™ PowerVault™ MD Installation Guide provides installation and configuration instructions for both software and hardware.
About Your Storage Array This chapter covers basic information about how to manage storage arrays from MD Storage Manager, including adding and removing arrays from the software, performing initial setup tasks, setting passwords on an array, and configuring alert notifications. For information on planning your storage array, see the Installation Guide. Following is a list of terms that are used throughout this chapter: • Physical Disk — Non-volatile, randomly-addressable device for storing data.
NOTICE: Removing or manipulating an access virtual disk can cause a loss of management access. If you remove an access virtual disk mapping from an in-band-managed storage array, MD Storage Manager can no longer access the storage array. Do not modify the access virtual disk either in the operating system or with MD Storage Manager.
Adding Storage Arrays To add a storage array to MD Storage Manager, click New in the Array Selector area. A window is displayed that allows you to choose the automatic or manual process to add a new storage array. NOTE: Verify that your host or management station network configuration— including station IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway—is correct before adding a new storage array using the Automatic option. NOTE: For Linux, set the default gateway so that broadcast packets are sent to 255.255.
• To add a storage array that uses out-of-band management, specify the host name or IP address of each controller in the storage array. NOTE: It can take several minutes for MD Storage Manager to connect to the specified storage array. Naming Storage Arrays Each storage array should be assigned a unique name. A storage array name has a 30-character limit. All leading and trailing spaces are deleted from the name.
To remove a storage array: 1 Click Remove located to the right of the drop-down menu in the Array Selector. 2 Click OK in the Remove dialog box. You can still manage the storage array from other storage management stations where it has been added. Setting Up Your Storage Array The Perform Initial Setup Tasks link located on the Summary tab provides links to the basic steps you should follow when initially setting up a storage array in MD Storage Manager.
6 Configure Host Access — Set up one or more hosts to access the storage array. See "Configuring Host Access" on page 43 for more information. 7 Configure storage array (2 options) a b Automatic (Simple) configuration • Step 1: Automatic Configuration — See "Creating Disk Groups and Virtual Disks" on page 54 for more information. • Step 2: Create Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings — See "Creating Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings" on page 60 for more information.
Storage Array Support Data Aggregated support data can be generated for a storage array to aid in remote troubleshooting and issue analysis. To generate the support data report: 1 Click the Support tab, then click Gather Support Information. 2 Click Browse to display the Collect All Support Data dialog box. 3 In the Save in drop-down box, navigate to the location where you want the report saved. 4 Type a meaningful name in the File name text box and click Save. 5 Click Start.
To remove a password: • Enter the current password in the Current password text box. • Leave the New password and Confirm new password text boxes blank. If you forget your password, contact Dell for technical assistance. Password Guidelines Consider these guidelines when you create a password: • Use secure passwords for your storage array. A password should be easy for you to remember but difficult for others to determine.
System Setup for Password Reset Microsoft® Windows® Operating Systems 1 Click Start → Programs → Accessories → Communication → HyperTerminal to run HyperTerminal. If HyperTerminal is not installed, click Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs → Add/Remove Windows Components, find HyperTerminal and click the check-box, then click Apply and OK. NOTE: The original Windows installation disk may be needed to install HyperTerminal. NOTE: HyperTerminal is not a component on Windows Server® 2008 operating systems.
7 Press to set the speed to 115200. 8 Press to set the data, parity, and stopbits to 8-N-1, then press . 9 Press to exit the Comm Parameters screen. 10 Select Exit and press again to exit the setup screen. Reset Password NOTICE: Failure to stop data I/O to a non-fault-tolerant array before performing the following steps may result in loss of data. 1 Stop all I/O to the array. 2 From the HyperTerminal (Windows) or MINICOM (Linux) window, press .
NOTE: If you require help with this procedure, contact Dell for technical assistance. For more information on contacting Dell, see the "Getting Help" chapter of the Hardware Owners Manual. Changing Expansion Enclosure ID Numbers When an MD1000 expansion enclosure is attached to an MD3000/MD3000i storage array for the first time, an enclosure ID number is assigned and maintained by the MD1000.
Sender e-mail settings include the SMTP and e-mail address information MD Storage Manager uses to send e-mail alerts. To configure sender e-mail settings: 1 Click the Tools tab, then click Set Up Email Alerts. 2 Enter the following information: • Sender email address — The e-mail address that appears as the sender on every e-mail alert, such as that of the network administrator.
• Every x hours — Sends an e-mail at the specified interval if an event occurred during that period. You can select this option only if the Information to send option is set to Event + Profile or Event + Support. 4 Click Save. Configuring SNMP Alerts To add a management console to the list of addresses configured to receive SNMP alerts: NOTE: The Management Information Base (MIB) for the MD Storage Array is copied to the client directory as part of a Full or Management Station installation selection.
Starting or Restarting the Host-Agent Software in Windows The SMagent software automatically starts after you reboot the host. If you add a storage array after the host server has started, or if iSCSI sessions are created while the SMagent is running, you must restart the SMagent software manually using the following procedure: 1 Click Start → Settings → Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Services. or Click Start → Administrative Tools → Services.
After the program completes the startup process, text similar to the following messages is displayed: Storage Manager Agent, Version 09.1x.00.00 Built Wed Aug 15 16:54:46 CDT 2006 Copyright (C) 2006. All rights reserved.
Storage Array
Using iSCSI This chapter provides information on using iSCSI in MD Storage Manager. For iSCSI prerequisite requirements and detailed step-by-step instructions on setting up and configuring iSCSI, see the Installation Guide. Using the iSCSI Tab The iSCSI tab is shown in the MD Storage Manager only when the controllers contain iSCSI host ports. You can define or change settings for the iSCSI target or enter the CHAP permissions in the iSCSI tab.
Changing the iSCSI Target Authentication If an initiator requires mutual (bi-directional) authentication see "Entering Mutual Authentication Permissions" on page 32. 1 Click the iSCSI tab, and then click Change Target Authentication. 2 Select None if no authentication is required for any initiator to access the target. NOTE: If you select None, any initiator can access this target. Use this option only if you do not require secure data.
must enter the same CHAP secret that is defined in the iSCSI initiator, and you must define a CHAP secret on the target (the storage array) that must be configured in every iSCSI initiator that will connect to the target. For more information on CHAP, see "Understanding CHAP Authentication" in the Installation Guide. Initiator CHAP Secret The initiator CHAP secret is set on the host using the iSCSI initiator.
Changing the iSCSI Target Identification You cannot change the iSCSI target name, but you can associate an alias with the target for simpler identification. Aliases are useful because the iSCSI target names are not intuitive. You should provide an iSCSI target alias that is meaningful and easy to remember. 1 Click the iSCSI tab, and then click Change Target Identification. 2 Type the alias in the iSCSI target alias field and click OK. NOTE: Aliases can contain a maximum of 30 characters.
Configuring the MD3000i iSCSI Host Ports Use the configuration dialog for the iSCSI host ports to set up the MD3000i iSCSI host ports to use with storage arrays in a storage area network (SAN). 1 Click the iSCSI tab, and then click Configure iSCSI Host Ports.
Table 3-2. Advanced iSCSI Host Port Settings (continued) Setting Description Ethernet Priority The network priority can be set from lowest to highest.
b In the confirmation window, type yes to confirm that you want to end the iSCSI session, and then click OK. NOTE: If you end a session, any corresponding connections terminate the link between the host and the storage array, and the data on the storage array is no longer available. NOTE: When a session is manually terminated using the MD Storage Manager, the iSCSI initiator software will automatically attempt to reestablish the terminated connection to the storage array. This may cause an error message.
c Confirm that you want to set the baseline statistics in the dialog that appears. The baseline time shows the latest time you set the baseline. The sampling interval is the difference in time from when you set the baseline until you launch the dialog or click Refresh. NOTE: You must first set a baseline before you can compare baseline statistics. Edit, Remove, or Rename Host Topology If you give access to the wrong host or the wrong host group, you can remove or edit the host topology.
Table 3-3. Host Topology Actions (continued) Desired Action Add an iSCSI Initiator. Steps to Complete Action 1 Click the Modify tab, and then click Edit Host Topology. 2 Select the host you want to add an iSCSI initiator to and click Add. 3 Type or select an iSCSI initiator name and label for the iSCSI initiator and click OK.
Using iSCSI
Event Monitor An event monitor is provided with MD Storage Manager. When enabled, the event monitor runs continuously in the background and monitors activity on the managed storage arrays. If the event monitor detects any critical problems, it can notify a host or remote system using e-mail, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap messages, or both. For the most timely and continuous notification of events, enable the event monitor on a management station that runs 24 hours a day.
Disabling the Event Monitor Disable the event monitor if you do not want the system to send alert notifications. If you are running the event monitor on multiple systems, disabling the event monitor on all but one system prevents the sending of duplicate messages. Windows 1 Select Start → Settings → Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Services. or Select Start → Administrative Tools → Services. 2 From the list of services, select Modular Disk Storage Manager Event Monitor. 3 Select Action → Properties.
About Your Host This chapter covers basic information about configuring host groups and host access, host topology, and I/O data path protection. A host is a system that accesses a storage array and is mapped to the virtual disks through one or more host connections. Hosts have the following attributes: • Host name — A name that uniquely identifies the host. • Host type — The operating system running on the host. • Host connection — A physical connection to the host server.
To begin configuring host access, click the Configure tab and then click either Configure Host Access (Automatic) or Configure Host Access (Manual). See the appropriate section for manual configuration, depending on whether you are using SAS HBA or iSCSI. Automatic Configuration To automatically configure a host for access to the storage array: 1 Click the Configure tab and then click Configure Host Access (Automatic).
4 Specify the HBA host ports by choosing known host ports or by manually defining host ports. To select a host port that is already recognized by MD Storage Manager, click a host port in the Known HBA host ports list, then click Add. To manually define a host port, click New, enter the HBA host port and Alias in the Enter New HBA Host Port dialog box, and then click Add. 5 Click Next. 6 Indicate whether the host is part of a host group (cluster): If the host is not part of a host group, select No.
To manually define an initiator, click New, enter the iSCSI initiator name and iSCSI initiator label in the Enter new iSCSI initiator dialog box, and then click Add. NOTE: The initiator name entered must match the name on a host server that will connect to the storage array. 5 Click Next. 6 Indicate whether the host is part of a host group (cluster): If the host is not part of a host group, select No.
Host Groups A host group is a logical entity of two or more hosts that share access to specific virtual disks on the storage array. You create host groups with MD Storage Manager. All hosts in a host group must have the same host type (operating system). In addition, all hosts in the host group must have special software, such as clustering software, to manage virtual disk sharing and accessibility.
4 Select the host group to which you want to move the host. 5 Click OK. The host is moved into the host group. The host retains the virtual disk mappings assigned to it, and inherits the virtual disk mappings assigned to the group. Other hosts in the group do not inherit the mappings of the added host. Removing a Host From a Host Group 1 Click the Modify tab, then click Edit Host Topology. A list of hosts and host groups appears.
The host retains the virtual disk mappings assigned to it, and inherits the virtual disk mappings assigned to the group to which it is moved. The host loses the virtual disk mappings assigned to the group from which it was moved. Removing a Host Group This section covers removing an entire host group. To remove a single host from a host group, see "Removing a Host From a Host Group" on page 48. 1 Click the Modify tab, then click Edit Host Topology.
Host Context Agent The host context agent discovers the host topology. The host context agent starts when the host is started and stops when the host is turned off. The topology discovered by the host context agent can be viewed by clicking Configure Host Access (Automatic) in the Configure tab in the MD Storage Manager. You must stop and restart the host context agent to see the changes to the host topology if any of the following situations occur: • A new storage array is attached to the host server.
I/O Data Path Protection You can have multiple host-to-array connections for a host. Make sure to select all of the connections to the array when configuring host access to the storage array. NOTICE: Refer to the Installation Guide for more information on cabling configurations. NOTE: For maximum redundancy, you must select all host connections to the array when manually defining host topology. For example, a host might have two host connections. For this host, you would select two host connections.
After the host is rebooted, the LUN is properly mapped and the MPP driver is loaded. All other sequential LUNs can be created and registered to the operating system by running hot_add.
Disk Groups and Virtual Disks Following is a list of terms used throughout this chapter: • Disk Group — A set of physical disks that are logically grouped and assigned a RAID level. Every disk group provides the overall capacity required to create one or more virtual disks. • Virtual Disk — A logical component created to enable hosts to access storage on the storage array.
Creating Disk Groups and Virtual Disks Disk groups are created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage array, and virtual disks are created in the free capacity of a disk group. The maximum number of physical disks supported in a disk group is 30. The hosts attached to the storage array read and write data to the virtual disks. NOTE: Before you can create virtual disks, you must first organize the physical disks into disk groups and configure host access.
performed in the department: Accounts Receivable (AR), Accounts Payable (AP), internal billing, and so forth. In this scenario, the AR and AP virtual disks probably need more capacity than the internal billing virtual disk. NOTE: In Linux, the host must be rebooted after deleting virtual disks to reset the /dev entries. NOTE: Before you can use a virtual disk, you must register the disk with the host systems. This process is described in “Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping” on page 60.
3 Select Manual on the Create Virtual Disks – Physical Disk Selection Choices page, then click Next. 4 Select the RAID level for the new disk group. 5 To select one physical disk to add to the disk group, click the disk of your choice in the Unselected physical disks list. To select more than one physical disk to add to the disk group, press while clicking the disks of your choice in the Unselected physical disks list.
14 To map the new virtual disk to a host now, select Map now and assign a logical unit number (LUN) to the virtual disk in the drop-down box. To map the new virtual disk to a host later, select Map later. 15 Click Finish to create the new disk group and the first virtual disk in the group. Creating a Virtual Disk From Free Capacity To manually create a virtual disk within an existing disk group, first decide in which disk group you want to create the new virtual disk.
If you plan to create multiple virtual disks, wait until you have created all the virtual disks to register them. Waiting prevents you from having to register virtual disks more than once. Linux NOTE: You need super-user (Linux) privileges to run the hot_add utility. The hot_add utility is installed with the host-agent package and is run from the Linux command line. You cannot run the hot_add utility using the MD Storage Manager. Windows Windows automatically registers virtual disks.
coverage for the storage array. The number and type of hot spare drives is determined based on the number, type, and capacity of physical disks in the storage array. To add hot spare drive protection using automatic configuration: 1 Click the Configure tab, then click Configure Hot Spares. 2 To automatically assign hot spare drives, click Configure Hot Spares (Automatic). 3 Click Assign.
Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping After you create virtual disks, you must map them to the host(s) connected to the array. When you configure host-to-virtual disk mapping, consider these guidelines: • Each virtual disk in the storage array can be mapped to only one host or host group. • Host-to-virtual disk mappings are shared between controllers in the storage array. • A unique LUN must be used by a host group or host to access a virtual disk.
4 To map the disk to a different host or host group, click Change located to the right of the list. 5 To remove the disk mapping to a host or host group, click Remove located to the right of the list. Changing Controller Ownership of the Virtual Disk If the host has a single data-path to the MD storage array, the virtual disk must be owned by the controller to which the host is connected. You must configure this storage array before you start I/O operations and after the virtual disk is created.
Administrative Tools and select the Disk Management MMC option to format and partition the disk. If the host server is running Windows Server 2008 Core version, partition and format the virtual disk using the Microsoft DiskPart utility. Disk Group and Virtual Disk Expansion Adding free capacity to a disk group is achieved by adding unconfigured capacity on the array to the disk group. Data is accessible on disk groups, virtual disks, and physical disks throughout the entire modification operation.
If you receive a warning that the snapshot repository virtual disk is becoming full, you may expand the snapshot repository virtual disk from MD Storage Manager. See "Snapshot Repository Capacity" on page 79 for step-by-step instructions. Storage Array Media Scan The media scan is a long-running operation that examines virtual disks to verify that data is accessible. The process finds media errors before normal read and write activity is disrupted and reports errors to the event log.
3 In the Select virtual disks to scan box, click the virtual disk you want to include in the media scan. NOTE: Press and click to add more than one virtual disk to the media scan. Click Select All to include all virtual disks in the media scan. 4 Check the Scan selected virtual disks checkbox to enable scanning, then choose either With consistency check or Without consistency check. Consistency check enables parity data to be checked during the media scan.
Volume Shadow-Copy Service The Microsoft Volume Shadow-copy Service (VSS) is a storage management interface for Microsoft Windows operating systems. VSS enables your storage array to interact with third-party applications that use the VSS Application Programming Interface. Virtual disks that will be used as source virtual disks for VSS snapshots should have names no longer than 16 characters.
Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks NOTE: If you ordered this feature, you received a Premium Feature Activation card shipped in the same box as your Dell PowerVault MD storage array. Follow the directions on the card to obtain a key file and to enable the feature. A snapshot virtual disk is a point-in-time image of a virtual disk in a storage array. It is not an actual virtual disk containing data; rather, it is a reference to the data that was contained on a virtual disk at a specific time.
When you create a snapshot virtual disk, you specify where to create the snapshot repository virtual disk, its capacity, and other parameters. You can disable or delete the snapshot virtual disk when you no longer need it, such as when the backup is complete. If you disable a snapshot virtual disk, you can re-create and reuse it the next time you perform a backup (see "Re-creating Snapshot Virtual Disks" on page 80 for more information).
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Name — A user-specified name that helps you associate the snapshot repository virtual disk to its corresponding snapshot virtual disk and source virtual disk. Using the simple path, the following defaults are used for the other parameters of a snapshot virtual disk: • Capacity Allocation — The snapshot repository virtual disk is created using free capacity on the same disk group where the source virtual disk resides.
Before creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk, note the following: • The following types of virtual disks are not valid source virtual disks: snapshot repository virtual disks, snapshot virtual disks, target virtual disks that are participating in a virtual disk copy. NOTE: Virtual Disk Copy is an Advanced (Premium) feature. • You cannot create a snapshot of a virtual disk that contains unreadable sectors. • You must satisfy the requirements of your host operating system for creating snapshot virtual disks.
3 Remove the drive letter(s) of the source in Windows or unmount the virtual drive(s) in Linux to help guarantee a stable copy of the drive for the Snapshot. If this is not done, the snapshot operation will report that it has completed successfully, but the snapshot data will not be updated properly. NOTE: Verify that the virtual disk has a status of Optimal or Disabled by clicking the Summary tab and then clicking Disk Groups & Virtual Disks. 4 Follow any additional instructions for your operating system.
5 On the Create Snapshot Virtual Disks – Select Path screen, select the Simple path. NOTE: A snapshot repository virtual disk requires 8 MB of free space. If the required free space is not available in the disk group of the source virtual disk, the Create Snapshot Virtual Disks feature defaults to the advanced path. 6 Click Next. 7 Type a name for the snapshot in the Snapshot virtual disk name text box.
Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Advanced Path About the Advanced Path Use the advanced path to choose whether to place the snapshot repository virtual disk on free capacity or unconfigured capacity and to change the snapshot repository virtual disk parameters. You can select the advanced path regardless of whether you use free capacity or unconfigured capacity for the snapshot virtual disk.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Full Conditions — You can choose whether to fail writes to the source virtual disk or fail the snapshot virtual disk when the snapshot repository virtual disk becomes full. • Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping — Choose whether to map the snapshot virtual disk to a host or host group now or to map the snapshot virtual disk later. The default setting is Map later.
Before creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk, note the following: • The following types of virtual disks are not valid source virtual disks: snapshot repository virtual disks, snapshot virtual disks, target virtual disks that are participating in a virtual disk copy. NOTE: Virtual Disk Copy is an Advanced (Premium) feature. • You cannot create a snapshot of a virtual disk that contains unreadable sectors. • You must satisfy the requirements of your host operating system for creating snapshot virtual disks.
4 Follow any additional instructions for your operating system. Failure to follow these additional instructions can create unusable snapshot virtual disks. NOTE: If your operating system requires additional instructions, you can find those instructions in your operating system documentation. After your host server has been prepared, see "Creating the Snapshot Using the Advanced Path" on page 76 to create the snapshot using the advanced path.
6 Click Next. 7 Type a name for the snapshot in the Snapshot virtual disk name text box. 8 Type a name for the snapshot repository virtual disk in the Snapshot repository virtual disk name text box. 9 Click Next. 10 Choose whether to create the snapshot virtual disk from unconfigured capacity or free capacity. To create the snapshot virtual disk from unconfigured capacity: a Select Unconfigured capacity, then click Next.
To map later, select Map later. 15 Click Finish to create the snapshot virtual disk and the associated snapshot repository virtual disk. 16 After you have created one or more snapshot virtual disks, mount or reassign a drive letter of the source virtual disk. 17 If needed, assign host-to-virtual disk mapping between the snapshot virtual disk and the host operating system that accesses it.
• Whether you use the software-supplied sequence number that (by default) populates the Snapshot virtual disk name or the Snapshot repository virtual disk name field, the next default name for a snapshot or snapshot repository virtual disk still uses the sequence number determined by the software.
• Any virtual disk in the disk group is in any state of modification. • The controller that has ownership of this virtual disk is currently adding capacity to another virtual disk. Each controller can add capacity to only one virtual disk at a time. • No free capacity exists in the disk group. • No unconfigured capacity is available to add to the disk group. To expand the snapshot repository virtual disk from MD Storage Manager: 1 Click the Modify tab, then click Modify snapshot virtual disks.
To disable a snapshot virtual disk: 1 Click the Modify tab, then click Modify snapshot virtual disks. 2 Click Disable Snapshot Virtual Disks. 3 Highlight the snapshot virtual disk to be disabled and click Disable beneath the list. 4 In the Confirm Disable Snapshot Virtual Disk dialog box, type yes and then click OK. The snapshot virtual disk is disabled.
4 Remove the drive letter(s) of the source and (if mounted) snapshot virtual disk in Windows or unmount the virtual drive(s) in Linux to help guarantee a stable copy of the drive for the Snapshot. If this is not done, the snapshot operation will report that it has completed successfully, but the snapshot data will not be updated properly. 5 Follow any additional instructions for your operating system. Failure to follow these additional instructions can create unusable snapshot virtual disks.
Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy NOTICE: A virtual disk copy overwrites data on the target virtual disk. Before starting a virtual disk copy, ensure that you no longer need the data or back up the data on the target virtual disk. NOTE: If you ordered this feature, you received a Premium Feature Activation card that shipped in the same box as your Dell PowerVault MD storage array. Follow the directions on the card to obtain a key file and to enable the feature.
Reasons to use virtual disk copy include the following: • Copying data for improved access — As your storage requirements for a virtual disk change, you can use a virtual disk copy to copy data to a virtual disk in a disk group that uses drives with larger capacity within the same storage array. Copying data for larger access capacity enables you to move data to greater capacity physical disks (for example, 61 GB to 146 GB).
Virtual Disk Read/Write Permissions After the virtual disk copy is complete, the target virtual disk automatically becomes read-only to the hosts. The target virtual disk rejects read and write requests while the virtual disk copy operation has a status of Pending or In Progress or if the operation fails before completing the copy.
Virtual Disk Copy Restrictions Before you perform any virtual disk copy tasks, understand and adhere to the restrictions listed in this section. The restrictions apply to the source virtual disk, the target virtual disk, and the storage array. • While a virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress, Pending, or Failed, the source virtual disk is available for read I/O activity only. After the virtual disk copy is complete, read and write I/O activity to the source virtual disk are permitted.
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy Use the Create Virtual Disk Copies feature on the Configure tab to create a full copy of a source virtual disk. This operation overwrites any existing data on the target virtual disk. Once the virtual disk copy has started, all I/O activity to the source virtual disk is read-only. Any attempts to write to the source virtual disk fail until the operation is complete.
4 Remove the drive letter(s) of the source and (if mounted) virtual disk in Windows or unmount the virtual drive(s) in Linux to help guarantee a stable copy of the drive for the virtual disk. If this is not done, the copy operation will report that it has completed successfully, but the copied data will not be updated properly. 5 Follow any additional instructions for your operating system. Failure to follow these additional instructions can create unusable virtual disk copies.
5 Set the copy priority for the virtual disk copy and click Next. The source virtual disk, the target virtual disk, and the copy priority setting that you selected appear on the Create virtual disk copies—Confirm Copy Settings dialog. The higher priorities allocate more resources to the virtual disk copy at the expense of the storage array’s performance. For more information, see "Setting Copy Priority" on page 89.
You can change the copy priority for a virtual disk copy in the following circumstances: • Before the virtual disk copy begins See "Creating a Virtual Disk Copy" on page 87. • While the virtual disk copy is in progress Click the Modify tab, then click Manage Virtual Disk Copies. Select an active copy operation, then click Priority to the right of the list of virtual disk copies. • When re-creating a virtual disk copy Click the Modify tab, then click Manage Virtual Disk Copies.
Preparing Host Servers to Recopy a Virtual Disk NOTICE: Before you create a new copy of a source virtual disk, stop any data access (I/O) activity or suspend data transfer to the source virtual disk (and, if applicable, the target disk) to ensure that you capture an accurate point-in-time image of the source virtual disk. Close all applications, including Windows Internet Explorer, to make sure all I/O activity has stopped.
Recopying the Virtual Disk After first preparing the host server(s) as specified in the preceding procedure, complete the following steps to create a new virtual disk copy for an existing copy pair: 1 Click the Modify tab, and then click Manage virtual disk copies. You can only select one copy operation at a time to be recopied. 2 Select the copy operation in the list displayed by the Manage Virtual Disk Copies page, and then click Recopy at the right of the list. 3 The Recopy dialog box appears.
3 You must register the target virtual disk with the operating system before you can use the new virtual disk. Perform the following steps: a Enable write permission on the target virtual disk by either removing the virtual disk copy pair (see "Removing Copy Pairs" on page 93) or explicitly setting write permission. b In Windows, assign a drive letter to the virtual disk.
Virtual Disk Copy
Firmware Downloads You can download the following types of firmware images with MD Storage Manager: • RAID controller module firmware that manages the storage array controllers • RAID nonvolatile static random access memory (NVSRAM) images that specify the default settings for the storage array controllers • Physical disk firmware that controls the operation of the disks in the storage array • Enclosure Management Modules (EMMs) firmware that manages data transfer between the drives and a RAID enclos
Downloading Both RAID Controller and NVSRAM Firmware NOTE: I/O to the array can continue while you are upgrading RAID controller and NVSRAM firmware. NOTE: The RAID enclosure must contain at least two disk drives in order to update the firmware on the controller. Use the following procedure to download RAID controller and NVSRAM firmware in a single operation: 1 Click the Support tab, then click Download firmware. 2 From the Download firmware display, click Download RAID Controller Module Firmware.
11 A Confirm Download dialog box appears listing the current versions and the versions you selected of the RAID controller and NVSRAM firmware. To complete the download, click Yes. Downloading Only NVSRAM Firmware Use the following procedure to download NVSRAM firmware: 1 Click the Support tab, then click Download firmware. 2 From the Download firmware display, click Download RAID Controller Module NVSRAM. A dialog box lists the current controller firmware and NVSRAM versions in use.
3 Click Select File to browse to the file that you want to download. By default, only firmware images that are compatible with the current storage array configuration appear. 4 Click the non-redundant-MSCS NVSRAM file in the File Selection area and then click OK. 5 If the file you selected is not valid or is incompatible with the current storage array configuration, an error message appears. Click OK to close it, and select a compatible file. 6 Click Transfer...
7 A Confirm Download dialog box appears listing the current versions and the versions you selected of physical disk firmware. To complete the download, click Yes. Downloading EMM Firmware NOTICE: Do not make any configuration changes to the storage array while you are downloading the EMM firmware. Doing so could cause the firmware download to fail, damage the storage array, or cause loss of data accessibility.
Firmware Downloads
Troubleshooting Problems The following sections provide information to assist you in resolving problems that may occur with your MD Storage Array. Recovery Guru The Recovery Guru is a component of MD Storage Manager that diagnoses critical events on the storage array and recommends step-by-step recovery procedures for problem resolution. You can access the Recovery Guru by clicking Storage Array Needs Attention on the Summary page or by clicking Recover from failure on the Support page.
A storage array is always in one of six possible health status conditions, which you can identify by the status icon. • Optimal status — Every component in the managed device is in the desired working condition. • Needs Attention status — A problem exists with the managed device that requires intervention. If the storage array has a Needs Attention status, contact Technical Assistance for resolution.
where -f flushes all the memory-resident data for the file system indicated by , and specifies a unique file system in the following syntax: drive-letter: The file system identifier might consist of only a drive letter, as in the following example: SMrepassist -f E: NOTE: In Windows, the mount point path is a drive letter.
Unidentified Devices An unidentified node or device occurs when the MD Storage Manager cannot access a new storage array. Causes for this error include network connection problems, the storage array is turned off, or the storage array does not exist. NOTE: Before beginning any recovery procedure, make sure that the host-agent software is installed and running. If you started the host before the host was connected to the storage array, the host-agent software will not be able to find the storage array.
b Make sure that the network can access the host by using the ping command in the following syntax: ping . If the network can access the host, continue to step c. If the network cannot access the host, skip to step d. c Remove the host with the unresponsive status from the MD Storage Manager, and add that host again. If the host returns to optimal status, you have completed this procedure.
d Make sure that the applicable network configuration tasks have been done (for example, the IP addresses have been assigned to each controller). 5 Make sure that the controller firmware is compatible with the MD Storage Manager on your management station. If the controller firmware was upgraded, the MD Storage Manager might not have access to the storage array. A new version of MD Storage Manager might be needed to manage the storage array with the new version of the controller firmware.
Enclosure Hardware Replacement, Maintenance, and Configuration Considerations Removing and Inserting Enclosure Management Modules on Attached Expansion Enclosures The following procedures describe how to safely remove and insert an enclosure management module (EMM) from an expansion enclosure attached to the MD3000/MD3000i. NOTICE: Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a physical disk failing during removal and/or inadvertent removal of its redundant data path.
2 After attaching the SAS cables, wait at least three minutes for the EMM to reach optimal state. NOTE: You may experience a transitional failure on multiple EMMs in the MEL log while the system updates. Removing and Inserting Physical Disks Refer to the following guidelines to ensure that physical disks are safely removed from and inserted into the MD3000/MD3000i RAID storage array. • Wait at least 60 seconds between removing a drive and inserting a replacement.
MD3000 Cluster Configuration Guidelines for Standalone Host Servers If one of the standalone host servers you are planning to configure into a cluster environment is running MD Storage Manager and has a virtual disk mapped to the array, use that host to create the Host Group and quorum virtual disk mapping.
Hardware Considerations
Index A E alert e-mail, 27 SNMP, 27 e-mail alert, 27 B backup, 84 C Configure tab, 12 copy pairs removing, 93 copy priority, 89 event monitor, 15 F free capacity, 53 H HBA port, 43 host, 15 access, 12 configuration, 43-59 group, 47 name, 43 type, 43 D host group, 15, 43 disk expansion, 62 host-to-virtual disk mapping, 12, 60, 69, 74 disk group, 12, 53-55, 80 hot spare drive, 58, 79 automatic configuration, 59 in-use, 53 manual configuration, 59 standby, 53 documentation, 14 download firmware,
I S iSCSI advanced host port settings, 35 changing target discovery, 34 changing target identification, 34 configuring host ports, 35 edit, remove, or rename host topology, 38 iSCSI tab, 13 viewing or ending a session, 36 viewing or setting statistics, 37 safety information, 14 SMrepassist utility, 102 snapshot repository virtual disk, 53, 67 capacity, 79 snapshot virtual disk, 12, 53, 67, 84 advanced path, 73 SNMP alert, 15 source virtual disk, 67, 79, 83, 87 status, 79 L logical unit number, 15 M Mod
U unconfigured capacity, 53 utilities hot_add, 58 V virtual disk, 53-54 access, 15 deleting in Linux, 55 name, 78-79 recopy, 90 registering, 57 source, 67, 79 virtual disk copy, 12, 87, 90 examples, 84 restrictions, 86 stop, 90 W warranty, 14 Index 113
Index
