Dell Powervault Md3200I Users Manual Book

MD3220I to the manual 56a71171-1eb9-4155-99ca-9802fb481a35

2015-02-09

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Dell™ PowerVault™
MD3200i and MD3220i
Storage Arrays
Owner’s Manual
Regulatory Model: E03J Series and E04J Series
Regulatory Type: E03J001 and E04J001
book.book Page 1 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if
instructions are not followed.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal
injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, OpenManage, PowerEdge, and PowerVault are
trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Internet Explorer, MS-DOS, and Windows Server are
either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries; Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the
United States and other countries; SUSE is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States
and other countries; VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or
other jurisdictions.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and
trade names other than its own.
Regulatory Model: E03J Series and E04J Series
Regulatory Type: E03J001 and E04J001
May 2010 Rev. A00
book.book Page 2 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Contents 3
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Inside the box of the Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series Storage Array. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dell PowerVault Modular
Disk Storage Manager
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Configuration Utility 20
Other Information You May Need . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2 Planning: About Your Storage Array . . . . 23
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Front-Panel Features and Indicators . . . . . . . 24
Back Panel Features and Indicators . . . . . . . . 27
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Supply and Cooling Fan Features . . . . . . . . 29
Power Indicator Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
book.book Page 3 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
4Contents
3 Planning: RAID Controller Modules. . . . 31
RAID Controller Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
RAID Controller Module Connectors and Features . . . 32
RAID Controller Module—Additional Features . . . . . 34
Battery Backup Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Storage Array Thermal Shutdown . . . . . . . . . 34
System Password Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Cache Functions and Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Cache Mirroring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Write-Back Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Write-Through Cache. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage
Array Terms and Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Physical Disks, Virtual Disks, and Disk Groups . . . . . 37
Physical Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Physical Disk States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Self-Monitoring Analysis
and Reporting Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Virtual Disks and Disk Groups . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Virtual Disk States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
RAID Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
RAID Level Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Segment Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Virtual Disk Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Virtual Disk Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Background Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Foreground Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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Contents 5
Consistency Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Media Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Cycle Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Virtual Disk Operations Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Disk Group Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
RAID Level Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Segment Size Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Virtual Disk Capacity Expansion . . . . . . . . . . 46
Disk Group Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Disk Group Defragmentation . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Disk Group Operations Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
RAID Background Operations Priority . . . . . . . . . 47
Virtual Disk Migration and Disk Roaming. . . . . . . . 48
Disk Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Disk Roaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Host Server-to-Virtual Disk Mapping. . . . . . . . 50
Host Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Snapshot Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk. . . . . . . . . . 52
Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Virtual Disk Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Using Snapshot and Disk Copy Together. . . . . . 53
Multi-Path Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Preferred and Alternate Controllers and Paths . . 54
Virtual Disk Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Load Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Monitoring MD3200i Series System Performance . . . 56
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6Contents
5 Configuration: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Enterprise Management Window . . . . . . . . . 60
Array Management Window . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
6 Configuration: About Your
Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Out-of-Band and In-Band Management . . . . . . . . . 63
Storage Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Storage Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Setting Up Your Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Locating Storage Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Naming or Renaming Storage Arrays. . . . . . . . 68
Setting a Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Viewing Storage Array Connections . . . . . . . . 70
Adding/Editing a Comment to an
Existing Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing Storage Arrays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Enabling Premium Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Failover Alert Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Changing the Cache Settings
on the Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Changing Expansion Enclosure
ID Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Changing the Enclosure Order
in the Physical Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Configuring Alert Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Configuring E-mail Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Configuring SNMP Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Battery Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
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Contents 7
Setting the Storage Array RAID
Controller Module Clocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
7 Configuration: Using iSCSI . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Changing the iSCSI Target Authentication . . . . . . . 81
Entering Mutual Authentication Permissions. . . . . . 82
Creating CHAP Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Initiator CHAP Secret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Target CHAP Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Valid Characters for CHAP Secrets . . . . . . . . 83
Changing the iSCSI Target Identification . . . . . . . . 84
Changing the iSCSI Target Discovery Settings . . . . . 84
Configuring the iSCSI Host Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Advanced iSCSI Host Ports Settings . . . . . . . . . . 87
Viewing or Ending an iSCSI Session . . . . . . . . . . 88
Viewing iSCSI Statistics and
Setting Baseline Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Edit, Remove, or Rename Host Topology . . . . . . . . 90
8 Configuration: Event Monitor . . . . . . . . . 91
Enabling or Disabling the Event Monitor . . . . . . . . 91
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
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8Contents
9 Configuration: About Your Host . . . . . . . 93
Configuring Host Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Using the Mappings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Defining a Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Removing Host Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Managing Host Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Creating a Host Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Moving a Host to a Different Host Group . . . . . . 97
Removing a Host Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Host Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Starting or Stopping the Host Context Agent . . . . 99
I/O Data Path Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Managing Host Port Identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
10 Configuration: Disk Groups
and Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Creating Disk Groups and Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . 103
Creating Disk Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Locating a Disk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Creating Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Changing the Virtual Disk
Modification Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Changing the Virtual Disk Cache Settings . . . . 109
Changing the Segment Size of a Virtual Disk . . . 111
Changing the I/O Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Choosing an Appropriate Physical Disk Type . . . . . 113
Physical Disk Security with Self Encrypting Disk . . 113
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Contents 9
Creating a Security Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Changing a Security Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Saving a Security Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Unlocking Secure Physical Disks. . . . . . . . . . 120
Erasing Secure Physical Disks . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Configuring Hot Spare Physical Disks . . . . . . . . . 121
Hot Spares and Rebuild. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Global Hot Spares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Hot Spare Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Hot Spare Drive Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Enclosure Loss Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Creating Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings . . . . . . 126
Modifying and Removing
Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Changing Controller Ownership
of the Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Removing Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping . . . . . . 129
Changing the RAID Controller
Module Ownership of a Disk Group . . . . . . . . 130
Changing the RAID Level of a Disk Group . . . . . 131
Restricted Mappings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Changing the RAID Controller Module
Ownership of a Virtual Disk or a Disk Group . . . . 133
Changing the RAID Level of a Disk Group. . . . . . . . 135
Storage Partitioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Disk Group and Virtual Disk Expansion . . . . . . . . . 137
Disk Group Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Virtual Disk Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Using Free Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
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10 Contents
Using Unconfigured Capacity. . . . . . . . . . . 138
Disk Group Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Export Disk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Exporting a Disk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Import Disk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Importing a Disk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Storage Array Media Scan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Changing Media Scan Settings. . . . . . . . . . 142
Suspending the Media Scan . . . . . . . . . . . 143
11 Configuration: Premium Feature—
Snapshot Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk
Using the Simple Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
About the Simple Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Preparing Host Servers to Create the
Snapshot Using the Simple Path . . . . . . . . . 147
Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk
Using the Advanced Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
About the Advanced Path. . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Preparing Host Servers to Create
the Snapshot Using the Advanced Path . . . . . 151
Creating the Snapshot
Using the Advanced Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Specifying Snapshot Virtual Disk Names . . . . . . . 154
Snapshot Repository Capacity. . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Re-creating Snapshot Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . 159
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Contents 11
Disabling a Snapshot Virtual Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Preparing Host Servers to Re-create
a Snapshot Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Re-creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . 161
12 Configuration: Premium Feature—
Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy for
an MSCS Shared Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Virtual Disk Read/Write Permissions . . . . . . . . . . 165
Virtual Disk Copy Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Before you Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Virtual Disk Copy and
Modification Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Create Copy Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Failed Virtual Disk Copy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Preferred RAID Controller Module Ownership . . . . . 168
Failed RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Copy Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Copying the Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Storage Array Performance
During Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Setting Copy Priority. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Stopping a Virtual Disk Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Recopying a Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
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12 Contents
Preparing Host Servers to
Recopy a Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Recopying the Virtual Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Removing Copy Pairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
13 Configuration: Premium Feature—Upgrading
to High-Performance-Tier . . . . . . . . . . . 175
14 Configuration: Device Mapper
Multipath for Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Using DM Multipathing Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Prerequisite Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Device Mapper Configuration Steps . . . . . . . 179
Linux Host Server Reboot Best Practices . . . . 183
Important Information About Special Partitions . 183
Limitations and Known Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
15 Management: Firmware Downloads . . . 187
Downloading RAID Controller
and NVSRAM Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Downloading Both RAID Controller
and NVSRAM Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Downloading Only NVSRAM Firmware . . . . . . . . 190
Downloading Physical Disk Firmware . . . . . . . . 192
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Contents 13
Downloading MD1200 Series Expansion
Module EMM Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Self-Monitoring Analysis and
Reporting Technology (SMART) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Media Errors and Unreadable Sectors . . . . . . . . . 196
16 Management: Installing
Array Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Recommended Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Front Bezel (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Removing the Front Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Installing the Front Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Hard Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Removing a Drive Blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Installing a Drive Blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Removing a Hard Drive
From a Hard-Drive Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Installing a Hard Drive Into a Drive Carrier. . . . . 205
RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Removing a RAID Controller Module Blank . . . . 205
Installing a RAID Controller Module Blank. . . . . 206
Removing a RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . . 207
Installing a RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . . 208
Opening the RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . 208
Closing the RAID Controller Module . . . . . . . . 209
RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit . . . . . 210
book.book Page 13 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
14 Contents
Removing the RAID Controller
Module Backup Battery Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Installing the RAID Controller
Module Backup Battery Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module . . . . . . . . . . 211
Removing a Power Supply/Cooling
Fan Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Installing a Power Supply/Cooling
Fan Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Removing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Installing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Backplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Removing the Backplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Installing the Backplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
17 Management: Firmware Inventory . . . . 221
Viewing the Firmware Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . 221
18 Management: System Interfaces. . . . . . 223
Microsoft Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Virtual Disk Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Volume Shadow-Copy Service . . . . . . . . . . 223
19 Troubleshooting: Your Storage
Array Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Start-Up Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
book.book Page 14 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Contents 15
Device Health Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Storage Array Support Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Automatically Collect the Support Bundle Data . . . . 229
Collecting the Physical Disk Data . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Event Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Recovery Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Storage Array Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Viewing the Logical Associations. . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Viewing the Physical Associations . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Finding Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Using Go To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Recovering From an Unresponsive
Storage Array Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Locating a Physical Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Locating an Expansion Enclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Capturing the State Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
SMrepassist Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Unidentified Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Recovering From an Unidentified Storage Array . . . . 244
Starting or Restarting the Host
Context Agent Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
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16 Contents
20 Troubleshooting: Your Array . . . . . . . . . 249
Safety First—For you and Your Array . . . . . . . . . 249
Troubleshooting Storage Array Startup Failure . . . . 249
Troubleshooting Loss of Communication . . . . . . . 249
Troubleshooting External Connections . . . . . . . . 249
Troubleshooting Power Supply/Cooling
Fan Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Troubleshooting Array Cooling Problems . . . . . . . 251
Troubleshooting Expansion
Enclosure Management Modules . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Troubleshooting RAID Controller Modules . . . . . . 253
Troubleshooting Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Troubleshooting Array and
Expansion Enclosure Connections . . . . . . . . . . 255
Troubleshooting a Wet Storage Array . . . . . . . . . 255
Troubleshooting a Damaged Array . . . . . . . . . . 256
Troubleshooting RAID Controller Modules . . . . . . 257
Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Invalid Storage Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
ECC Errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
PCI Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Critical Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Noncritical Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
book.book Page 16 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Contents 17
21 Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
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18 Contents
book.book Page 18 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Introduction 19
1
Introduction
See the Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information document for
important safety information before following any procedures listed in this
document.
About This Document
This guide familiarizes you with the functions of the MD3200i Series storage
array. The guide is organized according to the tasks that you must complete
after receiving your Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i Series storage array.
Planning—Information about the storage array and its features.
Configuration—Tasks that must be completed to ensure that your storage
array performs optimally.
Management—Tasks the may be performed to ensure the storage array
components are up to date and performing properly, including removal and
installation of storage array components.
Troubleshooting—Tasks that you must complete to resolve problems that
may occur with the storage array.
Additional information on these and other topics can be found in the Dell
PowerVault MD3200i and MD3220i Storage Array Deployment Guide,
available at support.dell.com/manuals.
Inside the box of the Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series Storage Array
Unless specified MD3200i Series represents Dell PowerVault MD3200i and
Dell PowerVault MD3220i.
Your MD3200i Series product package includes:
• Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series
storage array
• Power cables
• Bezel (optional)
book.book Page 19 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
20 Introduction
• Mounting rails (2) (optional)
• Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series
resource media
• The Rack Installation Instructions included with your rack solution
describes how to install your enclosure into a rack.
•
Getting Started With Your System
provides an overview of enclosure
features, setting up your enclosure, and technical specifications.
Dell PowerVault MD3200i
Series Storage Array
The Dell PowerVault MD3200i Series is a 2U rack-mounted external
redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage array capable of
accommodating up to 12 3.5-inch or 24 2.5-inch 6.0-Gbps Serial-Attached
SCSI (SAS) disks. The MD3200i Series storage arrays can be daisy-chained
with MD1200 Series expansion enclosures, providing access to a maximum of
96 disks in the entire storage system. Connectivity between the storage array
and the host server is provided by a standard Ethernet connection.
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) is a graphical user
interface (GUI) application, used to configure and manage one or more
MD3200i Series Storage Arrays. The MDSM software is located on the
MD3200i Series resource media.
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Configuration Utility
Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Configuration Utility (MDCU) is an iSCSI
configuration wizard that can be used in conjunction with MDSM to simplify
the configuration of iSCSI connections. The MDCU software is located on
the MD3200i Series resource media.
Other Information You May Need
WARNING: See the safety and regulatory information that shipped with your system.
Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate
document.
•
Getting Started Guide
provides an overview of setting up and cabling your
storage array.
book.book Page 20 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Introduction 21
•
Deployment Guide
provides installation and configuration instructions for
both software and hardware.
•
Storage Manager CLI Guide
provides information about using the
command line interface (CLI).
• Resource media contains all system management tools.
•
Systems Support Matrix
provides information on supported software and
hardware for MD systems. The document is available at
support.dell.com/manuals
.
•
Dell PowerEdge® Cluster Documentation
is available at
dell.com/ha
.
•
Release notes
or readme files are included to provide last-minute updates
to the enclosure or documentation or advanced technical reference
material intended for experienced users or technicians.
• This document as well as Dell PowerVault MD 1200 series installation
guide is available at
support.dell.com/manuals
for users who incorporate
MD1200 expansion enclosures.
NOTE: Always check for updates on support.dell.com/manuals and read the
updates first because they often supersede information in other documents.
book.book Page 21 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
22 Introduction
book.book Page 22 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Planning: About Your Storage Array 23
2
Planning: About Your Storage Array
Overview
The MD3200i Series storage array is designed for high availability, offering
redundant access to data storage. It features support for both single and dual
RAID controller configuration.
The Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i storage array provides 1.0-Gbps 1000
BaseT connectivity to the host server and enables access to 32 physical hosts.
The MD3200i Series storage array includes:
• RAID controller module(s)
•PSU/Fan modules
• Disk drives (also called physical disk drives in this document)
• An optional front panel bezel
• A system enclosure, into which, the other components are plugged
book.book Page 23 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
24 Planning: About Your Storage Array
Hardware Features
Front-Panel Features and Indicators
Figure 2-1. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i
Figure 2-2. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—Dell PowerVault MD3220i
1
2
3
5
4
6
1
2
3
4
6
5
book.book Page 24 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Planning: About Your Storage Array 25
Figure 2-3. Front-Bezel Features and Indicators
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
1 Enclosure status LED The enclosure status LED lights when the
enclosure power is on.
Lights blue during normal operation.
Blinks blue when a host server is identifying the
enclosure or when the system identification
button is pressed.
Lights amber as enclosure boots or is reset.
Blinks amber when the enclosure is either in a
fault state or the hosts are not using the
preferred path to a virtual disk.
2 Power LED The power LED lights green when at least one
power supply is supplying power to
the enclosure.
1
2
3
book.book Page 25 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
26 Planning: About Your Storage Array
3 Split mode LED This LED should be unlit as the split mode
function is not supported by the MD3200i Series
Storage Arrays.
4 System identification
button
The system identification button on the front
control panel can be used to locate a particular
enclosure within a rack. When the button is
pushed, the system status indicators on the
control panel and the RAID controller module(s)
blink blue until the button is pushed again.
5 Hard drives PowerVault MD3200i—Up to 12 3.5-inch SAS
hot-swappable hard drives.
PowerVault MD3220i—Up to 24 2.5-inch SAS
hot-swappable hard drives.
6Enclosure mode
switch
The function of this switch is not applicable to
your storage array. However, if MD1200 Series
expansion enclosures are daisy chained to the
storage array, the enclosure mode switches of the
MD1200 Series expansion enclosures must be set
to the Unified-Mode position.
NOTE: This switch must be set prior to turning on
the MD1200 series expansion enclosure. Changing
the switch setting after the expansion enclosure is
turned on has no effect on enclosure configuration
until the expansion enclosure goes through a
complete power cycle.
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
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Planning: About Your Storage Array 27
Back Panel Features and Indicators
Figure 2-4. Back-Panel Features and Indicators—Dell PowerVault MD3200i Series
1 600W Power supply/cooling fan
module
2 RAID Controller Module 0
3 RAID Controller Module 1 4 600W Power supply/cooling fan
module
1234
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28 Planning: About Your Storage Array
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns
Figure 2-5. Hard Drive Indicators
1 hard-drive activity indicator (green) 2 hard-drive status indicator (green
and amber)
12
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Planning: About Your Storage Array 29
Power Supply and Cooling Fan Features
The MD3200i Series storage array includes two integrated, hot-swappable
power supply/cooling fan modules. Both modules must be installed to ensure
proper cooling. Each module contains two separate cooling fans. The system
requires at least one of the cooling fans to function to avoid overheating.
A power supply/cooling fan module can be replaced without powering down
the system. For information on removing and replacing the modules, see
"Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module" on page 211.
CAUTION: A power supply/cooling fan module can be removed from a powered-
on system for a maximum period of 5 minutes. Beyond that time, the system may
automatically shut down to prevent damage.
Drive-Status Indicator Pattern Condition
Off The physical disk is:
• not yet discovered by the host server
• has been spun down for removal
• not supported for the RAID controller
module or is not in the physical disk slot
NOTE: The drive status indicator remains
off until all hard drives are initialized after
system power is turned on. Drives are not
ready for insertion or removal during this
time.
Steady green Physical disk is online
Green flashing (On 250 ms, Off 250 ms) Physical disk is being identified
Green flashing (On 400 ms, Off 100 ms) Physical disk rebuilding
Amber flashing (On 150 ms, Off 150 ms) Physical disk failed
Flashing green, amber, and off (Green On
500 ms, Amber On 500 ms, Off 1000 ms)
Physical disk failure predicted (SMART)
Flashing green, amber, and off (Green 3
seconds, amber 3 seconds, and off 3
seconds)
Physical disk rebuild aborted
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30 Planning: About Your Storage Array
Power Indicator Codes
Figure 2-6. Power Indicator Codes
Item LED Type Icon Description
1 DC power The LED lights green when the DC output
voltage is within the limit.
If this LED is off, it indicates that the DC output
voltage are not within the limit.
2 Power supply/cooling
fan fault
The LED lights amber when the DC output
voltage is not within the limit or a fault with the
fan is detected.
If this LED is off, it indicates that no fault
condition is present.
3 AC power The LED lights green when the AC input voltage
is within the limit.
If this LED is off, it indicates either there is no
power or the AC input voltage is not within the
limit.
4 Power connector Connect the external power supply to this
connector.
5 Power switches (2) The power switch controls the power supply
output to the enclosure.
1
2
3
5
4
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Planning: RAID Controller Modules 31
3
Planning: RAID Controller Modules
RAID Controller Modules
The RAID controller modules provide high-performance, advanced virtual
disk configuration, and fault-tolerant disk subsystem management. Each
RAID controller module contains 2 GB of cache that is mirrored with the
other controller's cache for high availability and is protected by a battery-
powered cache offload mechanism.
RAID controller modules provide the following data path and enclosure
management functions:
• Monitoring and controlling enclosure environment elements
(temperature, fans, power supplies, and enclosure LEDs)
• Controlling access to the physical disks
• Communicating enclosure attributes and states to the host server and
management station
Each RAID controller module has multiple iSCSI IN-ports for host access.
The ports provide redundant host connections and support a high availability
storage environment. Various configurations can be utilized, in both single
controller (simplex) and dual controller (duplex) modes, to connect the
storage enclosure to hosts depending on specific redundancy needs.
For information on cabling, see the MD3200i and MD3220i Series storage
array’s Deployment Guide.
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32 Planning: RAID Controller Modules
RAID Controller Module Connectors and Features
Figure 3-1. MD3200i Series iSCSI RAID Controller Module
Item Component Function
1 SAS OUT port Provides SAS connection for cabling to an expansion
enclosure.
2 iSCSI IN port 0 Provides host-to-controller iSCSI 1Gbps Ethernet
connection.
3 iSCSI IN port 1 Provides host-to-controller iSCSI 1Gbps Ethernet
connection.
4 iSCSI IN port 2 Provides host-to-controller iSCSI 1Gbps Ethernet
connection.
5 iSCSI IN port 3 Provides host-to-controller iSCSI 1Gbps Ethernet
connection.
6 Management port
ethernet connector
Provides a 100/1000 Mbps Ethernet connection for
out-of-band management of the enclosure.
7 Debug port Dell support only.
12 567
81112141516910 13 18 1917
34
book.book Page 32 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Planning: RAID Controller Modules 33
8SAS OUT port
link/fault LED
Lights green when all four links are connected.
Lights amber when one to three links are
disconnected.
Off when all links in the port are disconnected or
cable is disconnected.
9iSCSI IN port link
LED
Lights green when ethernet connection at 1Gbps
established.
Off when there is no link.
10 Controller power LED Lights green when controller is turned on.
Off when controller is not turned on.
11 iSCSI IN port activity
LED
Lights green when there is no activity on 1Gbps
connection.
Blinks green when there is Activity on 1Gbps
connection.
Off when 1Gbps link is down.
12 Controller fault LED Lights amber when controller fault detected.
Off when controller operating normally.
13 System identification
LED
Blinks blue when system identification switch push-
button on enclosure front panel is pressed.
14 Cache active or cache
offload LED
Lights green when On-board controller memory
contains data.
If AC power fails, this LED changes to indicate Cache
Offload status. If the password reset function has
successfully changed the password, this LED flashes
on and off briefly.
15 Battery fault Lights amber when battery backup unit or battery has
failed.
Off when battery backup unit is operating normally.
16 Password reset switch Activating this switch deletes the password.
17 MAC address label Provides MAC addresses of iSCSI host ports and the
management port.
Item Component Function
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34 Planning: RAID Controller Modules
RAID Controller Module—Additional Features
Battery Backup Unit
Each RAID controller contains a two-cell lithium ion nanopolymer battery
backup unit (BBU). It provides power to the RAID controller module in the
event of a power outage. For information on removing and installing the
BBU, see "RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit" on page 210.
NOTE: For virtual disks, the RAID controller firmware changes the data cache
setting based on the state of the battery. If the battery is missing or does not have
sufficient charge, the controller flushes the cache and sets the write cache
attribute to Write Through for all virtual disks. When the battery is replaced, Write
Back is re-enabled.
Storage Array Thermal Shutdown
The system automatically shuts down when system temperature exceeds the
safe threshold. The battery backup unit protects against data loss by
providing power to offload to non-volatile memory in the event of power loss.
It is not necessary to shut down any MD1200 Series expansion enclosures
attached to the storage array when thermal shutdown occurs.
Temperature threshold values determine the temperature at which shutdown
occurs. These thresholds cannot be changed.
18 Management port
speed LED
Lights green when ethernet connection is operating at
1000 Mbps.
Lights amber when ethernet connection is operating
at 100 Mbps.
Off when ethernet connection is operating at 10 Mbps
or is not active.
19 Management port
activity LED
Lights green when ethernet connection is active.
Off when ethernet connection is not active.
Item Component Function
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Planning: RAID Controller Modules 35
System Password Reset
The storage array system password can be reset if it is forgotten. To reset the
password, push and hold down the password reset switch for at least 5
seconds. The password is deleted. See Figure 3-1 to locate the password reset
switch.
The RAID controller module allows you to change the password. For more
information about setting your password, see "Setting a Password" on page 69.
NOTE: The reset switch can be accessed by using a small object such as the tip of
a pen.
Cache Functions and Features
Cache Mirroring
Cache mirroring function copies accepted host-write data from the primary
controller to the partner controller. This action ensures that host-write data is
safely mirrored to the partner controller before successful completion status is
returned to the host. If a controller fails, the surviving controller safely retains
all mirrored data. Cache mirroring is enabled by default.
Write-Back Cache
In Write-back Cache, write operations result in a completion signal being
sent to the host operating system as soon as the cache receives the data to be
written. The target physical disk receives the data at a more appropriate time
in order to increase controller performance. In dual-active controller
configurations with Write-back Caching enabled, the write data is always
Table 3-1. Shutdown Threshold Type
Threshold Temperature Exceeding Event Description
Nominal failure threshold A critical event is set
Maximum failure threshold Shutdown of the system power supplies occurs
within three minutes
Shutdown threshold Shutdown of the system power supplies occurs
within five seconds
book.book Page 35 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
36 Planning: RAID Controller Modules
mirrored to the cache of the second controller before completion status is
issued to the host initiator. Write-Back Cache is enabled by default unless
cache mirroring is disabled.
Write-Through Cache
In write-through cache, data is written to the physical disk before completion
status is returned to the host operating system. Write-through cache is
considered more robust than write-back cache, since a power failure is less
likely to cause loss of data. The RAID controller automatically switches to
write-through if cache mirroring is disabled or if the battery is missing or has a
fault condition.
book.book Page 36 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 37
4
Planning: MD3200i Series Storage
Array Terms and Concepts
This chapter explains terms and concepts used for configuration and
operation of MD3200i Series storage arrays.
Physical Disks, Virtual Disks, and Disk Groups
Physical disks in your storage array provide the physical storage capacity for
your data. Before you can begin writing data to the storage array, you must
configure the physical storage capacity into logical components, called disk
groups and virtual disks.
A disk group is a set of physical disks upon which multiple virtual disks are
created. The maximum number of physical disks supported in a disk group is
96 drives for RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID10, and 30 drives for RAID 5 and
RAID 6. You can create disk groups from unconfigured capacity on your
storage array.
A virtual disk is a partition in a disk group that is made up of contiguous data
segments of the physical disks in the disk group. A virtual disk consists of data
segments from all physical disks in the disk group. Virtual disks and disk
groups are set up according to how you plan to organize your data. For
example, you might have one virtual disk for inventory, a second virtual disk
for financial and tax information, and so on.
All virtual disks in a disk group support the same RAID level. The storage
array supports up to 255 virtual disks (minimum size of 10 MB each) that can
be assigned to host servers. Each virtual disk is assigned a Logical Unit
Number (LUN) that is recognized by the host operating system.
Physical Disks
Only Dell™ supported 6.0-Gbps SAS physical disks are supported in the
storage array. If the storage array detects unsupported physical disks, it marks
the disk as unsupported and the physical disk becomes unavailable for all
operations.
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38 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
NOTE: The MD3200i storage enclosure must contain at least two physical disks for
proper operation. This is necessary because the physical disks are used to store
configuration information.
Physical Disk States
The storage array recognizes the physical disk states. Mode and status of
physical disks are reported in the MDSM application. Possible values for
mode and status or described in Table 4-1.
Table 4-1. RAID Controller Physical Disk States
Status Mode Description Physical Disk
Status LED
Optimal Assigned The physical disk in the indicated slot
is configured as part of a disk group.
Steady Green
Optimal Unassigned The physical disk in the indicated slot
is unused and available to be
configured.
Steady Green
Optimal Hot Spare
standby
The physical disk in the indicated slot
is configured as a hot spare.
Steady Green
Optimal Hot Spare in
use
The physical disk in the indicated slot
is in use as a hot spare within a disk
group.
Steady Green
Failed Assigned,
Unassigned,
Hot Spare in
use, or Hot
Spare standby
The physical disk in the indicated slot
has failed because of an unrecoverable
error, an incorrect drive type or drive
size, or by its operational state being
set to failed.
Amber flashing
(150 ms)
Replaced Assigned The physical disk in the indicated slot
has been replaced and is ready to be,
or is actively being, configured into a
disk group.
Green flashing
(On 400 ms, Off
100 ms)
Pending
Failure
Assigned,
Unassigned,
Hot spare in
use, or Hot
Spare standby
A Self-Monitoring Analysis and
Reporting Technology (SMART) error
has been detected on the physical disk
in the indicated slot.
Flashing Green
(500 ms), Amber
(500 ms), and off
(1000ms)
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 39
If a disk drive rebuild fails because of a source drive failure or because the
drive is too small, the MDSM reports a failure of the physical disk even
though the LED state on the drive indicates the rebuild was aborted (green
for 3 seconds, amber for 3 seconds, then off for 3 seconds).
Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology
SMART monitors the internal performance of all physical disk components
to detect faults indicating the potential for physical disk failure. SMART uses
this information to report whether failure is imminent so that a physical disk
can be replaced before failure occurs. The storage array monitors all attached
drives and notifies you when a predicted failure is reported by a physical disk.
Virtual Disks and Disk Groups
When configuring a storage array, you must:
1
Organize the physical disks into disk groups.
2
Create virtual disks within these disk groups.
3
Provide host server access.
4
Create mappings to associate the virtual disks with the host servers.
NOTE: Host server access must be created before mapping virtual disks.
Offline Not applicable The physical disk has either been spun
down or had a rebuild aborted by user
request.
Flashing Green
(3000 ms), Amber
(3000 ms), and
off(3000ms)
Identify Assigned,
Unassigned,
Hot Spare in
use, or Hot
Spare standby
The physical disk is being identified. Green flashing
(250 ms)
N/A N/A The indicated slot is empty, or the
array cannot detect the physical disk.
Table 4-1. RAID Controller Physical Disk States
(continued)
Status Mode Description Physical Disk
Status LED
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40 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
Disk groups are always created in the unconfigured capacity of a storage array.
Unconfigured capacity is the available physical disk space not already
assigned in the storage array.
Virtual disks are created within the free capacity of a disk group. Free capacity
is the space in a disk group that has not been assigned to a virtual disk.
Virtual Disk States
The storage array recognizes the following virtual disk states.
RAID Levels
RAID levels determine the way in which data is written to physical disks.
Different RAID levels provide different levels of accessibility, redundancy,
and capacity.
Using multiple physical disks has the following advantages over using a single
physical disk:
• Placing data on multiple physical disks (striping) allows input/output (I/O)
operations to occur simultaneously and improve performance.
• Storing redundant data on multiple physical disks using mirroring or parity
supports reconstruction of lost data if an error occurs, even if that error is
the failure of a physical disk.
Table 4-2. RAID Controller Virtual Disk States
State Description
Optimal The virtual disk contains physical disks that are all online.
Degraded The virtual disk with a redundant RAID level contains an inaccessible
physical disk. The system can still work properly, but performance
may be affected and additional disk failures may result in data loss.
Offline A virtual disk with one or more member disks in an inaccessible
(failed, missing, or offline) state. Data on the virtual disk is no longer
accessible.
Force online The storage array forces a virtual disk that is in an Offline state to an
Optimal state. If all the member physical disks are not available, the
storage array forces the virtual disk to a Degraded state. The storage
array can force a virtual disk to an Online state only when a sufficient
number of physical disks are available to support the virtual disk.
book.book Page 40 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 41
Each RAID level provides different performance and protection. You should
select a RAID level based on the type of application, access, fault tolerance,
and data you are storing.
The storage array supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. The maximum
number of physical disks that can be used in a disk group depends on the
RAID level:
• 96 for RAID 0, 1 and 10
• 30 for RAID 5 and 6.
RAID Level Usage
To ensure best performance, you should select an optimal RAID level when
you create a system physical disk. The optimal RAID level for your disk array
depends on:
• Number of physical disks in the disk array
• Capacity of the physical disks in the disk array
• Need for redundant access to the data (fault tolerance)
• Disk performance requirements
RAID 0
RAID 0 uses disk striping to provide high data throughput, especially for large
files in an environment that requires no data redundancy. RAID 0 breaks the
data down into segments and writes each segment to a separate physical disk.
I/O performance is greatly improved by spreading the I/O load across many
physical disks. Although it offers the best performance of any RAID level,
RAID 0 lacks data redundancy. Choose this option only for non-critical data,
because failure of one physical disk results in the loss of all data. Examples of
RAID 0 applications include video editing, image editing, prepress
applications, or any application requiring high bandwidth.
RAID 1
RAID 1 uses disk mirroring so that data written to one physical disk is
simultaneously written to another physical disk. This RAID level offers fast
performance and the best data availability, but also the highest disk overhead.
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42 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
RAID 1 is recommended for small databases or other applications that do not
require large capacity for example accounting, payroll, or financial
applications. RAID 1 provides full data redundancy.
RAID 5
RAID 5 uses parity and striping data across all physical disks (distributed
parity) to provide high data throughput and data redundancy, especially for
small random access. RAID 5 is a versatile RAID level and is suited for multi-
user environments where typical I/O size is small and there is a high
proportion of read activity such as file, application, database, web, e-mail,
news, and intranet servers.
RAID 6
RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 but provides an additional parity disk for better
redundancy. RAID 6 is the most versatile RAID level and is suited for multi-
user environments where typical I/O size is small and there is a high
proportion of read activity. RAID 6 is recommended when large size physical
disks are used or large number of physical disks are used in a disk group.
RAID 10
RAID 10, a combination of RAID 1 and RAID 0, uses disk striping across
mirrored disks. It provides high data throughput and complete data
redundancy. Utilizing an even number of physical disks (four or more) creates
a RAID level 10 disk group and/or virtual disk. Because RAID levels 1 and 10
use disk mirroring, half of the capacity of the physical disks is utilized for
mirroring. This leaves the remaining half of the physical disk capacity for
actual storage. RAID 10 is automatically used when a RAID level of 1 is
chosen with four or more physical disks. RAID 10 works well for medium-
sized databases or any environment that requires high performance and fault
tolerance and moderate-to-medium capacity.
Segment Size
Disk striping enables data to be written across multiple physical disks. Disk
striping enhances performance because striped disks are accessed
simultaneously.
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 43
The segment size or stripe element size specifies the size of data in a stripe
written to a single disk. The storage array supports stripe element sizes of 8,
16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512 KB. The default stripe element size is 128 KB.
Stripe width, or depth, refers to the number of disks involved in an array
where striping is implemented. For example, a four-disk group with disk
striping has a stripe width of four.
NOTE: Although disk striping delivers excellent performance, striping alone does
not provide data redundancy.
Virtual Disk Operations
Virtual Disk Initialization
Every virtual disk must be initialized. Initialization can be done in the
foreground or the background. A maximum of four virtual disks can be
initialized concurrently on each RAID controller module.
Background Initialization
The storage array executes a background initialization when the virtual disk is
created to establish parity, while allowing full host server access to the virtual
disks. Background initialization does not run on RAID 0 virtual disks. The
background initialization rate is controlled by MDSM. To change the rate of
background initialization, you must stop any existing background
initialization. The rate change is implemented when the background
initialization restarts automatically.
Foreground Initialization
The storage array supports foreground initialization for virtual disks. All
access to the virtual disk is blocked during foreground initialization. During
foreground initialization, zeros (0x00) are written to every sector of the virtual
disk. The virtual disk is available after foreground initialization is completed.
Consistency Check
A consistency check verifies the correctness of data in a redundant array
(RAID levels 1, 5, 6, and 10). For example, in a system with parity, checking
consistency involves computing the data on one physical disk and comparing
the results to the contents of the parity physical disk.
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44 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
A consistency check is similar to a background initialization. The difference is
that background initialization cannot be started or stopped manually, while
consistency check can.
NOTE: Dell recommends that you run data consistency checks on a redundant
array at least once a month. This allows detection and automatic replacement of
unreadable sectors. Finding an unreadable sector during a rebuild of a failed
physical disk is a serious problem, because the system does not have the
redundancy to recover the data.
Media Verification
Another background task performed by the storage array is media verification
of all configured physical disks in a disk group. The storage array uses the
Read operation to perform verification on the space configured in virtual
disks and the space reserved for the metadata.
Cycle Time
The media verification operation runs only on selected disk groups,
independent of other disk groups. Cycle time is the time taken to complete
verification of the metadata region of the disk group and all virtual disks in
the disk group for which media verification is configured. The next cycle for a
disk group starts automatically when the current cycle completes. You can set
the cycle time for a media verification operation between 1 and 30 days. The
storage controller throttles the media verification I/O accesses to disks based
on the cycle time.
The storage array tracks the cycle for each disk group independent of other
disk groups on the controller and creates a checkpoint. If the media
verification operation on a disk group is preempted or blocked by another
operation on the disk group, the storage array resumes after the current cycle.
If the media verification process on a disk group is stopped due to a RAID
controller module restart, the storage array resumes the process from the last
checkpoint.
Virtual Disk Operations Limit
The maximum number of active, concurrent virtual disk processes per RAID
controller module installed in the storage array is four. This limit is applied to
the following virtual disk processes:
• Background initialization
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 45
• Foreground initialization
• Consistency check
•Rebuild
•Copy back.
If a redundant RAID controller module fails with existing virtual disk
processes, the processes on the failed controller are transferred to the peer
controller. A transferred process is placed in a suspended state if there are
four active processes on the peer controller. The suspended processes are
resumed on the peer controller when the number of active processes falls
below four.
Disk Group Operations
RAID Level Migration
You can migrate from one RAID level to another depending on your
requirements. For example, fault-tolerant characteristics can be added to a
stripe set (RAID 0) by converting it to a RAID 5 set. MDSM provides
information about RAID attributes to assist you in selecting the appropriate
RAID level. You can perform a RAID level migration while the system is still
running and without rebooting, which maintains data availability.
Segment Size Migration
Segment size refers to the amount of data (in kilobytes) that the storage array
writes on a single physical disk in a virtual disk before writing data on the next
physical disk. Valid values for the segment size are 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and
512 KB.
Dynamic segment size migration enables the segment size of a given virtual
disk to be changed. A default segment size is set when the virtual disk is
created, based on such factors as the RAID level and expected usage. You can
change the default value if segment size usage does not match your needs.
When considering a segment-size change, two scenarios illustrate different
approaches to the limitations:
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46 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
• If I/O activity stretches beyond the segment size, you can increase it to
reduce the number of disks required for a single I/O. Using a single
physical disk for a single request frees disks to service other requests,
especially when you have multiple users accessing a database or storage
environment.
• If you use the virtual disk in a single-user, large I/O environment (such as
for multimedia application storage), performance can be optimized when
a single I/O request is serviced with a single data stripe (the segment size
multiplied by the number of physical disks in the disk group used for data
storage). In this case, multiple disks are used for the same request, but
each disk is only accessed once.
Virtual Disk Capacity Expansion
When you configure a virtual disk, you select a capacity based on the amount
of data you expect to store. However, you may need to increase the virtual
disk capacity for a standard virtual disk by adding free capacity to the disk
group. This creates more unused space for new virtual disks or to expand
existing virtual disks.
Disk Group Expansion
Because the storage array supports hot pluggable physical disks, you can add
two physical disks at a time for each disk group while the storage array
remains online. Data remains accessible on virtual disk groups, virtual disks,
and physical disks throughout the operation. The data and increased unused
free space are dynamically redistributed across the disk group. RAID
characteristics are also reapplied to the disk group as a whole.
Disk Group Defragmentation
Defragmenting consolidates the free capacity in the disk group into one
contiguous area. Defragmentation does not change the way in which the data
is stored on the virtual disks.
Disk Group Operations Limit
The maximum number of active, concurrent disk group processes per
installed RAID controller module is one. This limit is applied to the following
disk group processes:
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 47
• Virtual disk RAID level migration
• Segment size migration
• Virtual disk capacity expansion
• Disk group expansion
• Disk group defragmentation.
If a redundant RAID controller module fails with an existing disk group
process, the process on the failed controller is transferred to the peer
controller. A transferred process is placed in a suspended state if there is an
active disk group process on the peer controller. The suspended processes are
resumed when the active process on the peer controller completes or is
stopped.
NOTE: If you try to start a disk group process on a controller that does not have an
existing active process, the start attempt fails if the first virtual disk in the disk group
is owned by the other controller and there is an active process on the other
controller.
RAID Background Operations Priority
The storage array supports a common configurable priority for the following
RAID operations:
• Background initialization
•Rebuild
•Copy back
• Virtual disk capacity expansion
• Raid level migration
• Segment size migration
• Disk group expansion
• Disk group defragmentation.
The priority of each of these operations can be changed to address
performance requirements of the environment in which the operations are to
be executed.
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48 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
NOTE: Setting a high priority level impacts storage array performance. It is not
advisable to set priority levels at the maximum level. Priority should also be
assessed in terms of impact to host server access and time to complete an
operation. For example, the longer a rebuild of a degraded virtual disk takes, the
greater the risk for potential secondary disk failure.
Virtual Disk Migration and Disk Roaming
Virtual disk migration is moving a virtual disk or a hot spare from one array to
another by detaching the physical disks and re-attaching them to the new
array. Disk roaming is moving a physical disk from one slot to another on the
same array.
Disk Migration
You can move virtual disks from one array to another without taking the
target array offline. However, the disk group being migrated must be offline
prior to performing the disk migration. If the disk group is not offline prior to
migration, the source array holding the physical and virtual disks within the
disk group marks them as missing. However, the disk groups themselves
migrate to the target array.
An array can import a virtual disk only if it is in an optimal state. You can
move virtual disks that are part of a disk group only if all members of the disk
group are being migrated. The virtual disks automatically become available
after the target array has finished importing all the disks in the disk group.
When you migrate a physical disk or a disk group from one MD3200i array to
another, the MD3200i array you migrate to, recognizes any data structures
and/or metadata you had in place on the migrating MD3200i array. However,
if you are migrating from any device other than a MD3200i Series Storage
Array, the MD3200i array does not recognize the migrating metadata and
that data is lost. In this case, MD3200i initializes the physical disks and mark
them as unconfigured capacity.
NOTE: Only disk groups and associated virtual disks with all member physical disks
present can be migrated from one storage array to another. It is recommended that
you only migrate disk groups that have all their associated member virtual disks in
an optimal state.
NOTE: The number of physical disks and virtual disks that a storage array supports
limits the scope of the migration.
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 49
Use either of the following methods to move disk groups and virtual disks:
• Hot virtual disk migration—Disk migration with the destination storage
array power turned on.
• Cold virtual disk migration—Disk migration with the destination storage
array power turned off.
NOTE: To ensure that the migrating disk groups and virtual disks are correctly
recognized when the target storage array has an existing physical disk, use hot
virtual disk migration.
When attempting virtual disk migration, follow these recommendations:
• Moving physical disks to the destination array for migration—When
inserting drives into the destination storage array during hot virtual disk
migration, wait for the inserted physical disk to be displayed in MDSM
before inserting the next physical disk.
WARNING: Without the delay between drive insertions, the storage array
can become unstable and manageability is temporarily lost.
• Migrating virtual disks from multiple storage arrays into a single storage
array—When migrating virtual disks from multiple or different storage
arrays into a single destination storage array, move all of the physical disks
from the same storage array as a set into the new destination storage array.
Ensure that all of the physical disks from a storage array are migrated to
the destination storage array before starting migration from the next
storage array.
NOTE: If the drive modules are not moved as a set to the destination storage
array, the newly relocated disk groups might not be accessible.
• Migrating virtual disks to a storage array with no existing physical disks—
Turn off the destination storage array, when migrating disk groups or a
complete set of physical disks from a storage array to another storage array
that has no existing physical disks. After the destination storage array has
been turned on and has successfully recognized the newly migrated
physical disks, migration operations can continue.
NOTE: Disk groups from multiple storage arrays should not be migrated at the
same time to a storage array that has no existing physical disks. Use cold
virtual disk migration for the disk groups from one storage array.
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50 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
• Enabling premium features before migration—Before migrating disk
groups and virtual disks, enable the required premium features on the
destination storage array. If a disk group is migrated from a MD3200i
storage array that has a premium feature enabled and the destination array
does not have this feature enabled, an
Out of Compliance
error message
can be generated.
Disk Roaming
You can move physical disks within an array. The RAID controller module
automatically recognizes the relocated physical disks and logically places
them in the proper virtual disks that are part of the disk group. Disk roaming
is permitted when the RAID controller module is either online or powered
off.
NOTE: The disk group must be exported before moving the physical disks.
Advanced Features
The RAID enclosure supports several advanced features:
• Virtual Disk Snapshots
•Virtual Disk Copy
• High Performance Tier
NOTE: Virtual Disk Snapshot, Virtual Disk Copy, and High Performance Tier are
premium features that must be activated separately. If you have purchased these
features, an activation card is supplied that contains instructions for enabling this
functionality.
Host Server-to-Virtual Disk Mapping
The host server attached to a storage array accesses various virtual disks on
the storage array through its host ports. Specific virtual disk-to-LUN
mappings to an individual host server can be defined. In addition, the host
server can be part of a host group that shares access to one or more virtual
disks.
You can manually configure a host server-to-virtual disk mapping. When you
configure host server-to-virtual disk mapping, consider these guidelines:
• You can define one host server-to-virtual disk mapping for each virtual disk
in the storage array.
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 51
• Host server-to-virtual disk mappings are shared between RAID controller
modules in the storage array.
• A unique LUN must be used by a host group or host server to access a
virtual disk.
• Not every operating system has the same number of LUNs available for
use.
Host Types
A host server is a server that accesses a storage array. Host servers are mapped
to the virtual disks and use one or more iSCSI initiator ports. Host servers
have the following attributes:
• Host name—A name that uniquely identifies the host server.
• Host group (used in Cluster solutions only)—Two or more host servers
associated together to share access to the same virtual disks.
This host group is a logical entity you can create in MDSM. All host servers
in a host group must be running the same operating system.
• Host type—The operating system running on the host server.
Snapshot Virtual Disks
A snapshot is a point-in-time image of a virtual disk. The snapshot provides
an image of the virtual disk at the time the snapshot was created. You create a
snapshot so that an application (for example, a backup application) can
access the snapshot and read the data while the source virtual disk remains
online and user-accessible. When the backup is completed, the snapshot
virtual disk is no longer needed. You can create up to four snapshots per
virtual disk.
Snapshots are used to recover previous versions of files that have changed
since the snapshot was taken. Snapshots are implemented using a copy-on-
write algorithm, which makes a backup copy of data the instant an error
occurs. Data on a virtual disk is copied to the snapshot repository before it is
modified. Snapshots are instantaneous and take up less overhead than a full
physical copy process.
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52 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk
When you create a snapshot virtual disk, it automatically creates a snapshot
repository virtual disk. A snapshot repository is a virtual disk created in the
storage array as a resource for a snapshot virtual disk. A snapshot repository
virtual disk contains snapshot virtual disk metadata and copy-on-write data
for a particular snapshot virtual disk. The repository supports one snapshot
only.
You cannot select a snapshot repository virtual disk as a source virtual disk or
as a target virtual disk in a virtual disk copy. If you select a Snapshot source
virtual disk as the target virtual disk of a virtual disk copy, you must disable all
snapshot virtual disks associated with the source virtual disk.
CAUTION: Before using the Snapshot Virtual Disks Premium Feature in a
Windows® Clustered configuration, you must map the snapshot virtual disk to the
cluster node that owns the source virtual disk. This ensures that the cluster nodes
correctly recognize the snapshot virtual disk.
Mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the node that does not own the source
virtual disk before the snapshot enabling process is completed can result in
the operating system misidentifying the snapshot virtual disk. This can result
in data loss or an inaccessible snapshot.
For details on mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the secondary node, refer
to the Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i and MD3220i Storage Arrays With
Microsoft® Windows Server® Failover Clusters on support.dell.com/manuals.
Virtual Disk Copy
Virtual disk copy is a premium feature you can use to:
•Back up data
• Copy data from disk groups that use smaller-capacity physical disks to disk
groups using greater capacity physical disks
• Restore snapshot virtual disk data to the source virtual disk.
Virtual disk copy generates a full copy of data from the source virtual disk to
the target virtual disk in a storage array.
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 53
Source Virtual Disk
When you create a virtual disk copy, a copy pair consisting of a source virtual
disk and a target virtual disk is created on the same storage array. When a
virtual disk copy is started, data from the source virtual disk is copied
completely to the target virtual disk.
Target Virtual Disk
When you start a virtual disk copy, the target virtual disk maintains a copy of
the data from the source virtual disk. You can choose whether to use an
existing virtual disk or create a new virtual disk as the target virtual disk. If
you choose an existing virtual disk as the target, all data on the target is
overwritten. A target virtual disk can be a standard virtual disk or the source
virtual disk of a failed or disabled snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: The target virtual disk capacity must be equal to or greater than the source
virtual disk capacity.
When you begin the disk copy process, you must define the rate at which the
copy is completed. Giving the copy process top priority slightly impacts I/O
performance, while giving it lowest priority makes the copy process longer to
complete. You can modify the copy priority while the disk copy is in progress.
For more information, see the online help topics.
Virtual Disk Recovery
You can use the Edit host server-to-virtual disk mappings feature to recover
data from the backup virtual disk. This functionality enables you to unmap
the original source virtual disk from its host server, then map the backup
virtual disk to the same host server.
Ensure that you record the LUN used to provide access to the source virtual
disk. You need this information when you define a host server-to-virtual disk
mapping for the target (backup) virtual disk. Also, be sure to stop all I/O
activity to the source virtual disk before beginning the virtual disk recovery
procedure.
Using Snapshot and Disk Copy Together
You can use the Snapshot Virtual Disk and Virtual Disk Copy premium
features together to back up data on the same storage array, or to restore the
data on the snapshot virtual disk to its original source virtual disk.
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54 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
You can copy data from a virtual disk in one of two ways:
• By taking a point-in-time snapshot of the data
• By copying the data to another virtual disk using a virtual disk copy
You can select a snapshot virtual disk as the source virtual disk for a virtual
disk copy. This configuration is one of the best ways you can apply the
snapshot virtual disk feature, since it enables complete backups without any
impact to the storage array I/O.
You cannot use a snapshot repository virtual disk as a source virtual disk or as
a target virtual disk in a virtual disk copy. If you select the source virtual disk
as the target virtual disk of a virtual disk copy, you must disable all snapshot
virtual disks associated with the source virtual disk.
Multi-Path Software
Multi-path software (also referred to as the failover driver) is software
resident on the host server that provides management of the redundant data
path between the host server and the storage array. For the multi-path
software to correctly manage a redundant path, the configuration must have
redundant iSCSI connections and cabling.
The multi-path software identifies the existence of multiple paths to a virtual
disk and establishes a preferred path to that disk. If any component in the
preferred path fails, the multi-path software automatically re-routes I/O
requests to the alternate path so that the storage array continues to operate
without interruption.
NOTE: Multi-path software available on the MD3200i series resource media.
Preferred and Alternate Controllers and Paths
A preferred controller is a RAID controller module designated as the owner of
a virtual disk or disk group. The preferred controller is automatically selected
by MDSM when a virtual disk is created. You can change the preferred RAID
controller module owner of a virtual disk after it is created. If a host is only
connected to only one RAID controller module, the preferred owner must
manually be assigned to the RAID controller module the host can access.
Ownership of a virtual disk is moved from the preferred controller to the
secondary controller (also called the alternate controller) when the preferred
controller is:
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 55
• Physically removed
• Updating firmware
• Involved in an event that caused failover to the alternate controller
Paths used by the preferred RAID controller module to access either the disks
or the host server are called the preferred paths; redundant paths are called
the alternate paths. If a failure causes the preferred path to become
inaccessible, the storage array automatically uses the alternate path to access
data, when this occurs the enclosure status LED blinks amber.
Virtual Disk Ownership
MDSM can be used to automatically build and view virtual disks. It uses
optimal settings to stripe the disk group. Virtual disks are assigned to
alternating RAID controller modules when they are created. This default
assignation provides a simple means for load balancing the workload of the
RAID controller modules.
Ownership can later be modified to balance workload according to actual
usage. If virtual disk ownership is not manually balanced, it is possible for one
controller to have the majority of the work, while the other controller is idle.
Limit the number of virtual disks in a disk group. If multiple virtual disks are
in a disk group, consider:
• The impact each virtual disk has on other virtual disks in the same disk
group.
• The patterns of usage for each virtual disk.
• Different virtual disks have higher usage at different times of day.
Load Balancing
A load balance policy is used to determine which path is used to process I/O.
Multiple options for setting the load balance policies lets you optimize I/O
performance when mixed host interfaces are configured.
You can choose one of these load balance policies to optimize I/O
performance:
• Round robin with subset—The round robin with subset I/O load balance
policy routes I/O requests, in rotation, to each available data path to the
RAID controller module that owns the virtual disks. This policy treats all
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56 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
paths to the RAID controller module that owns the virtual disk equally for
I/O activity. Paths to the secondary RAID controller module are ignored
until ownership changes. The basic assumption for the round-robin policy
is that the data paths are equal. With mixed host support, the data paths
might have different bandwidths or different data transfer speeds.
• Least queue depth with subset—The least queue depth with subset policy
is also known as the least I/Os or least requests policy. This policy routes
the next I/O request to a data path that has the least outstanding I/O
requests queued. For this policy, an I/O request is simply a command in
the queue. The type of command or the number of blocks that are
associated with the command are not considered.The least queue depth
with subset policy treats large block requests and small block requests
equally. The data path selected is one of the paths in the path group of the
RAID controller module that owns the virtual disk.
• Least path weight with subset (Windows operating systems only)—The
least queue depth with subset policy is also known as the least I/Os or least
requests policy. This policy routes the next I/O request to a data path that
has the least outstanding I/O requests queued. For this policy, an I/O
request is simply a command in the queue. The type of command or the
number of blocks that are associated with the command are not
considered. The least queue depth with subset policy treats large block
requests and small block requests equally. The data path selected is one of
the paths in the path group of the RAID controller module that owns the
virtual disk.
Monitoring MD3200i Series System Performance
You can use the Performance Monitor to select virtual disks and RAID
controller modules to monitor or to change the polling interval.
Keep these guidelines in mind when using the Performance Monitor:
• The Performance Monitor does not dynamically update its display if any
configuration changes occur while the window is open. You must close the
Performance Monitor window and reopen it for the changes to appear.
• Using the Performance Monitor to retrieve performance data can affect
the normal storage array performance depending on the polling interval
that you set.
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Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts 57
• If the storage array you are monitoring begins in or transitions to an
unresponsive state, an informational dialog appears. The dialog informs
you that the Performance Monitor cannot poll the storage array for
performance data.
To monitor the performance of the arrays:
1
Open MDSM and select the appropriate storage array.
2
Open the Array Management Window (AMW) for the selected storage
array
3
In the AMW, select
Storage Array
Monitor Performance
.
4
Click
Settings
.
a
Select the items that you want to monitor.
You can monitor:
• RAID Controller modules
•Virtual disks
• Storage array totals
NOTE: By default, all items are selected.
b
In
Polling interval
, select how often you want to update the
performance statistics.
NOTE: For an accurate elapsed time, do not use the Set RAID Controller
Module Clocks option while using the Performance Monitor.
Each time the polling interval elapses, the Performance Monitor queries
the storage array again and updates the statistics in the table.
5
Click
Start
.
Values appear for the selected storage arrays in the Performance Monitor
data table. The table is updated at the interval specified in the Polling
Interval setting.
6
Click
Update
to force an immediate poll of the storage array.
7
Click
Stop
to stop monitoring the storage array.
8
Click
Save As
on the Performance Monitor main dialog to save the
currently displayed performance statistics.
9
Select an appropriate directory.
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58 Planning: MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts
10
Type a file name in the
File name
text box.
NOTE: The .perf extension is the default.
11
Select a file type from the Files of type list.
• Use the Report format (ASCII text) file type if you want to save the
data to a report form for viewing or printing.
• Use the Comma Delimited Format file type if you want to save the
data in a form that can be imported into a commercial spreadsheet
application for further analysis. Most leading commercial spreadsheet
applications recognize a comma delimiter. These applications use the
delimiter to import the data into spreadsheet cells.
12
Click
Save
.
The Performance Monitor data provides information about how your storage
array is performing. The data is presented in eight columns, which are
described in this table. Use this data to make performance tuning decisions
for your storage array.
For more information, see the online help topics.
Table 4-3. Performance Monitor Table Description
Column Headings Description
Devices Controller, virtual disk or storage array total.
Total IOs Cumulative IO’s per second from last start time.
Read Percentage Percentage of cumulative IO’s that are READs.
Cache Hit Percentage Percentage of cumulative IO’s that are in-cache.
Current KB/second Snapshot of throughput value per second (1KB
= 1024 bytes).
Maximum KB/second Maximum recorded throughput value from last
start time.
Current IO/second Snapshot of IO’s per second (IOP =
Input/output per second or one completed I/O
transaction).
Maximum IO/second Maximum recorded IOP from last start time.
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Configuration: Overview 59
5
Configuration: Overview
Dell™ PowerVault™ Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) online help
contains information on the how to use the MDSM application to perform
the configuration and management tasks described in this document. You
can access online help by clicking Help located at the top right corner of
MDSM interface. See the MD3200i and MD3220i Storage Array’s
Deployment Guide for information on installing the MDSM.
NOTE: MDSM supports MD3000i and MD3200i storage arrays and can
automatically detect both these storage arrays.
User Interface
The Storage Manager screen is divided into two primary windows:
• Enterprise Management Window (EMW)—The EMW provides high-
level management of the storage arrays. You can launch the Array
Management Window from the EMW.
• Array Management Window (AMW)—The AMW provides management
functions for a single storage array. You can launch more than one AMW
at the same time to manage different storage arrays.
The EMW and the AMW consist of the following:
• The title bar at the top of the window shows the name of the application.
• Beneath the title bar, is the menu bar. You can select menu options from
the menu bar to perform tasks on a storage array.
• Beneath the menu bar, is the toolbar. You can select options in the toolbar
to perform tasks on a storage array.
• Beneath the toolbar, are the tabs. Tabs are used to group the tasks that you
can perform on a storage array.
• Beneath the tabs, is the status bar. The status bar shows status messages
and status icons related to the storage array.
NOTE: By default, the toolbar and status bar do not appear. To view the toolbar or
the status bar, select ViewToolbar or View Status Bar, respectively.
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60 Configuration: Overview
Enterprise Management Window
The EMW provides high-level management of storage arrays. When you start
MDSM, the EMW opens. The EMW has these tabs:
•
Devices
tab—Provides information about the storage arrays.
•
Setup
tab—Presents the initial setup tasks that guide you through adding
storage arrays and configuring alerts.
The Devices tab has a Tree view on the left side of the window that shows
discovered storage arrays, unidentified storage arrays, and the status
conditions for the storage arrays. Discovered storage arrays are managed by
MDSM. Unidentified storage arrays are available to MDSM but not
configured for management. The right side of the Devices tab has a Table
view that shows detailed information for each storage array.
In the EMW, you can:
• Discover hosts and managed storage arrays on the local sub-network.
• Manually add and remove hosts and storage arrays.
• Locate the storage arrays.
• Name or Rename discovered storage arrays.
• Add storage array comments to the Table view.
• Sort rows in the Table view according to different criteria.
• Store your EMW view preferences and configuration data in local
configuration files. The next time you open the EMW, data from the local
configuration files is used to show customized view and preferences.
• Monitor the status of managed storage arrays and indicate status using
appropriate icons.
• Add or remove management connections.
• Configure alert notifications for all selected storage arrays through e-mail
or SNMP traps.
• Report critical events to the configured alert destinations.
• Launch the AMW for a selected storage array.
• Run a script to perform batch management tasks on specific storage arrays.
• Import the operating system theme settings into the MDSM.
• Upgrade firmware on multiple storage arrays concurrently.
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Configuration: Overview 61
Inheriting the System Settings
Use the Inherit System Settings option to import the operating system theme
settings into the MDSM. Importing system theme settings affects such
features as font type, font size, color, and contrast in the MDSM.
1
Open the Inherit System Settings window in one of these ways:
• Select
Tools
Inherit System Settings
.
• Select the Setup tab, and click
Inherit System Settings
.
2
Select
Inherit system settings for color and font
.
3
Click
OK
.
Array Management Window
You can launch the AMW from the EMW. The AMW provides management
functions for a single storage array. You can have multiple AMWs open
simultaneously to manage different storage arrays.
To launch the AMW:
1
In the
EMW
, on the
Devices
tab, double-click on the relevant storage
array.
The context menu for the selected storage is displayed.
2
In the context menu, select
Manage Storage Array.
The AMW for the selected storage is displayed.
The AMW has the following tabs:
• Summary tab—You can view the following information about the storage
array:
• Status
• Hardware components
• Capacity
•Hosts and Mappings
• Storage partitions
• Disk groups and virtual disks
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62 Configuration: Overview
• Logical tab—You can view the organization of the storage array by virtual
disks, disk groups, free capacity nodes, and any unconfigured capacity for
the storage array.
• Physical tab—You can view the organization of the storage array by RAID
controller modules, physical disks, and other hardware components.
• Mappings tab—You can define the hosts, host groups, and host ports. You
can change the mappings to grant virtual disk access to host groups and
hosts and create storage partitions.
• Setup tab—You can complete the initial setup tasks to configure the
storage array.
• Support—You can complete common support tasks like downloading
RAID controller module firmware, viewing the online help, and so on.
In the AMW, you can:
• Provide storage array options, for example, renaming a storage array,
changing a password, or enabling a background media scan.
• Provide the ability to configure virtual disks from the storage array
capacity, define hosts and host groups, and grant host or host group access
to sets of virtual disks called storage partitions.
• Monitor the health of storage array components and report detailed status
using applicable icons.
• Provide applicable recovery procedures for a failed logical component or a
failed hardware component.
• Present a view of the Event Log for the storage array.
• Present profile information about hardware components, such as RAID
controller modules and physical disks.
• Provide RAID controller module management options, such as changing
ownership of virtual disks or placing a RAID controller module online or
offline.
• Provide physical disk management options, such as assignment of hot
spares and locating the physical disk.
• Monitor storage array performance.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 63
6
Configuration: About Your Storage
Array
Out-of-Band and In-Band Management
You can manage a storage array in two ways:
• Out-of-band management
• In-band management
Out-of-Band Management
Using the out-of-band management method, data is separate from
commands and events. Data travels through the host-to-controller interface,
while commands and events travel through the management port Ethernet
cables.
This management method lets you configure the maximum number of
virtual disks that are supported by your operating system and host adapters. A
maximum of eight storage management stations can concurrently monitor an
out-of-band managed storage array. This limit does not apply to systems that
manage the storage array through the in-band management method.
When you use out-of-band management, you must set the network
configuration for each RAID controller module’s management Ethernet port.
This includes the Internet Protocol (IP) address, subnetwork mask (subnet
mask), and gateway. If you are using a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) server, you can enable automatic network configuration, but if you
are not using a DHCP server, you must enter the network configuration
manually.
NOTE: RAID controller module network configurations can be assigned using a
DHCP server (the default setting). However, if a DHCP server is not available for 150
seconds, the RAID controller modules assign static IP addresses. The addresses
assigned are 192.168.128.101 for controller 0 and 192.168.128.102 for controller 1.
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64 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
In-Band Management
Using in-band-management, commands, events, and data travel through the
host-to-controller interface. Unlike out-of-band management, commands
and events are mixed with data.
NOTE: For detailed information on setting up in-band and out-of-band management
see the Deployment Guide.
When you add storage arrays by using this management method, you need to
specify only the host name or IP address of the host. After you add the
specific host name or IP address, the host-agent software automatically
detects any storage arrays that are connected to that host.
CAUTION: Some operating systems can be used only as storage management
stations. For more information about the operating system that you are using, refer
to the MD PowerVault Support Matrix at support.dell.com/manuals.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Access Virtual Disk
Each RAID controller module in an MD3200i Series storage array maintains a
special virtual disk, called the access virtual disk. The host-agent software uses
the access virtual disk to communicate management requests and event
information between the storage management station and the RAID
controller module in an in-band–managed storage array. The access virtual
disk is not available for application data storage. The default LUN is 31.
Storage Arrays
You must add the storage arrays to MDSM before you can setup the storage
array for optimal use.
Adding Storage Arrays
You can add storage arrays only in the EMW. You can:
• Automatically discover storage arrays
• Manually add storage arrays
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.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 65
NOTE: For Linux, set the default gateway so that broadcast packets are sent to
255.255.255.0. For Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, if no gateway exists on the network,
set the default gateway to the IP address of the NIC.
NOTE: MDSM uses TCP/UDP port 2463 for communication to the MD Storage
Array.
Automatic Discovery of Storage Arrays
The Automatic Discovery process sends out a broadcast message across the
local subnetwork (subnet) and adds any storage array that responds to the
message. The Automatic Discovery process finds both in-band and out-of-
band storage arrays.
NOTE: The Automatic Discovery option and the Re-scan Hosts option in the
Enterprise Management Window provide automatic methods for discovering
managed storage arrays.
Manual Addition of a Storage Array
Use Manual Addition if the storage array resides outside of the local subnet.
This process requires specific identification information to manually add a
storage array.
To add a storage array that uses out-of-band management, specify the host
name or management port IP address of each controller in the storage array.
Before using this option, verify that the applicable network configuration
tasks have been performed.
To add an in-band storage array, add the host through which the storage array
is attached to the network.
NOTE: It can take several minutes for MDSM to connect to the specified storage
array.
To add a storage array manually:
1
Select
Edit
Add Storage Array
.
2
Select the relevant management method:
•
Out-of-band management
—Enter a host name or an IP address for
the
RAID controller Modules
in the storage array.
•
In-band management
—Enter a name or an IP address for the
Host
through which the storage array is attached to the network.
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66 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
NOTE: When adding a storage array using in-band management with iSCSI, a
session must first be established between the initiator on the host server and
the storage array. For more information, see "Configuration: Using iSCSI" on
page 81.
NOTE: The host agent must be restarted before in-band management
communication can be established. See "Starting or Restarting the Host
Context Agent Software" on page 246.
3
Click
Add
.
4
Use one of these methods to name a storage array:
• In the EMW, select the
Setup
tab, and select
Name/Rename Storage
Arrays
.
• In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab, and select
Rename Storage Array
.
• In the EMW right-click the icon corresponding to the array and select
Rename
.
Setting Up Your Storage Array
A list of initial setup tasks is displayed on the Setup tab in the AMW. The list
of initial setup tasks shows you how to set up a storage array. Using the steps
outlined in the Initial Setup Tasks Area, ensures that the basic setup steps are
completed properly.
Use the Initial Setup Tasks list the first time that you set up a storage array to
perform these tasks:
• Locate the storage array—Find the physical location of the storage array
on your network by turning on the unit identify LEDs. The storage array
can be identified with a label.
• Give a new name to the storage array—Use a unique name that identifies
each storage array.
• Set a storage array password—Configure the storage array with a password
to protect it from unauthorized access. MDSM prompts for the password
when an attempt is made to change the storage array configuration, such
as when a virtual disk is created or deleted.
• Configure iSCSI host ports—Configure network parameters for each
iSCSI host port automatically or specify the configuration information for
each iSCSI host port.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 67
• Configure the storage array—Create disk groups, virtual disks, and hot
spare physical disks by using the Automatic configuration method or the
Manual configuration method. For more information, see the
PowerVault
Modular Disk Storage Manager online help
topics.
• Map virtual disks—Map virtual disks to hosts or host groups.
• Save configuration—Save the configuration parameters in a file that you
can use to restore the configuration, or reuse the configuration on another
storage array. For more information, see the
PowerVault Modular Disk
Storage Manager online help
topics.
After you complete the basic steps for configuring the storage array, you can
perform these optional tasks:
• Manually define hosts—Define the hosts and the host port identifiers that
are connected to the storage array. Use this option only if the host is not
automatically recognized and shown in the Mappings tab.
• Configure ethernet management ports—Configure the network
parameters for the Ethernet management ports on the RAID controller
modules if you are managing the storage array by using the out-of-band
management connections.
• View and enable premium features—Your MDSM might include
premium features. View the premium features that are available and the
premium features that are already started. You can start available premium
features that are currently stopped.
• Manage iSCSI settings—You can configure iSCSI settings for
authentication, identification, and discovery.
Locating Storage Arrays
You can use the Blink option to physically locate and identify a storage array.
NOTE: If the LEDs from the Blink Storage Array operation do not stop blinking,
select Stop All Indications to stop the process manually.
To locate the storage array:
1
Select the relevant storage array and:
• In the EMW, right-click the appropriate storage array, and select
Blink Storage Array
.
• In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab, click
Blink Storage Array
.
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68 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
• In the AMW, select
Storage Array

Blink

Storage Array
.
The LEDs blink on the physical disks in the storage array.
2
After locating the storage array, click
OK
.
The LEDs stop blinking.
3
If the LEDs do not stop blinking, select
Storage Array

Blink
Stop All
Indications
.
A confirmation message is displayed.
4
Click
OK
.
Naming or Renaming Storage Arrays
Each storage array should be assigned a unique up to 30-character
alphanumeric name. A name can consist of letters, numbers, and the special
characters underscore (_), dash (–), and pound sign (#). No other special
characters are allowed.
To rename a selected storage array:
1
Perform one of these actions:
• In the AMW
Setup
tab, select Rename Storage Array.
•In the EMW
Devices
tab Tree view, select
Edit
Rename
•In the EMW
Devices
tab Table view, select
Edit
Rename.
•In the EMW
Devices
tab Tree view, right-click on the desired array
icon and select
Rename
The
Name/Rename Storage Arrays
dialog appears.
2
Select the relevant storage array from the
Select storage array
table.
If you do not know the name or physical location of the storage array, click
Blink
. After locating the storage array, click
OK
to turn off the LEDs.
The name of the storage array appears in the
Storage array name
.
3
In
Storage array name
, type the new name of the storage array. If
applicable, add a comment for the storage array in
Additional comment
.
4
Click
Apply
.
A message is displayed warning you about the implications of changing the
storage array name.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 69
5
Click
Yes
.
The new storage array name appears in the Select storage array table.
6
Repeat step 2 through step 4 to name or rename additional storage arrays.
NOTE: Avoid arbitrary names or names that might lose meaning in the future.
Setting a Password
You can configure each storage array with a password to protect it from
unauthorized access. MDSM prompts for the password when an attempt is
made to change the storage array configuration, such as, when a virtual disk is
created or deleted. View operations do not change the storage array
configuration and do not require a password. You can create a new password
or change an existing password.
NOTE: It is recommended that you use a long password with at least 15
alphanumeric characters to increase security.
To set a new password or change an existing password:
1
Select the relevant storage array and navigate to the AMW for that storage
array. See "Array Management Window" on page 61.
The AMW for the selected storage array is displayed.
2
In the AMW, perform one of these actions:
• Select the storage array in the
Logical
pane, and then select
Storage
Array
Set Password
.
• Select the
Setup
tab, and then click
Set
a Storage Array Password
.
• In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab, right-click and select
Set
Password.
The
Set Password
dialog appears.
3
If you are resetting the password, type the
Current password
.
NOTE: If you are setting the password for the first time, leave the Current
password blank.
4
Typ e t h e
New password
.
5
Re-type the new password in
Confirm new password
.
NOTE: The password in Confirm new password and New password must be
exactly the same.
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70 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
6
Click
OK
.
NOTE: You are not prompted for a password when you attempt to change the
storage array configuration in the current management session.
Password Guidelines
Follow 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. Consider using
numbers or special characters in the place of letters, such as a 1 in the
place of the letter I, or the at sign (@) in the place of the letter a.
• For increased protection, use a long password with at least 15
alphanumeric characters. The maximum password length is 30 characters.
• Passwords are case sensitive.
NOTE: You can attempt to enter a password up to ten times before the storage
array enters a lockout state. Before you can try to enter a password again, you must
wait 10 minutes for the storage array to reset. To reset the password, press the
password reset switch on your RAID controller module, see Figure 3-1.
Viewing Storage Array Connections
You can use the View Connections option to view the expansion enclosures
connected to the RAID controller module.
To view the storage array connections:
1
From the toolbar in AMW, select
Storage Array
View
Connections
.
The
<Storage Array>:Connections
dialog is displayed.
2
Click the column name to sort the connections according to your
preference.
3
Click
Close
.
If you receive an error message for a port, you can use this dialog to identify
the components on the port that might have caused the error. By isolating
these components, you prevent accidentally disconnecting components that
are still in operation, which could cause an interruption in data flow.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 71
Adding/Editing a Comment to an Existing Storage Array
A descriptive comment, with an applicable storage array name, is a helpful
identification tool. You can add or edit a comment for a storage array in the
EMW only.
To add or edit a comment:
1
In the EMW, select the
Devices
tab and select the relevant managed
storage array.
2
Select
Edit
Comment
.
The
Edit Comment
dialog is displayed.
3
Type the 60-character comment.
4
Click
OK
.
This option updates the comment in the table view and saves it in your local
storage management station file system. The comment does not appear to
administrators who are using other storage management stations.
Removing Storage Arrays
You can remove a storage array from the list of managed arrays if you no
longer want to manage it from a specific storage management station.
Removing a storage array does not affect the storage array or its data in any
way. Removing a storage array simply removes it from the list of storage arrays
that appear in the drop- down list in the Array Selector. If a storage array is
accidentally removed, it can be added again. See "Adding Storage Arrays" on
page 64.
You can remove the storage array only from the EMW.
To remove the storage array:
1
In the EMW, select the
Devices
tab and select the relevant managed
storage array.
2
Select
Edit
Remove
Storage Array
.
A message prompts you for a confirmation for the removal of the selected
storage array.
3
To remove the storage array, click
Yes
.
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72 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
Enabling Premium Features
You can enable premium features on the storage array. To enable the
premium features, you must obtain a feature key file specific to the premium
feature that you want to enable from your storage supplier.
To enable premium features:
1
From the toolbar in AMW, select
Storage Array
Premium Features
.
The
Premium Features and Feature Pack Information
window is
displayed.
2
Select the relevant premium feature, and click
Enable
.
The
Select Feature Key File
dialog is displayed.
3
Navigate to the relevant folder, select the appropriate key file, and click
OK
.
4
Click
Close
.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Failover Alert Display
You can change the failover alert delay for a storage array. The failover alert
delay lets you delay the logging of a critical event if the multi-path driver
transfers virtual disks to the non-preferred controller. If the multi-path driver
transfers the virtual disks back to the preferred controller within the specified
delay period, a critical event is not logged. If the transfer exceeds this delay
period, then a virtual disk-not-on-preferred-path alert is issued as a critical
event. You can also use this option to minimize multiple alerts when more
than one virtual disk fails over because of a system error, such as a failed host
adapter.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Changing the Cache Settings on the Storage Array
To change the storage array cache settings:
1
In the AMW, select
Storage Array
Change
Cache Settings
.
The
Change Cache Settings
window is displayed.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 73
2
Select or enter the percentage of unwritten data in the cache to trigger a
cache flush in
Start flushing
.
3
Select or enter the percentage of unwritten data in the cache to stop a
cache flush in progress in
Stop flushing
.
4
Select the appropriate
Cache block size
.
A smaller cache size is a good choice for file-system use or database-
application use. A larger cache size is a good choice for applications that
generate sequential I/O, such as multimedia.
5
In the
Enter Password
dialog, type the current password for the storage
array, and click
OK
.
Changing Expansion Enclosure ID Numbers
When an MD1200 series expansion enclosure is connected to an MD3200i
series storage array for the first time, an enclosure ID number is assigned and
maintained by the expansion enclosure. This enclosure ID number is also
shown in the MDSM.
To change the enclosure ID numbers:
1
In the AMW, select the storage array, and select
Storage Array
Change
Enclosure ID
.
2
Select a new enclosure ID number from the
Change Enclosure ID
list.
The enclosure ID must be between 0 and 99 (inclusive).
3
To save the changed enclosure ID, click
Change
.
Changing the Enclosure Order in the Physical Pane
You can change the order of the RAID controller modules and the expansion
enclosures in the Physical pane to match the hardware configuration in your
storage array. The Physical pane that initially appears is a default view that
may not match your storage array. The enclosure order change remains in
effect until it is modified again.
To change the enclosure order in the physical pane:
1
In the AMW, select
Storage Array
Change
Enclosure Order
.
2
From the enclosures list, select the enclosure you want to move and click
either
Up
or
Down
to move the enclosure to the new position.
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74 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
3
Click
OK
.
4
If you have set a password for the selected storage array, the
Enter
Password
dialog appears. Type the current password for the storage array.
5
Click
OK
.
Configuring Alert Notifications
MDSM can send an alert for any condition on the storage array that requires
your attention. Alerts can be sent as e-mail messages or as Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP) trap messages.
You can configure alert notifications either for all the storage arrays or a single
storage array.
To configure alert notifications for all storage arrays:
1
In the EMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Configure Alerts
.
The
Configure Alerts
dialog is displayed.
3
Select
All storage arrays
.
4
Click
OK
.
The
Configure Alerts
dialog is displayed. To configure e-mail alerts, see
"Configuring E-mail Alerts" on page 74. To configure SNMP alerts, see
"Configuring SNMP Alerts" on page 77.
To configure alert notifications for a single storage array:
1
In the EMW, select the
Devices
tab.
2
Select the relevant storage array, then select
Edit

Configure Alerts
.
The
Configure Alerts
dialog is displayed. To configure e-mail alerts, see
"Configuring E-mail Alerts" on page 74. To configure SNMP alerts, see
"Configuring SNMP Alerts" on page 77.
Configuring E-mail Alerts
For more information on configuring alert notifications, see "Configuring
Alert Notifications" on page 74.
To configure e-mail alerts:
1
Open the
Configure Alerts
dialog by performing one of these actions:
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 75
• In the Tree view or the Table view on the
Devices
tab in the EMW,
select a node, and then select
Edit
Configure Alerts
. Go to step 3.
• In the Setup tab in the EMW, select Configure Alerts. Go to step 2.
2
Select one of the following radio buttons to specify an alert level:
• All storage arrays—Select this option to send an alert e-mail about
events on all storage arrays.
• An individual storage array—Select this option to send an alert e-mail
about events that occur on only a specified storage array.
These results occur, depending on your selection:
• If you selected all storage arrays, the
Configure Alerts
dialog appears.
• If you selected an individual storage array, the
Select Storage Array
dialog appears. Select the storage array for which you want to receive
e-mail alerts and click
OK
. The
Configure Alerts
dialog appears.
• If you do not know which storage array to select, click
Blink
to turn on
the LEDs of the storage array.
3
In the
Configure Alerts
dialog, select the
Mail Server
tab.
4
In
Mail server
, type the name of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP) mail server.
The SMTP mail server is the name of the mail server that forwards the
alert e-mails to the configured e-mail addresses.
5
In
Email sender address
, type the e-mail sender address. Use a valid e-mail
address.
The e-mail address of the sender (the network administrator) appears on
each e-mail alert sent to the destination.
6
To include the contact information of the sender in the e-mail alert, select
Include contact information with the alerts
, and type the contact
information.
NOTE: Including the contact information in the e-mail alert is optional.
7
Select the
E-mail
tab to configure the e-mail destinations.
• Adding an e-mail address—In
Email address
, type the e-mail address,
and click
Add
.
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76 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
• Replacing an e-mail address—In the
Configured email addresses
area,
select the e-mail address to be replaced, type the replacement e-mail
address in
Email address
, and click
Replace
.
• Deleting an e-mail address—In the
Configured email addresses
area,
select the e-mail address, and click
Delete
.
• Validating an e-mail address—Type the e-mail address in
Email
address
or select the e-mail address in the
Configured email addresses
area, and click
Test
. A test e-mail is sent to the selected e-mail
address. A dialog with the results of the test and any error appears.
8
For the selected e-mail address, in
Information To Send
, select:
•
Event Only
—The alert e-mail contains only the event information.
This alert type is the default.
•
Event + Profile
—The alert e-mail contains the event information
and the storage array profile.
•
Event + Support
—The alert e-mail contains the event information
and a compressed file that contains complete support information for
the storage array that has generated the alert.
9
For the selected e-mail address, in
Frequency
, select:
•
Every event
—Sends an alert e-mail whenever an event occurs. This is
the default option.
•
Every x hours
—Sends an alert e-mail after the specified time interval
if an event occurred during that time interval. You can select this
option only if you have selected either
Event + Profile
or
Event +
Support
in the
Information To Send
drop down list.
10
Click
OK
.
An alert icon appears next to each node in the Tree view where an alert is
set.
To ensure that the e-mail is sent successfully:
• You must provide a SMTP mail server name and an e-mail sender address
for the e-mail addresses to work.
• The e-mail addresses that you had previously configured appear in the
Configured e-mail addresses area.
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Configuration: About Your Storage Array 77
• You must use fully qualified e-mail addresses, for example,
name@mycompany.com.
• You can configure multiple e-mail addresses before you click
OK
.
Configuring SNMP Alerts
To add a management console to the list of addresses configured to receive
SNMP alerts:
1
Open the
Configure Alerts
dialog by performing one of these actions:
• In the Tree view or the Table view on the Devices tab in the EMW,
select a node, and select
Edit
Configure Alerts
. Go to step 3.
• In the Setup tab in the EMW, select Configure Alerts. Go to step 2.
2
Select one of the following radio buttons to specify an alert level:
• All storage arrays—Select this option to send an alert notification
about events on all storage arrays.
• An individual storage array—Select this option to send an alert
notification about events that occur in only a specified storage array.
These results occur, depending on your selection:
• If you selected All storage arrays, the
Configure Alerts
dialog appears.
• If you selected An individual storage array, the
Select Storage Array
dialog appears. Select the storage array for which you want to receive
alert notifications and click
OK
. The
Configure Alerts
dialog appears.
NOTE: If you do not know which storage array to select, click Blink to turn on
the LEDs of the storage array.
3
Select the
SNMP
tab to configure the SNMP alert destinations.
• Adding an SNMP address—In
Community name
, type the
community name. In
Trap destination
, type the trap destination, and
click
Add
.
NOTE: The community name is an American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (ASCII) string that identifies a known set of network management
stations and is set by the network administrator. The default community name
is the string “public”. The trap destination is the IP address or the host name
of a computer running an SNMP management application. An example of a
SNMP enabled management application is the Dell Management Console.
Please see dell.com for more information on the Dell Management Console.
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78 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
• Replacing an SNMP address—Select the SNMP address in the
Configured SNMP addresses
area, type the replacement community
name in
Community name
and the trap destination in
Trap
destination
, and click
Replace
.
• Deleting an SNMP address—Select the SNMP address in the
Configured SNMP addresses
area, and click
Delete
.
• Validating an SNMP address—Select the SNMP address in the
Configured SNMP addresses
area, and click
Test
. A test message is
sent to the SNMP address. A message box with the results of the
validation and any error information appears.
4
Click
OK
.
An alert icon appears next to each node in the Tree view for which an alert
is set.
Follow these guideline for SNMP alerts:
• Any SNMP addresses that you had previously configured appear in the
Configured SNMP addresses area.
• The SNMP Community Name is determined by the system administrator
and configured within the a management application, such as the Dell
Management Console. More information about the Dell Management
Console is available at
dell.com
.
• You can configure multiple SNMP addresses before you click
OK
.
Battery Settings
A smart battery backup unit (BBU) can perform a learn cycle. The smart BBU
module includes the battery, a battery gas gauge, and a battery charger. The
learn cycle calibrates the smart battery gas gauge so that it provides a
measurement of the charge of the battery module. A learn cycle can only start
when the battery is fully charged.
The learn cycle completes the following operations:
• Discharges the battery to a predetermined threshold
• Charges the battery back to full capacity
book.book Page 78 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: About Your Storage Array 79
A learn cycle starts automatically when you install a new battery module.
Learn cycles for batteries in both RAID controller modules in a duplex system
occur simultaneously.
Learn cycles are scheduled to start automatically at regular intervals, at the
same time and on the same day of the week. The interval between cycles is
described in weeks.
Use the following guidelines to adjust the interval:
• You can use the default interval.
• You can run a learn cycle at any time.
• You can set the learn cycle earlier than the currently scheduled time.
• You cannot set the learn cycle to start more than seven days later than the
currently scheduled time.
To change the battery settings perform these steps:
1
In the AMW, select
Storage Array

Change
Battery Settings
.
The
Battery Settings
dialog opens.
2
In
Battery location
, select a battery.
3
Check these details about the battery:
• Battery status
• Battery age
• Days until replacement
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Setting the Storage Array RAID Controller Module Clocks
You can use the Synchronize RAID Controller Module Clocks option to
synchronize the storage array RAID controller module clocks with the storage
management station. This option makes sure that the event timestamps
written by the RAID controller modules to the Event Log match the event
timestamps written to host log files. The RAID controller modules remain
available during synchronization.
To synchronize the RAID controller module clocks with the storage
management station:
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80 Configuration: About Your Storage Array
1
In the AMW, select
Storage Array
Synchronize RAID Controller
Module Clocks
.
2
If a password is set, in the
Enter Password
dialog, type the current
password for the storage array, and click
Synchronize
.
The RAID controller module clocks are synchronized with the storage
management station.
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Configuration: Using iSCSI 81
7
Configuration: Using iSCSI
Changing the iSCSI Target Authentication
To change the iSCSI target authentication:
1
In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Manage iSCSI Settings
.
The
Manage iSCSI Settings
window is displayed and by default, the
Target Authentication
tab is selected. To change the authentication
settings, select:
•
None
—If you do not require initiator authentication. If you select the
None
, any initiator can access the target.
•
CHAP
—To enable an initiator that tries to authenticate the target
using Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP). Define
the CHAP secret only if you want to use mutual CHAP
authentication. If you select
CHAP
, but no CHAP target secret is
defined, an error message appears. See "Creating CHAP Secrets" on
page 82.
3
To enter the CHAP secret, click
CHAP secret
.
The
Enter Target CHAP Secret
dialog is displayed.
4
Enter the
Target CHAP secret
.
NOTE: The Target CHAP secret must be at least 12 characters and up to 57
characters.
5
Enter the exact same target CHAP secret in
Confirm target CHAP secret
.
NOTE: If you do not want to create a CHAP secret, you can generate a
random CHAP secret automatically. To generate a random CHAP secret, click
Generate Random CHAP Secret.
6
Click
OK
.
NOTE: You can select the None and CHAP at the same time, for example,
when one initiator might not have CHAP and the other initiator has only CHAP
selected.
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82 Configuration: Using iSCSI
Entering Mutual Authentication Permissions
Mutual authentication or two-way authentication is a way for a client or a
user to verify themselves to a host server, and for the host server to validate
itself to the user. This validation is accomplished in such a way that both
parties are sure of the other’s identity.
To add mutual authentication permissions:
1
In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Manage iSCSI Settings
.
The
Manage iSCSI Settings
window is displayed.
3
Select the
Mutual Authentication
tab.
4
Select an initiator in the
Select an Initiator
area.
The initiator details appear.
5
Click
CHAP Secret
to enter the initiator CHAP permissions in the dialog
that appears.
6
Click
OK
.
7
Click
OK
in the
Manage iSCSI Settings
window.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Creating CHAP Secrets
When you set up an authentication method, you can choose to create a
CHAP secret. The CHAP secret is a password that is recognized by the
initiator and the target. If you are using mutual authentication to configure
the storage array, you must enter the same CHAP secret that is defined in the
host server iSCSI initiator, and you must define a CHAP secret on the target
(the storage array) that must be configured in every iSCSI initiator that
connects to the target storage array. For more information on CHAP, see
“Understanding CHAP Authentication” in the Deployment Guide.
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Configuration: Using iSCSI 83
Initiator CHAP Secret
The initiator CHAP secret is set on the host using the iSCSI initiator
configuration program provided with the host operating system. If you are
using the mutual authentication method, you must define the initiator
CHAP secret when you set up the host. This must be the same CHAP secret
that is defined for the target when defining mutual authentication settings.
Target CHAP Secret
If you are using CHAP secrets, you must define the CHAP secret for the
target.
Valid Characters for CHAP Secrets
The CHAP secret must be between 12 and 57 characters. The CHAP secret
supports characters with ASCII values of 32 to 126 decimal. See Table 7-1 for
a list of valid ASCII characters.
Table 7-1. Valid ASCII Characters for CHAP Secrets
Valid ASCII Characters for CHAP Secrets
Space ! " # $ % & ’ ( ) * +
, - . / 01 23 45 67
89:;<=>?@ABC
DEFGHIJKLMNO
PQRSTUVWXYZ[
\]^_abcdefgh
ijklmnopqrst
u vwxyz {| }~
book.book Page 83 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
84 Configuration: Using iSCSI
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.
To change the iSCSI target identification:
1
In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Manage iSCSI Settings
.
The
Manage iSCSI Settings
window is displayed.
3
Select the
Target Identification
tab.
4
Type the alias in
iSCSI target alias
.
5
Click
OK
.
NOTE: Aliases can contain up to 30 characters. Aliases can include letters,
numbers, and the special characters underscore (_), minus (-), and pound sign (#).
No other special characters are permitted.
NOTE: Open iSCSI (which is used by Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 5 and SUSE®
Linux Enterprise Server 10 with SP 1) does not support using target alias.
Changing the iSCSI Target Discovery Settings
To change the iSCSI target discovery settings:
1
In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Manage iSCSI Settings
.
The
Manage iSCSI Settings
window is displayed.
3
Select the
Target Discovery
tab.
4
Select
Use iSNS
to activate iSCSI target discovery.
To activate iSCSI target discovery, you can use one of the following
methods:
• Select
Obtain configuration automatically from DHCP server
to
automatically activate target discovery for IPv4 settings using the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). You can also refresh
the DHCP.
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Configuration: Using iSCSI 85
• Select
Specify Configuration
, and type the IPv4 address to activate
the target discovery.
• Type the
iSNS server IP address
in the IPv6 settings area to activate
the target discovery.
After you manually enter an IP address, you can also click
Advanced
to
configure the customized TCP listening ports.
If you do not want to allow discovery sessions that are not named, select
the
Disallow un-named discovery sessions
.
NOTE: Un-named discovery sessions are discovery sessions that are
permitted to run without a target name. With an un-named discovery session,
the target name or the target portal group tag is not available to enforce the
iSCSI session identifier (ISID) rule.NOTE
5
Click
OK
.
Configuring the iSCSI Host Ports
The default method for configuring the iSCSI host ports, for IPv4 addressing,
is DHCP. Always use this method unless your network does not have a DHCP
server. It is advisable to assign static DHCP addresses to the iSCSI ports to
ensure continuous connectivity. For Ipv6 addressing, the default method is
Stateless auto-configuration. Always use this method for IPv6.
To configure the iSCSI host ports:
1
In the AMW, select the
Setup
tab.
2
Select
Configure iSCSI Host Ports
.
The
Configure iSCSI Host Ports
window is displayed.
3
In the
iSCSI host port
list, select an appropriate RAID controller module
and an iSCSI host port.
The connection status between the storage array and the host appears in
the Status area when you select an iSCSI host port. The connection status
is either connected or disconnected. Additionally, the media access control
address (MAC) of the selected iSCSI host port appears in the MAC
address area.
NOTE: For each iSCSI host port, you can use either IPv4 settings or IPv6
settings or both.
book.book Page 85 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
86 Configuration: Using iSCSI
4
To use the IPv4 settings for the iSCSI host port, select
Enable IPv4
and
select the
IPv4 Settings
tab.
5
To use the IPv6 settings for the iSCSI host port, select
Enable IPv6
and
select the
IPv6 Settings
tab.
6
To configure the IPv4 and IPv6 settings:
• To automatically configure the settings, select
Obtain configuration
automatically
. This option is selected by default.
• To manually configure the settings, select
Specify configuration
.
NOTE: If you select the automatic configuration method, the configuration is
obtained automatically using the DHCP for IPv4 settings. Similarly for IPv6
settings, the configuration is obtained automatically based on the MAC
address and the IPv6 routers present on the subnetwork.
Yo u c a n c l i ck
Advanced IPv4 Settings
and
Advanced IPv6 Settings
to
configure the Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) support and Ethernet
priority. You can also click the
Advanced Host Port Settings
to configure
the
TCP listening port settings
and
Jumbo frame
settings.
7
To enable the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), select
Enable
ICMP PING responses
.
The ICMP setting applies to all the iSCSI host ports in the storage array
configured for IPv4 addressing.
NOTE: The ICMP is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol
suite.The ICMP messages determine whether a host is reachable and how
long it takes to get packets to and from that host.
8
Click
OK
.
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Configuration: Using iSCSI 87
Advanced iSCSI Host Ports Settings
NOTE: Configuring the advanced iSCSI host ports settings is optional.
Use the advanced settings for the individual iSCSI host ports to specify the
TCP frame size, the virtual LAN, and the network priority.
NOTE: Changing any of these settings resets the iSCSI port. I/O is interrupted to
any host accessing that port. You can access the I/O automatically after the port
restarts and the host logs in again.
Table 7-2. Advanced iSCSI Host Port Settings
Setting Description
Virtual LAN (VLAN) A method of creating independent logical networks within a
physical network. Several VLANs can exist within a network.
VLAN 1 is the default VLAN.
NOTE: For more information on creating and configuring a
VLAN with MD Support Manager, in the AMW, click the Support
tab, then click View Online Help.
Ethernet Priority The network priority can be set from lowest to highest.
Although network managers must determine these mappings,
the IEEE has made broad recommendations:
• 0—lowest priority (default).
• 1-4—ranges from “loss eligible” traffic to controlled-load
applications, such as streaming multimedia and business-
critical traffic.
• 5-6—delay-sensitive applications such as interactive video
and voice.
• 7—highest priority reserved for network-critical traffic (do
not use with the MD3200i).
TCP Listening Port The default Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) listening
port is 3260.
Jumbo Frames The maximum transmission units (MTUs). It can be set
between 1501 and 9000 bytes per frame. If the Jumbo Frames
are disabled, the default MTU is 1500 bytes per frame.
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88 Configuration: Using iSCSI
Viewing or Ending an iSCSI Session
You might want to end an iSCSI session for the following reasons:
• Unauthorized access—If an initiator is logged on whom you consider to
not have access, you can end the iSCSI session. Ending the iSCSI session
forces the initiator to log off the storage array. The initiator can log on if
None
authentication method is available.
• System downtime—If you need to turn off a storage array and initiators
are logged on, you can end the iSCSI session to log off the initiators from
the storage array.
To view or end an iSCSI session:
1
In the AMW toolbar, select
Storage Array
iSCSI
End Sessions
.
2
Select the iSCSI session that you want to view in the
Current sessions
area.
The details are shown below in the
Details
area. You can click
Save As
to
save the entire iSCSI sessions topology as a text file.
3
To end the session:
a
Select the session that you want to end, and then click
End Session
.
The
End Session confirmation
window is displayed.
b
Ty p e
yes
to confirm that you want to end the iSCSI session.
c
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 MDSM, the iSCSI initiator
software automatically attempts to re-establish the terminated connection to the
storage array. This may cause an error message.
book.book Page 88 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: Using iSCSI 89
Viewing iSCSI Statistics and Setting Baseline
Statistics
To view iSCSI statistics and set baseline statistics:
1
In the AMW toolbar, select
Storage Array
iSCSI
Statistics
.
The
View iSCSI Statistics
window is displayed.
2
Select the iSCSI statistic type you want to view in the
iSCSI Statistics
Ty p e
area. You can select:
•
Ethernet MAC statistics
•
Ethernet TCP/IP statistics
•
Target (protocol) statistics
3
In the
Options
area, select:
•
Raw statistics
—To view the raw statistics. Raw statistics are all the
statistics that have been gathered since the RAID controller modules
were started.
•
Baseline statistics
—To view the baseline statistics. Baseline statistics
are point-in-time statistics that have been gathered since you set the
baseline time.
After you select the statistics type and either raw or baseline statistics, the
details of the statistics appear in the statistics tables.
NOTE: You can click Save As to save the statistics that you are viewing in a
text file.
4
To set the baseline for the statistics:
a
Select
Baseline statistics
.
b
Click
Set Baseline
.
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.
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90 Configuration: Using iSCSI
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. To correct the host topology:
For more information about Host, Host Groups, and Host Topology, refer to
"Configuration: About Your Host" on page 93.
Table 7-3. Host Topology Actions
Desired Action Steps to Complete Action
Move a host.
Move a host group.
1
Click the
Mappings
tab.
2
Select the Host that you want to move, and then click
Mappings
Move
.
3
Select a host group to move the host to and click
OK
.
Manually delete the
host, the host group.
1
Click the
Mappings
tab.
2
Select the item that you want to remove and select
Mappings
Remove
.
Rename the host, the
host group.
1
Click the
Mappings
tab.
2
Select the item that you want to rename and select
Mappings
Rename
.
3
Type a new label for the host and click
OK
.
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Configuration: Event Monitor 91
8
Configuration: Event Monitor
An event monitor is provided with Dell™ PowerVault™ Modular Disk Storage
Manager (MDSM). 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. Enabling the
event monitor on multiple systems or having a combination of an event
monitor and MDSM active can result in duplicate events, but this does not
indicate multiple failures on the array.
The Event Monitor is a background task that runs independently of the
Enterprise Managemant Window.
To use the Event Monitor, perform one of these actions:
• Set up alert destinations for the managed device that you want to monitor.
A possible alert destination would be the Dell Management Console. More
information about the Dell Management Console can be found at
dell.com
.
• Replicate the alert settings from a particular managed device by copying
the
emwdata.bin
file to every storage management station from which
you want to receive alerts.
Each managed device shows a check mark that indicates that alerts have been
set.
Enabling or Disabling the Event Monitor
You can enable or disable the event monitor at any time.
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.
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92 Configuration: Event Monitor
NOTE: It is recommended that you configure the event monitor to start by default
on a management station that runs 24 hours a day.
Windows
To enable or disable the event monitor:
1
Click
Start
Settings
Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Services
.
or
Click
Start
Administrative Tools
Services
.
2
From the list of services, select
Modular Disk Storage Manager Event
Monitor
.
3
Select
Action
Properties
.
4
To enable the event monitor, in the
Service Status
area, click
Start
.
5
To disable the event monitor, in the
Service Status
area, click
Stop
.
Linux
To enable the event monitor, at the command prompt, type SMmonitor
start and press <Enter>. When the program startup begins, the system
displays the following message:
SMmonitor started.
To disable the event monitor, start terminal emulation application (console
ox xterm) and at the command prompt, type SMmonitor stop and press
<Enter>. When the program shutdown is complete, the system displays the
following message:
Stopping Monitor process.
book.book Page 92 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: About Your Host 93
9
Configuration: About Your Host
Configuring Host Access
Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) software is comprised of multiple
modules. One of these modules is the Host Context Agent. The host context
agent is installed as part of the MDSM installation and runs continuously in
the background.
If the host context agent is running on a host, that host and the host ports
connected from it to the storage array are automatically detected by Dell™
PowerVault™ Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) and appear on the
Mappings tab in the Array Management Window (AMW). For more
information on the Mappings tab, see "Using the Mappings Tab" on page 94.
NOTE: The host context agent is not dynamic and must be restarted after
establishing iSCSI sessions for MD3200i storage arrays to automatically detect
them.
If the hosts are not detected automatically, you can use the Define Host
Wizard to define the hosts that access the virtual disks in the storage array.
Defining a host is one of the steps required to let the storage array know
which hosts are attached to it and to allow access to the virtual disks. For
more information on defining the hosts, see "Defining a Host" on page 94.
To enable the host to write to the storage array, you must map the host to the
virtual disk. This mapping grants a host or a host group access to a particular
virtual disk or to a number of virtual disks in a storage array. You can define
the mappings on the Mappings tab in the Array Management Window
(AMW).
On the Summary tab in the AMW, the Hosts & Mappings area indicates how
many hosts are configured to access the storage array. You can click
Configured Hosts in the Hosts & Mappings area to see the names of the
hosts
A collection of elements, such as default host groups, hosts, and host ports,
appear as nodes in the Topology pane of the Mappings tab in the AMW.
The host topology is reconfigurable. You can perform the following tasks:
book.book Page 93 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
94 Configuration: About Your Host
• Create a host and assign an alias or user label.
• Add or associate a new host port identifier to a particular host.
• Change the host port identifier alias or user label.
• Move or associate a host port identifier to a different host.
• Replace a host port identifier with a new host port identifier.
• Manually activate an inactive host port so that the port can gain access to
host specific or host group specific LUN mappings.
• Set the host port type to another type.
• Move a host from one host group to another host group.
• Remove a host group, a host, or a host port identifier.
• Rename a host group, or a host.
Using the Mappings Tab
In the mappings tab you can:
• Define hosts and hosts groups
• Add mappings to the selected host groups
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Defining a Host
You can use the Define Host Wizard in the AMW to define a host for a
storage array. Either a known unassociated host port identifier or a new host
port identifier can be added.
NOTE: A user label must be specified before the host port identifier may be added
(the add button is disabled until one is entered).
To define a host:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab and select the appropriate storage
array.
2
Perform one of the actions:
• Select
Mappings
Define
Host
.
• Select the
Setup
tab, and click
Manually Define Hosts
.
book.book Page 94 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: About Your Host 95
• Select the
Mappings
tab. Right-click the root node (storage array
name),
Default Group
node, or
Host Group
node in the
Topology
pane to which you want to add the host, and select
Define
Host
from the pop-up menu.
The
Specify Host Name
window is displayed.
3
In
Host
name
, enter an up to 30 character alphanumeric name.
4
Select the relevant option in
Do you plan to use the storage partitions in
the this storage array
? and click
Next
.
The
Specify Host Port Identifier
s window is displayed.
5
Select the relevant option to add a host port identifier to the host, you can
select:
•
Add by selecting a known unassociated host port identifier
—In
Known unassociated host port identifiers
, select the relevant host
port identifier.
•
Add by creating a new host port identifier
—In
New host port
identifier
, enter a 16 character name and an up to 30 character
Alias
for the host port identifier and click
Add
.
NOTE: The host port identifier name must contain only the letters A through F.
6
Click
Next
.
The
Specify Host Type
window is displayed.
7
In
Host
type, select the relevant operating system for the host.
The
Host Group Question
window is displayed.
8
In this window, you can select:
•
Yes
—this host shares access to the same virtual disks with other hosts.
•
No
—this host does NOT share access to the same virtual disks with
other hosts.
9
Click
Next
.
If you select
Yes
, the
Specify Host Group
window is displayed. If you
select
No
, see step 11.
10
Enter the name of the host group or select an existing host group and click
Next
.
book.book Page 95 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
96 Configuration: About Your Host
The
Preview
window is displayed.
11
Click
Finish
.
Removing Host Access
To remove host access:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab, select the host node in the
Topology
pane.
2
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Mappings
Remove
.
• Right-click the host node, and select
Remove
from the pop-up menu.
The
Remove confirmation
dialog appears.
3
Ty p e
yes
.
4
Click
OK
.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Managing 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 MDSM.
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.
If a host is part of a cluster, every host in the cluster must be connected to the
storage array, and every host in the cluster must be added to the host group.
Creating a Host Group
To create host groups:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab.
2
In the
Topology
pane, select the storage array or the
Default Group
.
3
Perform one of the following actions:
• Select
Mappings
Define
Host Group
book.book Page 96 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: About Your Host 97
• Right-click the storage array or the
Default Group,
and select
Define
Host Group
from the pop-up menu.
4
Type the name of the new host group in
Enter new host group name
.
5
Select the appropriate hosts in the
Select hosts to add
area.
6
Click
Add
.
NOTE: To remove hosts, select the hosts in the Hosts in group area, and click
Remove.
7
Click
OK
.
The host group is added to the storage array.
Adding a Host to a Host Group
You can add a host to an existing host group or a new host group using the
Define Host Wizard. For more information, see "Defining a Host" on
page 94.
You can also move a host to a different host group. For more information, see
"Moving a Host to a Different Host Group" on page 97.
Removing a Host From a Host Group
You can remove a host from the Topology pane on the Mappings tab of the
Array Management Window. For more information, see "Removing a Host
Group" on page 98.
Moving a Host to a Different Host Group
To move a host to a different host group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab, select the host node in the
Topology
pane.
2
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Mappings
Move
.
• Right-click the host node, and select
Move
from the pop-up menu.
The
Move Host
dialog appears.
3
In the
Select host group
, select the host group to which you want to move
the host.
The
Move Host Confirmation
dialog appears.
book.book Page 97 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
98 Configuration: About Your Host
4
Click
Yes
.
The host is moved to the selected host group with the following mappings:
• The host retains the specific virtual disk mappings assigned to it.
• The host inherits the virtual disk mappings assigned to the host group
to which it is moved.
• The host loses the virtual disk mappings assigned to the host group
from which it was moved.
Removing a Host Group
To remove a host group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab, select the host node in the
Topology
pane.
2
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Mappings
Remove
.
• Right-click the host node, and select
Remove
from the pop-up menu.
The
Remove
dialog is displayed.
3
Click
Yes
.
The selected host group is removed.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Host Topology
Host topology is the organization of hosts, host groups, and host interfaces
configured for a storage array. You can view the host topology in the Mappings
tab of the AMW. For more information, see "Using the Mappings Tab" on
page 94.
The following tasks change the host topology:
• Moving a host or a host connection
• Renaming a host group, a host, or a host connection
• Adding a host connection
• Replacing a host connection
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Configuration: About Your Host 99
• Changing a host type
MDSM automatically detects these changes for any host running the host
agent software.
Starting or Stopping the Host Context Agent
The host context agent discovers the host topology. The host context agent
starts and stops with the host. The topology discovered by the host context
agent can be viewed by clicking Configure Host Access (Automatic) in the
Configure tab in the MDSM.
You must stop and restart the host context agent to see the changes to the
host topology if:
• A new storage array is attached to the host server.
• A host is added while turning on power to the RAID controller modules.
Linux
To start or stop the host context agent, enter the following command at the
prompt:
SMagent start
SMagent stop
You stop and then restart SMagent after:
• Moving a controller offline or replacing a controller.
• Removing host-to-array connections from or attaching host-to-array
connections to a Linux host server.
Windows
To start or stop the host context agent:
1
Click
Start
Settings
Control Pane
Administrative Tools
Services
.
or
Click
Start
Administrative Tools
Services
.
2
From the list of services, select
Modular Disk Storage Manager Agent
.
3
If the host context agent is running, click
Action
Stop
, then wait
approximately 5 seconds.
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100 Configuration: About Your Host
4
Click
Action
Start
.
I/O Data Path Protection
You can have multiple host-to- array connections for a host. Ensure that you
select all the connections to the array when configuring host access to the
storage array.
NOTE: See the Deployment Guide for more information on cabling configurations.
NOTE: For more information on configuring hosts see "Configuration: About Your
Host" on page 93.
If a component such as a RAID controller module or a cable fails, or an error
occurs on the data path to the preferred RAID controller module, virtual disk
ownership is moved to the alternate non preferred RAID controller module
for processing. This failure or error is called failover.
Drivers for multi-path frameworks such as Microsoft Multi-Path IO (MPIO)
and Linux Device Mapper (DM) are installed on host systems that access the
storage array and provide I/O path failover.
For more information on Linux DM please see "Configuration: Device
Mapper Multipath for Linux" on page 177. For more information on MPIO
please see microsoft.com.
NOTE: You should have the multi-path driver installed on the hosts at all times,
even in a configuration where there is only one path to the storage system, such as
a single port cluster configuration.
During a failover, the virtual disk transfer is logged as a critical event, and an
alert notification is sent automatically if you have configured alert
destinations for the storage array.
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Configuration: About Your Host 101
Managing Host Port Identifiers
You can manage the host port identifiers that are added to the storage array.
You can:
• Add—Add or associate a new host port identifier to a particular host.
• Edit—Change the host port identifier alias or user label. You can move
(associate) the host port identifier to a new host.
• Replace—Replace a particular host port identifier with another host port
identifier.
• Remove—Remove the association between a particular host port identifier
and the associated host.
To manage a host port identifier:
1
Perform one of these actions:
• Right-click the host in the
Topology
pane, and select
Manage Host
Port Identifiers
in the pop-up menu.
• From the menu bar, select
Mappings
Manage Host Port
Identifiers
.
The
Manage Host Port Identifiers
dialog is displayed. You can choose to
manage the host port identifiers for a specific host or all of the host port
identifiers for all of the hosts in
Show host port identifiers associated
with
.
2
If you want to manage the host port identifiers for a specific host, select
the host from the list of hosts that are associated with the storage array. If
you want to manage the host port identifiers for all hosts, select All hosts
from the list of hosts that are associated with the storage array.
3
If you are adding a new host port identifier, go to step 4. If you are
managing an existing host port identifier, go to step 8.
4
Click
Add
.
The
Add Host Port Identifier
dialog appears.
5
Select the method to add a host port identifier to the host. You can select:
•
Add by selecting a known unassociated host port identifier
—Select
the appropriate host port identifier from the existing list of Known
unassociated host port identifiers.
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102 Configuration: About Your Host
•
Add by creating a new host port identifier
—In New host port
identifier, enter the name of the new host port identifier.
6
In
User label
, enter up to 30 character alphanumeric name.
7
In
Associated with host
, select the appropriate host or host group.
8
Select the host port identifier that you would like to manage from the list
of host port identifiers in the Host port identifier information area.
9
Perform one of these actions for the selected host port identifier:
• To edit the host port identifier—Select the appropriate host port
identifier and click
Edit
, the
Edit Host Port Identifier
dialog appears,
update
User label
and
Associated with host
and click
Save
.
• To replace the host port identifier—Select the appropriate host port
identifier and click
Replace
, the
Replace Host Port Identifier
dialog
appears, replace the current host port identifier with a known
unassociated host port identifier or create a new host port identifier,
update
User label
and click
Replace
.
• To remove the host port identifier—Select the appropriate host port
identifier and click
Edit
, the
Remove Host Port Identifier
dialog
appears, type
yes
and click
OK
.
For more information, see the
PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help
topics.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 103
10
Configuration: Disk Groups and
Virtual Disks
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. Then you can create virtual disks
within a disk group.
To create a virtual disk, use one of the following methods:
• Create a new disk group from unconfigured capacity. You first define the
RAID level and free capacity (available storage space) for the disk group,
and then you define the parameters for the first virtual disk in the new disk
group.
• Create a new virtual disk in the free capacity of an existing disk group. You
only need to specify the parameters for the new virtual disk.
A disk group has a set amount of free capacity that is configured when the
disk group is created. You can use that free capacity to subdivide the disk
group into one or more virtual disks.
You can create disk groups and virtual disks using:
• Automatic configuration—Provides the fastest method, but with limited
configuration options.
• Manual configuration—Provides more configuration options.
When creating a virtual disk, consider the uses for that virtual disk, and select
an appropriate capacity for those uses. For example, if a disk group has a
virtual disk that stores multimedia files (which tend to be large) and another
virtual disk that stores text files (which tend to be small), the multimedia file
virtual disk requires more capacity than the text file virtual disk.
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104 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
A disk group should be organized according to its related tasks and subtasks.
For example, if you create a disk group for the Accounting Department, you
can create virtual disks that match the different types of accounting
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. See "Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping" on page 126.
Creating Disk Groups
You can create disk groups using either Automatic configuration or Manual
configuration.
To create disk groups using automatic configuration:
1
To start the Create Disk Group Wizard, perform one of these actions:
• To create a disk group from unconfigured capacity in the storage
array—On the
Logical
tab, select an
Unconfigured Capacity
node,
and select
Disk Group
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-click the
Unconfigured Capacity
node, and select
Create Disk Group
from the
pop-up menu.
• To create a disk group from unassigned physical disks in the storage
array—On the
Physical
tab, select one or more unassigned physical
disks of the same physical disk type, and select
Disk Group
Create
.
Alternatively, you can right-click the unassigned physical disks, and
select
Create Disk Group
from the pop-up menu.
• To create a secure disk group—On the
Physical
tab, select one or more
unassigned security capable physical disks of the same physical disk
type, and select
Disk Group
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-
click the unassigned security capable physical disks, and select
Create
Disk Group
from the pop-up menu.
The I
ntroduction (Create Disk Group)
window is displayed.
2
Click
Next
.
The
Disk Group Name and Physical Disk Selection
window is displayed.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 105
3
Type up to 30-character name of the disk group in
Disk group name
.
4
Select the appropriate
Physical Disk selection choices
, you can select:
•
Automatic
, see step 6
•
Manual
, see
step 9
5
Click
Next
.
6
For Automatic configuration, The
RAID Level and Capacity
window is
displayed.
7
Select the appropriate RAID level in
Select RAID level
. You can select
RAID levels 0, 1/10, 6, and 5.
Depending on your RAID level selection, the physical disks available for
the selected RAID level is displayed in
Select capacity
table.
8
In the
Select Capacity
table, select the relevant disk group capacity, and
click
Finish
.
9
For Manual configuration, The
Manual Physical Disk Selection
window is
displayed.
10
Select the appropriate RAID level in
Select RAID level
. You can select
RAID levels 0, 1/10, 6, and 5.
Depending on your RAID level selection, the physical disks available for
the selected RAID level is displayed in
Unselected physical disks
table.
11
In the
Unselected physical disks
table, select the appropriate physical
disks and click
Add
.
NOTE: You can select multiple physical disks at the same time by holding
<Ctrl> or <Shift> and selecting additional physical disks.
12
To view the capacity of the new disk group, click
Calculate Capacity
.
13
Click
Finish
.
A message prompts you that the disk group is successfully created and that
you should create at least one virtual disk before you can use the capacity
of the new disk group. For more information on creating virtual disks, see
"Creating Virtual Disks" on page 106.
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106 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Locating a Disk Group
You can physically locate and identify all of the physical disks that comprise a
selected disk group. An LED blinks on each physical disk in the disk group.
To locate a disk group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab.
2
Select the appropriate disk group and from the toolbar select
Disk
Group
Blink
The LEDs for the selected disk group blink.
3
After locating the disk group, click
OK
.
The LEDs stop blinking.
4
If the LEDs for the disk group do not stop blinking, from the toolbar in
AMW, select
Storage Array
Blink
Stop All Indications
.
If the LEDs successfully stop blinking, a confirmation message appears.
5
Click
OK
.
Creating Virtual Disks
Keep these important guidelines in mind when you create a virtual disk:
• Many hosts can have 256 logical unit numbers (LUNs) mapped per storage
partition, but the number varies per operating system.
• After you create one or more virtual disks and assign a mapping, you must
register the virtual disk with the operating system. In addition, you must
make sure that the host recognizes the mapping between the physical
storage array name and the virtual disk name. Depending on the operating
system, run the host-based utilities,
hot_add
and
SMdevices
.
• If the storage array contains physical disks with different media types or
different interface types, multiple Unconfigured Capacity nodes may
appear in the Logical pane of the Logical tab. Each physical disk type has
an associated Unconfigured Capacity node if unassigned physical disks are
available in the expansion enclosure.
• You cannot create a disk group and subsequent virtual disk from different
physical disk technology types. Each physical disk that comprises the disk
group must be of the same physical disk type.
NOTE: Ensure that you create disk groups before creating virtual disks.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 107
To create virtual disks:
1
Choose one of these methods to start the Create Virtual Disk Wizard:
• To create a virtual disk from unconfigured capacity in the storage
array—On the
Logical
tab, select an
Unconfigured Capacity
node,
and select
Virtual Disk
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-click the
Unconfigured Capacity
node, and select
Create Virtual Disk
from
the pop-up menu.
• To create a virtual disk from free capacity on a disk group—On the
Logical
tab, select a
Free Capacity
node, and select
Virtual Disk
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-click the
Free Capacity
node, and
select
Create Virtual Disk
from the pop-up menu.
• To create a virtual disk from unassigned physical disks in the storage
array—On the
Physical
tab, select one or more unassigned physical
disks of the same physical disk type, and select
Virtual Disk
Create
.
Alternatively, you can right-click the unassigned physical disks, and
select
Create Virtual Disk
from the pop-up menu.
• To create a secure virtual disk—On the
Physical
tab, select one or
more unassigned security capable physical disks of the same physical
disk type, and select
Virtual Disk
Create
. Alternatively, you can
right-click the unassigned security capable physical disks, and select
Create Virtual Disk
from the pop-up menu.
If you chose an
Unconfigured Capacity
node or unassigned physical disks
to create a virtual disk, the
Disk Group Required
dialog appears. Click
Yes
and create a disk group by using the
Create Disk Group Wizard
. The
Create Virtual Disk Wizard
appears after you create the disk group.
If you chose a
Free Capacity
node, the The
Introduction (Create Virtual
Disk)
window is displayed.
2
Click
Next
.
The
Specify Capacity /Name
window is displayed.
3
Select the appropriate unit for memory in
Units
and enter the capacity of
the virtual disk in
New virtual disk capacity
.
4
Enter an up to 30 character name for the virtual disk in
Virtual disk name
.
5
In
Advanced virtual disk parameters
, you can select:
•
Use recommended settings
.
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108 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
•
Customize settings
.
6
Click
Next
.
7
In the
Customize Advanced Virtual Disk Parameters
window, select the
appropriate Virtual Disk I/O characteristics type. You can select:
• File system (typical)
• Database
•Multimedia
•Custom
NOTE: If you select Custom, you must select an appropriate segment size.
8
Select the appropriate
Preferred RAID controller module ownership
and
click
Next
.
The
Specify Virtual Disk-to-LUN Mapping
window is displayed.
9
In the
Specify Virtual Disk-to-LUN Mapping
window, you can select:
•Default Mapping
• The appropriate
Host type
•
Map later Using Mappings View
.
10
Click
Finish
.
The virtual disks are created.
Changing the Virtual Disk Modification Priority
You can specify the modification priority setting for a single virtual disk or
multiple virtual disks on a storage array.
Guidelines to change the modification priority of a virtual disk:
• If more than one virtual disk is selected, the modification priority defaults
to the lowest priority. The current priority is shown only if a single virtual
disk is selected.
• Changing the modification priority by using this option modifies the
priority for the selected virtual disks.
To change the virtual disk modification priority:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab.
2
Select a virtual disk.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 109
3
In the toolbar, select
Virtual Disk
Change
Modification Priority
.
The
Change Modification Priority
window is displayed.
4
Select one or more virtual disks.
To select nonadjacent virtual disks, press <Ctrl> click. To select adjacent
virtual disks, press <Shift> click. To select all of the available virtual disks,
click
Select All
. Move the
Select modification priority
slider bar to the
desired priority.
5
Click
OK
.
A message prompts you to confirm the change in the virtual disk
modification priority.
6
Click
Yes
.
7
Click
OK
.
Changing the Virtual Disk Cache Settings
You can specify the cache memory settings for a single virtual disk or for
multiple virtual disks on a storage array.
Guidelines to change cache settings for a virtual disk:
• After opening the
Change Cache Settings
dialog, the system may prompt
you that the RAID controller module has temporarily suspended caching
operations. This action might occur when a new battery is charging, when
a RAID controller module has been removed, or if a mismatch in cache
sizes has been detected by the RAID controller module. After the
condition has cleared, the cache properties selected in the dialog become
active. If the selected cache properties do not become active, contact your
Technical Support representative.
• If you select more than one virtual disk, the cache settings default to no
settings selected. The current cache settings appear only if you select a
single virtual disk.
• If you change the cache settings by using this option, the priority of all of
the virtual disks that you selected is modified.
To change the virtual disk cache settings:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a virtual disk
2
In the toolbar, select
Virtual Disk
Change
Cache Settings
.
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110 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
The
Change Cache Settings
window is displayed.
3
Select one or more virtual disks.
To select nonadjacent virtual disks, press <Ctrl> click. To select adjacent
virtual disks, press <Shift> click. To select all of the available virtual disks,
click
Select All
.
4
In the
Select cache properties
area, you can select:
•
Enable read caching
—to enable read caching.
•
Enable dynamic cache read prefetch
—to enable dynamic cache read
prefetch.
•
Enable write caching
—to enable write caching.
•
Enable write caching with mirroring
—to mirror cached data
across two redundant RAID controller modules that have the
same cache size.
•
Enable write caching without batteries
—to permit write caching
to continue even if the RAID controller module batteries are
discharged completely, not fully charged, or are not present.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data – Selecting the Enable write caching without
batteries option lets write caching continue even when the batteries are
discharged completely or are not fully charged. Typically, write caching is turned
off temporarily by the RAID controller module until the batteries are charged. If you
select this option and do not have a universal power supply for protection, you
could lose data. In addition, you could lose data if you do not have RAID controller
module batteries and you select the Enable write caching without batteries
option.
NOTE: When the Optional RAID controller module batteries option is enabled,
the Enable write caching does not appear. The Enable write caching without
batteries is still available, but it is not checked by default.
NOTE: Cache is automatically flushed after the Enable write caching check
box is disabled.
5
Click
OK
.
A message prompts you to confirm the change in the virtual disk
modification priority.
6
Click
Yes
.
7
Click
OK
.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 111
Changing the Segment Size of a Virtual Disk
You can change the segment size on a selected virtual disk. During this
operation, I/O performance is affected, but your data remains available.
Guidelines to proceed with changing the segment size:
• You cannot cancel this operation after it starts.
• Do not start this operation unless the disk group is in Optimal status.
• MDSM determines the segment size transitions that are allowed. Segment
sizes that are inappropriate transitions from the current segment size are
unavailable on the menu. Allowed transitions usually are double or half of
current segment size. For example, if the current virtual disk segment size
is 32 KB, a new virtual disk segment size of either 16 KB or 64 KB is
allowed.
NOTE: The operation to change the segment size is slower than other modification
operations (for example, changing RAID levels or adding free capacity to a disk
group). This slowness is the result of how the data is reorganized and the temporary
internal backup procedures that occur during the operation.
The amount of time that a change segment size operation takes depends on:
• The I/O load from the host
• The modification priority of the virtual disk
• The number of physical disks in the disk group
• The number of physical disk ports
• The processing power of the storage array RAID controller modules
If you want this operation to complete faster, you can change the
modification priority, although this might decrease system I/O performance.
To change the segment size of a virtual disk:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Change
Segment Size
.
3
Select the required segment size.
A message prompts you to confirm the selected segment size.
4
Click
Yes
.
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112 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
The segment size modification operation begins. The virtual disk icon in the
Logical pane shows an Operation in Progress status while the operation is
taking place.
NOTE: To view the progress or change the priority of the modification operation,
select a virtual disk in the disk group, and select Virtual Disk Change
Modification Priority.
Changing the I/O Type
You can specify the virtual disk I/O characteristics for the virtual disks that
you are defining as part of the storage array configuration. The expected I/O
characteristics of the virtual disk is used by the system to indicate an
applicable default virtual disk segment size and dynamic cache read prefetch
setting.
NOTE: The dynamic cache read prefetch setting can be changed later by selecting
Virtual Disk Change Cache Settings. You can change the segment size later by
selecting Virtual Disk Change Segment Size.
The I/O characteristic types shown below are only presented during the create
virtual disk process.
When you choose one of the virtual disk I/O characteristics, the
corresponding dynamic cache prefetch setting and segment size that are
typically well suited for expected I/O patterns are populated in the Dynamic
cache read prefetch field and the Segment size field.
To change the I/O type:
1
Select from these virtual disk I/O characteristic types, based on your
application needs:
•
File system (typical)
•
Database
•
Multimedia
•
Custom
The corresponding dynamic cache read prefetch setting and segment size
values that are typically well suited for the selected virtual disk I/O
characteristic type are populated in the Dynamic cache read prefetch and
Segment size fields.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 113
NOTE: If you selected the Custom option, select your preferred dynamic
cache read prefetch setting (enabled/disabled) and segment size (8KB to
512KB).
2
Click
OK
.
Choosing an Appropriate Physical Disk Type
You can create disk groups and virtual disks in the storage array. You must
select the capacity that you want to allocate for the virtual disk from either
unconfigured capacity or free capacity available in the storage array. Then you
define basic and optional advanced parameters for the virtual disk.
With the advent of different physical disk technologies, it is now possible to
mix physical disks with different media types and different interface types
within a single storage array. In this release of MDSM, the following media
types are supported:
• Hard physical disk
• Solid State Disk (SSD)
Physical Disk Security with Self Encrypting Disk
Self encrypting disk (SED) technology prevents unauthorized access to the
data on a physical disk that is physically removed from the storage array. The
storage array has a security key. Self encrypting disks provide access to data
only through an array that has the correct security key.
The self encrypting disk or a security capable physical disk encrypts data
during writes and decrypts data during reads. For more information, see the
PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager online help topics.
You can create a secure disk group from security capable physical disks. When
you create a secure disk group from security capable physical disks, the
physical disks in that disk group become security enabled. When a security
capable physical disk has been security enabled, the physical disk requires the
correct security key from a RAID controller module to read or write the data.
All of the physical disks and RAID controller modules in a storage array share
the same security key. The shared security key provides read and write access
to the physical disks, while the physical disk encryption key on each physical
disk is used to encrypt the data. A security capable physical disk works like any
other physical disk until it is security enabled.
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114 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Whenever the power is turned off and turned on again, all of the security-
enabled physical disks change to a security locked state. In this state, the data
is inaccessible until the correct security key is provided by a RAID controller
module.
You can view the self encrypting disk status of any physical disk in the storage
array from the Physical Disk Properties dialog. The status information reports
whether the physical disk is:
• Security Capable
• Secure—Security enabled or disabled
• Read/Write Accessible—Security locked or unlocked
You can view the self encrypting disk status of any disk group in the storage
array. The status information reports whether the storage array is:
• Security Capable
•Secure
The following table shows how to interpret the security status of a disk group
The Physical Disk Security menu appears in the Storage Array menu. The
Physical Disk Security menu has these options:
•Create Security Key
• Change Security Key
•Save Security Key File
• Validate Security Key
•Unlock Drives
Table 10-1. Interpretation of Security Status of Disk Group
Secure Security Capable - Yes Security Capable - No
Yes The disk group is composed of all
SED physical disks and is in a
Secure state.
Not applicable. Only SED
physical disks can be in a Secure
state.
No The disk group is composed of all
SED physical disks and is in a
Non-Secure state.
The disk group is not entirely
composed of SED physical disks.
book.book Page 114 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 115
NOTE: If you have not created a security key for the storage array, the Create
Security Key option is active. If you have created a security key for the storage
array, the Create Security Key option is inactive with a check mark to the left. The
Change Security Key option, the Save Security Key option, and the Validate Security
Key option are now active.
The Secure Physical Disks option appears in the Disk Group menu. The
Secure Physical Disks option is active if these conditions are true:
• The selected storage array is not security enabled but is comprised entirely
of security capable physical disks.
• The storage array contains no snapshot base virtual disks or snapshot
repository virtual disks.
• The disk group is in an Optimal state.
• A security key is set up for the storage array.
NOTE: The Secure Physical Disks option is inactive if these conditions are not true.
The Secure Physical Disks option is inactive with a check mark to the left if
the disk group is already security enabled.
The Create a secure disk group option appears in the Create Disk Group
Wizard - Disk Group Name and Physical Disk Selection dialog. The Create a
secure disk group option is active only when these conditions are met:
• A security key is installed in the storage array.
• At least one security capable physical disk is installed in the storage array.
• All of the physical disks that you selected on the Physical tab are security
capable physical disks.
You can erase security-enabled physical disks so that you can reuse the drives
in another disk group or in another storage array. When you erase security-
enabled physical disks, ensure that the data cannot be read. When all of the
physical disks that you have selected in the Physical pane are security enabled,
and none of the selected physical disks is part of a disk group, the Secure
Erase option appears in the Physical Disk menu.
The storage array password protects a storage array from potentially
destructive operations by unauthorized users. The storage array password is
independent from self encrypting disk, and should not be confused with the
pass phrase that is used to protect copies of a security key. However, it is good
practice to set a storage array password
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116 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Creating a Security Key
When you create a security key, it is generated by and securely stored by the
array. You cannot read or view the security key. A copy of the security key must
be kept on some other storage medium for backup in case of system failure or
for transfer to another storage array. A pass phrase that you provide is used to
encrypt and decrypt the security key for storage on other media.
When you create a security key, you also provide information to create a
security key identifier. Unlike the security key, you can read or view the
security key identifier. The security key identifier is also stored on a physical
disk or transportable media. The security key identifier is used to identify
which key the storage array is using.
To create a security key:
1
In the AMW toolbar, select
Storage Array

Physical Disk Security

Create Security Key
.
The
Create Security Key
window is displayed.
2
Enter a string that becomes part of the secure key identifier, in
Security
key identifier
.
You can enter up to 189 alphanumeric characters without spaces,
punctuation, or symbols. Additional characters are generated
automatically and is appended to the end of the string that you enter. The
generated characters help to ensure that the secure key identifier is
unique.
3
Edit the default path by adding a file name to the end of the path or Click
Browse,
navigate to the required folder and enter the name of the file.
4
Enter a string for the pass phrase, in
Pass phrase
.
The pass phrase must:
• be between eight and 32 characters long.
• contain at least one uppercase letter.
• contain at least one lowercase letter.
• contain at least one number.
• contain at least one non-alphanumeric character, for example, < > @
+.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 117
The pass phrase that you enter is masked.
NOTE: Create Key is active only if the pass phrase meets the above mentioned
criterion.
5
In
Confirm pass phrase
, re-enter the exact string that you entered in
Pass
phrase
.
Make a record of the pass phrase that you entered and the security key
identifier that is associated with the pass phrase. You need this
information for later secure operations.
6
Click
Create Key
.
7
Make a record of the security key identifier and the file name from the
Create Security Key Complete
dialog, and click
OK
.
After you have created a security key, you can create secure disk groups from
security capable physical disks. Creating a secure disk group makes the
physical disks in the disk group security-enabled. Security-enabled physical
disks enter Security Locked status whenever power is re-applied. They can be
unlocked only by a RAID controller module that supplies the correct key
during physical disk initialization. Otherwise, the physical disks remain
locked, and the data is inaccessible. The Security Locked status prevents any
unauthorized person from accessing data on a security-enabled physical disk
by physically removing the physical disk and installing the physical disk in
another computer or storage array.
Changing a Security Key
When you change a security key, a new security key is generated by the
system. The new key replaces the previous key. You cannot view or read the
key. However, a copy of the security key must be kept on some other storage
medium for backup in case of system failure or for transfer to another storage
array. A pass phrase that you provide encrypts and decrypts the security key
for storage on other media. When you change a security key, you also provide
information to create a security key identifier. Changing the security key does
not destroy any data. You can change the security key at any time.
Before you change the security key, ensure that:
• All virtual disks in the storage array are in Optimal status.
• In storage arrays with two RAID controller modules, both are present and
working normally.
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118 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
To change the security key:
1
In the AMW toolbar, select
Storage Array

Physical Disk Security
Change Security Key
.
The
Confirm Change Security Key
window is displayed.
2
Ty p e
yes
in the text field, and click
OK
.
The
Change Security Key
window is displayed.
3
In
Secure key identifier
, enter a string that become part of the secure key
identifier.
You may leave the text box blank, or enter up to 189 alphanumeric
characters without white space, punctuation, or symbols. Additional
characters is generated automatically.
4
Edit the default path by adding a file name to the end of the path or Click
Browse,
navigate to the required folder and enter the name of the file.
5
In
Pass phrase
, enter a string for the pass phrase.
The pass phrase must meet the following criteria:
• It must be between eight and 32 characters long.
• It must contain at least one uppercase letter.
• It must contain at least one lowercase letter.
• It must contain at least one number.
• It must contain at least one non-alphanumeric character (for example,
< > @ +).
The pass phrase that you enter is masked.
6
In
Confirm pass phrase
, re-enter the exact string you entered in
Pass
phrase
.
Make a record of the pass phrase you entered and the security key
identifier it is associated with. You need this information for later secure
operations.
7
Click
Change Key.
8
Make a record of the security key identifier and the file name from the
Change Security Key Complete
dialog, and click
OK
.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 119
Saving a Security Key
You save an externally storable copy of the security key when the security key
is first created and each time it is changed. You can create additional storable
copies at any time. To save a new copy of the security key, you must provide a
pass phrase. The pass phrase you choose does not need to match the pass
phrase used when the security key was created or last changed. The pass
phrase is applied to the particular copy of the security key you are saving.
To save the security key for the storage array,
1
In the AMW toolbar, select
Storage Array

Physical Disk Security
Save
Security Key
File
.
The
Save Security Key File - Enter Pass Phrase
window is displayed.
2
Edit the default path by adding a file name to the end of the path or Click
Browse,
navigate to the required folder and enter the name of the file.
3
In
Pass phrase
, enter a string for the pass phrase.
The pass phrase must meet the following criteria:
• It must be between eight and 32 characters long.
• It must contain at least one uppercase letter.
• It must contain at least one lowercase letter.
• It must contain at least one number.
• It must contain at least one non-alphanumeric character (for example,
< > @ +).
The pass phrase that you enter is masked.
4
In
Confirm pass phrase
, re-enter the exact string you entered in
Pass
phrase
.
Make a record of the pass phrase you entered. You need it for later secure
operations.
5
Click
Save
.
6
Make a record of the security key identifier and the file name from the
Save Security Key Complete dialog, and click
OK
.
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120 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Unlocking Secure Physical Disks
You can export a security-enabled disk group to move the associated physical
disks to a different storage array. After you install those physical disks in the
new storage array, you must unlock the physical disks before data can be read
from or written to the physical disks. To unlock the physical disks, you must
supply the security key from the original storage array. The security key on the
new storage array is different and cannot unlock the physical disks.
You must supply the security key from a security key file that was saved on the
original storage array. You must provide the pass phrase that was used to
encrypt the security key file to extract the security key from this file.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Erasing Secure Physical Disks
In the AMW, when you select a security enabled physical disk that is not part
of a disk group, the Secure Erase menu item is enabled on the Physical Disk
menu. You can use the secure erase procedure to re-provision a physical disk.
You can use the Secure Erase option if you want to remove all of the data on
the physical disk and reset the physical disk security attributes.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data access – The Secure Erase option removes all of
the data that is currently on the physical disk. This action cannot be undone.
Before you complete this option, make sure that the physical disk that you
have selected is the correct physical disk. You cannot recover any of the data
that is currently on the physical disk.
After you complete the secure erase procedure, the physical disk is available
for use in another disk group or in another storage array. Refer to the
PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager online help topics for more
information on the secure erase procedure.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 121
Configuring Hot Spare Physical Disks
Guidelines to configure host spare physical disks:
• You can use only unassigned physical disks with Optimal status as hot
spare physical disks.
• You can unassign only hot spare physical disks with Optimal, or Standby
status. You cannot unassign a hot spare physical disk that has the In Use
status. A hot spare physical disk has the In Use status when it is in the
process of taking over for a failed physical disk.
• If a hot spare physical disk does not have Optimal status, follow the
Recovery Guru procedures displayed by the MDSM application to correct
any problem before trying to unassign the physical disk.
• Hot spare physical disks must be of the same media type and interface type
as the physical disks that they are protecting.
• If there are secure disk groups and security capable disk groups in the
storage array, the hot spare physical disk must match the security
capability of the disk group.
• Hot spare physical disks must have capacities equal to or larger than the
used capacity on the physical disks that they are protecting.
• The availability of enclosure loss protection for a disk group depends on
the location of the physical disks that comprise the disk group. To make
sure that enclosure loss protection is not affected, you must replace a failed
physical disk to initiate the copyback process. See "Enclosure Loss
Protection" on page 124.
CAUTION: If a hot spare physical disk does not have Optimal status, follow the
Recovery Guru procedures to correct the problem before you try to unassign the
physical disk. You cannot assign a hot spare physical disk if it is in use (taking
over for a failed physical disk).
To assign or unassign hot spare physical disks:
1
In the AMW, select the
Physical
tab.
2
Select one or more physical disks.
3
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Physical disk
Hot Spare Coverage
.
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122 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
• Right-click the physical disk and select Hot Spare Coverage from the
pop-up menu.
The
Hot Spare Physical Disk Options
window is displayed.
4
Select the appropriate option, you can select:
• View/change current hot spare coverage—to review hot spare coverage
and to assign or unassign hot spare physical disks, if necessary. See
step 5.
• Automatically assign physical disks— to create hot spare physical disks
automatically for the best hot spare coverage using available physical
disks.
• Manually assign individual physical disks—to create hot spare physical
disks out of the selected physical disks on the Physical tab.
• Manually unassign individual physical disks—to unassign the selected
hot spare physical disks on the Physical tab. See step 12.
5
To assign hot spares, in the
Hot Spare Coverage
window, select a disk
group in the
Hot spare coverage
area.
6
Review the information about the hot spare coverage in the
Details
area.
7
Click
Assign
.
The
Assign Hot Spare
window is displayed.
8
Select the relevant Physical disks in the
Unassigned physical disks
area, as
hot spares for the selected disk and click
OK
.
9
To unassign hot spares, in the
Hot Spare Coverage
window, select physical
disks in the
Hot spare physical disks
area.
10
Review the information about the hot spare coverage in the
Details
area.
11
Click
Unassign
.
A message prompts you to confirm the operation.
12
Ty p e
yes
and click
OK
.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 123
Hot Spares and Rebuild
A valuable strategy to protect data is to assign available physical disks in the
storage array as hot spares. A hot spare adds another level of fault tolerance to
the storage array.
A hot spare is an idle, powered-on, stand-by physical disk ready for immediate
use in case of disk failure. If a hot spare is defined in an enclosure in which a
redundant virtual disk experiences a physical disk failure, a rebuild of the
degraded virtual disk is automatically initiated by the RAID controller
modules. If no hot spares are defined, the rebuild process is initiated by the
RAID controller modules when a replacement physical disk is inserted into
the storage array.
Global Hot Spares
The MD3200i series supports global hot spares. A global hot spare can replace
a failed physical disk in any virtual disk with a redundant RAID level as long
as the capacity of the hot spare is equal to or larger than the size of the
configured capacity on the physical disk it replaces, including its metadata.
Hot Spare Operation
When a physical disk fails, the virtual disk automatically rebuilds using an
available hot spare. When a replacement physical disk is installed, data from
the hot spare is copied back to the replacement physical disk. This function is
called copy back. By default, the RAID controller module automatically
configures the number and type of hot spares based on the number and
capacity of physical disks in your system.
A hot spare may have the following states:
• A standby hot spare is a physical disk that has been assigned as a hot spare
and is available to take over for any failed physical disk.
• An in-use hot spare is a physical disk that has been assigned as a hot spare
and is currently replacing a failed physical disk.
Hot Spare Drive Protection
You can use a hot spare physical disk for additional data protection from
physical disk failures that occur in a RAID Level 1, or RAID Level 5 disk
group. If the hot spare physical disk is available when a physical disk fails, the
RAID controller module uses redundancy data to reconstruct the data from
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124 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
the failed physical disk to the hot spare physical disk. When you have
physically replaced the failed physical disk, a copyback operation occurs from
the hot spare physical disk to the replaced physical disk.
If there are secure disk groups and security capable disk groups in the storage
array, the hot spare physical disk must match the security capability of the
disk group. For example, a non-security capable physical disk cannot be used
as a hot spare for a secure disk group.
NOTE: For a security capable disk group, security capable hot spare physical disks
are preferred. If security capable physical disks are not available, non-security
capable physical disks may be used as hot spare physical disks. To ensure that the
disk group is retained as security capable, the non-security capable hot spare
physical disk must be replaced with a security capable physical disk.
If you select a security capable physical disk as hot spare for a non-secure disk
group, a dialog box appears indicating that a security capable physical disk is
being used as a hot spare for a non-secure disk group.
The availability of enclosure loss protection for a disk group depends on the
location of the physical disks that comprise the disk group. The enclosure loss
protection might be lost because of a failed physical disk and location of the
hot spare physical disk. To make sure that enclosure loss protection is not
affected, you must replace a failed physical disk to initiate the copyback
process.
The virtual disk remains online and accessible while you are replacing the
failed physical disk, because the hot spare physical disk is automatically
substituted for the failed physical disk.
Enclosure Loss Protection
Enclosure loss protection is an attribute of a disk group. Enclosure loss
protection guarantees accessibility to the data on the virtual disks in a disk
group if a total loss of communication occurs with a single expansion
enclosure. An example of total loss of communication might be loss of power
to the expansion enclosure or failure of both RAID controller modules.
CAUTION: Enclosure loss protection is not guaranteed if a physical disk has
already failed in the disk group. In this situation, losing access to an expansion
enclosure and consequently another physical disk in the disk group causes a
double physical disk failure and loss of data.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 125
Enclosure loss protection is achieved when you create a disk group where all
of the physical disks that comprise the disk group are located in different
expansion enclosures. This distinction depends on the RAID level. If you
choose to create a disk group by using the Automatic method, the software
attempts to choose physical disks that provide enclosure loss protection. If
you choose to create a disk group by using the Manual method, you must use
the criteria specified in Table 10-2.
Table 10-2. Criteria for Enclosure Loss Protection
RAID Level Criteria for Enclosure Loss Protection
RAID level 5
or RAID level
6
Ensure that all the physical disks in the disk group are located in
different expansion enclosures.
Because a RAID level 5 requires a minimum of three physical disks,
enclosure loss protections cannot be achieved if your storage array has
less than three expansion enclosures. Because a RAID level 6requires a
minimum of five physical disks, enclosure loss protections cannot be
achieved if your storage array has less than five expansion enclosures.
RAID level 1 Ensure that each physical disk in a mirrored pair is located in a
different expansion enclosure. This enables you to have more than
two physical disks in the disk group within the same expansion
enclosure.
For example, if you are creating a six physical disk, disk group (three-
mirrored pairs), you could achieve enclosure loss protection with only
two expansion enclosures by specifying that the physical disk in each
mirrored pair are located in separate expansion enclosures. This
example shows this concept:
• Mirror pair 1—Physical disk in enclosure 1 slot 1 and physical disk in
enclosure 2 slot 1.
• Mirror pair 2—Physical disk in enclosure 1 slot 2and physical disk in
enclosure 2 slot 2.
• Mirror pair 3—Physical disk in enclosure 1 slot 3and physical disk in
enclosure 2 slot 3.
Because a RAID level 1 disk group requires a minimum of two physical
disks, enclosure loss protections cannot be achieved if your storage
array has less than two expansion enclosures.
RAID level 0 RAID level 0 does not have consistency, you cannot achieve enclosure
loss protection.
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126 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping
After you create virtual disks, you must map them to the host(s) connected to
the array.
Guidelines to configure host-to-virtual disk mapping:
• 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.
• Each host has its own LUN address space. MDSM permits the same LUN
to be used by different hosts or host groups to access virtual disks in a
storage array.
• Not every operating system has the same number of LUNs available.
• You can define the mappings on the Mappings tab in the Array
Management Window. See "Using the Mappings Tab" on page 94.
Creating Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings
Guidelines to define the mappings:
• An access virtual disk mapping is not required for an out-of-band storage
array. If your storage array is managed using an out-of-band connection,
and an access virtual disk mapping is assigned to the Default Group, an
access virtual disk mapping is assigned to every host created from the
Default Group. To prevent this action from occurring, remove the access
virtual disk mapping from the Default Group.
• Most hosts have 256 LUNs mapped per storage partition. The LUN
numbering is from 0 through 255. If your operating system restricts LUNs
to 127, and you try to map a virtual disk to a LUN that is greater than or
equal to 127, the host cannot access it.
• An initial mapping of the host group or host must be created using the
Storage Partitioning Wizard before defining additional mappings. See
"Storage Partitioning" on page 136.
To create host to virtual disk mappings:
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 127
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab.
2
In the
Topology
pane, select:
•
Default Group
•
Undefined mappings node
•
Individual defined mapping
• Host group
•
Host
3
In the toolbar, select
Mappings
Define
Additional Mapping
.
The
Define Additional Mapping
window is displayed.
4
In
Host group or host
, select the appropriate host group or host.
All defined hosts, host groups, and the default group appear in the list.
NOTE: When configuring an iSCSI storage array, including the MD3200i or
MD3220i, if a host or a host group is selected that does not have a SAS host
bus adapter (SAS HBA) host port defined, a warning dialog appears.
5
In
Logical unit number
, select a LUN. The supported LUNs are 0 through
255.
6
Select the virtual disk to be mapped in the
Virtual Disk
area.
The Virtual Disk area lists the names and capacity of the virtual disks that
are available for mapping based on the selected host group or selected
host.
7
Click
Add
.
NOTE: The Add button is inactive until a host group or host, LUN, and virtual
disk are selected.
8
To define additional mappings, repeat step 4 through step 7.
NOTE: After a virtual disk has been mapped once, it is no longer available in
the Virtual Disk area.
9
Click
Close
.
The mappings are saved. The Topology pane and the Defined Mappings
pane in the Mappings tab are updated to reflect the mappings.
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128 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Modifying and Removing Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping
You can modify or remove a host-to-virtual disk mapping for several reasons,
such as an incorrect mapping or reconfiguration of the storage array.
Modifying or removing a host-to-virtual disk mapping applies to both hosts
and host groups.
To modify or remove host to virtual disk mapping:
NOTE: Before you modify or remove a host-to-virtual disk mapping, you must stop
any data access (I/O) to the virtual disks to prevent data loss.
1
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab.
2
In the
Defined Mappings
pane, perform one of these actions:
• Select a single virtual disk, and select
Mappings
Change
Mapping
.
• Right-click the virtual disk, and select
Change Mapping
from the
pop-up menu.
3
In
Host group or host,
select the appropriate host group or host.
By default, the drop-down list shows the current host group or the host
associated with the selected virtual disk.
4
In
Logical unit number
, select the appropriate LUN.
The drop down list shows only the currently available LUNs that are
associated with the selected virtual disk.
5
Click
OK
.
Stop any host applications associated with this virtual disk, and unmount
the virtual disk, if applicable, from your operating system.
6
In the
Change Mapping
dialog, click
Yes
to confirm the changes.
The mapping is checked for validity and is saved. The Defined Mappings
pane is updated to reflect the new mapping. The Topology pane is also
updated to reflect any movement of host groups or hosts.
NOTE: If a password is set on the storage array, the Enter Password dialog
appears. Type the current password for the storage array, and click OK.
7
If configuring a Linux host, run the rescan_dm_devs utility on the host,
and remount the virtual disk if required. This utility is installed on the host
as part of the MDSM install process.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 129
8
Restart the host applications.
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.
You can change the RAID controller module ownership of a standard virtual
disk or a snapshot repository virtual disk. You cannot directly change the
RAID controller module ownership of a snapshot virtual disk because the
snapshot virtual disk inherits the RAID controller module owner of its
associated source virtual disk. Changing the RAID controller module
ownership of a virtual disk changes the preferred RAID controller module
ownership of the virtual disk.
During a virtual disk copy, the same RAID controller module must own both
the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk. Sometimes both virtual
disks do not have the same preferred RAID controller module when the
virtual disk copy starts. Therefore, the ownership of the target virtual disk is
automatically transferred to the preferred RAID controller module of the
source virtual disk. When the virtual disk copy is completed or is stopped,
ownership of the target virtual disk is restored to its preferred RAID controller
module. If ownership of the source virtual disk is changed during the virtual
disk copy, ownership of the target virtual disk is also changed. Under certain
operating system environments, it might be necessary to reconfigure the
multi-path driver before an I/O path can be used.
To change the ownership of the virtual disk to the connected controller:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
.
3
Select the appropriate RAID controller module slot and click
Yes
to
confirm the selection.
Removing Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping
To remove the host to virtual disk mapping:
1
In the AMW, select the
Mapping
tab.
2
Select a virtual disk from the
Defined Mappings
pane.
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130 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
3
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Mappings
Remove
.
• Right-click the virtual disk, and select
Remove Mapping
from the
pop-up menu.
4
Click
Yes
to remove the mapping.
Changing the RAID Controller Module Ownership of a Disk Group
You can change the RAID controller module ownership of a a disk group.
You can change the RAID controller module ownership of a standard virtual
disk or a snapshot repository virtual disk. You cannot directly change the
RAID controller module ownership of a snapshot virtual disk because the
snapshot virtual disk inherits the RAID controller module owner of its
associated source virtual disk. Changing the RAID controller module
ownership of a virtual disk changes the preferred RAID controller module
ownership of the virtual disk.
During a virtual disk copy, the same RAID controller module must own both
the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk. Sometimes both virtual
disks do not have the same preferred RAID controller module when the
virtual disk copy starts. Therefore, the ownership of the target virtual disk is
automatically transferred to the preferred RAID controller module of the
source virtual disk. When the virtual disk copy is completed or is stopped,
ownership of the target virtual disk is restored to its preferred RAID controller
module. If ownership of the source virtual disk is changed during the virtual
disk copy, ownership of the target virtual disk is also changed. Under certain
operating system environments, it might be necessary to reconfigure the
multi-path driver before an I/O path can be used.
To change the RAID controller module ownership of a disk group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a disk group.
2
Select
Disk Group
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
.
3
Select the appropriate RAID controller module slot and click
Yes
to
confirm the selection.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data access– Changing ownership at the disk group
level causes every virtual disk in that disk group to transfer to the other RAID
controller module and use the new I/O path. If you do not want to set every virtual
disk to the new path, change ownership at the virtual disk level instead.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 131
The ownership of the disk group is changed. I/O to the disk group is now
directed through this I/O path. You are finished with this procedure.
NOTE: The disk group might not use the new I/O path until the multi-path driver
reconfigures and recognizes the new path. This action usually takes less than five
minutes.
Changing the RAID Level of a Disk Group
Changing the RAID level of a disk group changes the RAID levels of every
virtual disk that comprises the disk group. Performance might be slightly
affected during the operation.
Guidelines to change the RAID level of a disk group:
• You cannot cancel this operation after it begins.
• The disk group must be in Optimal status before you can perform this
operation.
• Your data remains available during this operation.
• If you do not have enough capacity in the disk group to convert to the new
RAID level, an error message appears, and the operation does not
continue. If you have unassigned physical disks, use the Disk Group>>
Add Free Capacity (Physical Disks) option to add additional capacity to
the disk group. Then retry the operation.
To change the RAID level of a disk group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a disk group.
2
Select
Disk Group
Change
RAID Level
.
3
Select the appropriate RAID level and click
Yes
to confirm the selection.
The RAID level operation begins.
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132 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Restricted Mappings
Many hosts are able to map up to 256 logical unit numbers (LUNs) (0 to 255)
per storage partition. However, the maximum number of mappings differs
because of operating system variables, failover driver issues, and potential
data problems. The hosts listed in the table have these mapping restrictions.
If you try to map a virtual disk to a LUN that exceeds the restriction on these
operating systems, the host is unable to access the virtual disk.
Guidelines when you work with host types with LUN mapping restrictions:
• You cannot change a host adapter port to a restricted host type if there are
already mappings in the storage partition that would exceed the limit
imposed by the restricted host type.
• Consider the case of the Default Group that has access to LUNs up to 256
(0 to 255) and a restricted host type is added to the Default Group. In this
case, the host that is associated with the restricted host type is able to
access virtual disks in the Default Group with LUNs within its limits. For
example, if the Default Group had two virtual disks mapped to LUNs 254
and 255, the host with the restricted host type would not be able to access
those two virtual disks.
• If the Default Group has a restricted host type assigned and the storage
partitions are disabled, you can map only a total of 32 LUNs. Any
additional virtual disks that are created are put in the Unidentified
Mappings area. If additional mappings are defined for one of these
Unidentified Mappings, the Define Additional Mapping dialog shows the
LUN list, and the Add button is unavailable.
• Do not configure dual mappings on a Windows host.
• If there is a host with a restricted host type that is part of a specific storage
partition, all of the hosts in that storage partition are limited to the
maximum number of LUNs allowed by the restricted host type.
Operating System Highest LUN
Windows Server 2003 and Windows server 2008 255
Linux 255
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 133
• You cannot move a host with a restricted host type into a storage partition
that already has LUNs mapped that are greater than what is allowed by the
restricted host type. For example, if you have a restricted host type that
allows only LUNs up to 31, you cannot move that restricted host type into
a storage partition that has LUNs greater than 31 already mapped.
The Default Group on the Mappings tab has a default host type. You can
change this type by selecting Storage Array Change Default Host Type.
If you set the default host type to a host type that is restricted, the maximum
number of LUNs that are allowed in the Default Group for any host are
restricted to the limit imposed by the restricted host type. If a particular host
with a non-restricted host type becomes part of a specific storage partition,
you are able to change the mapping to a higher LUN.
Changing the RAID Controller Module Ownership of a Virtual Disk or a
Disk Group
You can change the RAID controller module ownership of a virtual disk or a
disk group.
You can change the RAID controller module ownership of a standard virtual
disk or a snapshot repository virtual disk. You cannot directly change the
RAID controller module ownership of a snapshot virtual disk because the
snapshot virtual disk inherits the RAID controller module owner of its
associated source virtual disk. Changing the RAID controller module
ownership of a virtual disk changes the preferred RAID controller module
ownership of the virtual disk.
During a virtual disk copy, the same RAID controller module must own both
the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk. Sometimes both virtual
disks do not have the same preferred RAID controller module when the
virtual disk copy starts. Therefore, the ownership of the target virtual disk is
automatically transferred to the preferred RAID controller module of the
source virtual disk. When the virtual disk copy is completed or is stopped,
ownership of the target virtual disk is restored to its preferred RAID controller
module. If ownership of the source virtual disk is changed during the virtual
disk copy, ownership of the target virtual disk is also changed. Under certain
operating system environments, it might be necessary to reconfigure the
multi-path driver before an I/O path can be used.
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134 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
1
Do you want to change the RAID controller module ownership of a virtual
disk or a disk group?
• Change the RAID controller module ownership of a virtual disk – Go
to step 2.
• Change the RAID controller module ownership of a disk group – Go
to step 3.
2
To change the RAID controller module ownership of a virtual disk,
perform these steps:
a
Select the
Logical
tab.
b
Select the virtual disk.
c
Select
Virtual Disk
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
.
Alternatively, you can right-click the virtual disk and select
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
from the pop-up menu.
d
Select the RAID controller module.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data access – If you do not use a multi-path driver,
shut down any host applications that are currently using the virtual disk. This
action prevents application errors when the I/O path changes.
e
Click
Yes
.
The ownership of the virtual disk is changed. I/O to the virtual disk is now
directed through this I/O path. You are finished with this procedure.
NOTE: The virtual disk might not use the new I/O path until the multi-path
driver reconfigures and recognizes the new path. This action usually takes less
than five minutes.
3
To change the RAID controller module ownership of a disk group, perform
these steps:
a
Select the
Logical
tab.
b
Select the disk group.
c
Select
Disk Group
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
.
Alternatively, you can right-click the disk group and select
Change
Ownership/Preferred Path
from the pop-up menu.
d
Select the RAID controller module.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 135
CAUTION: Possible loss of data access– Changing ownership at the disk group
level causes every virtual disk in that disk group to transfer to the other RAID
controller module and use the new I/O path. If you do not want to set every virtual
disk to the new path, change ownership at the virtual disk level instead.
e
Click
Yes
.
The ownership of the disk group is changed. I/O to the disk group is now
directed through this I/O path. You are finished with this procedure.
NOTE: The disk group might not use the new I/O path until the multi-path driver
reconfigures and recognizes the new path. This action usually takes less than five
minutes.
Changing the RAID Level of a Disk Group
Use the Change
RAID Level option to change the RAID level on a
selected disk group. Using this option changes the RAID levels of every virtual
disk that comprises the disk group. Performance might be slightly affected
during the operation. Keep these guidelines in mind when you change the
RAID level of a disk group:
• You cannot cancel this operation after it begins.
• The disk group must be in Optimal status before you can perform this
operation. Your data remains available during this operation.
• If you do not have enough capacity in the disk group to convert to the new
RAID level, an error message appears, and the operation does not
continue. If you have unassigned physical disks, use the Disk Group>>
Add Free Capacity (Physical Disks) option to add additional capacity to
the disk group. Then retry the operation.
To change the RAID level of a disk group:
1
Select the
Logical
tab.
2
Select the disk group.
3
Select
Disk Group
Change
RAID Level
.
4
Select the RAID level (RAID Level 0, RAID Level 1, RAID Level 5, or
RAID Level 6). The currently selected option is designated with a dot.
5
Click
Yes
.
The RAID level operation begins.
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136 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Storage Partitioning
A storage partition is a logical entity consisting of one or more virtual disks
that can be accessed by a single host or shared among hosts that are part of a
host group. The first time you map a virtual disk to a specific host or host
group, a storage partition is created. Subsequent virtual disk mappings to that
host or host group do not create another storage partition.
One storage partition is sufficient if:
• Only one attached host accesses all of the virtual disks in the storage array.
• All attached hosts share access to all of the virtual disks in the storage array.
When you choose this type of configuration, all of the hosts must have the
same operating system and special software (such as clustering software) to
manage virtual disk sharing and accessibility.
More than one storage partition is required if:
• Specific hosts must access specific virtual disks in the storage array.
• Hosts with different operating systems are attached to the same storage
array. In this case, a storage partition is created for each host type.
You can use the Storage Partitioning Wizard to define a single storage
partition. The Storage Partitioning wizard guides you through the major steps
required to specify which host groups, hosts, virtual disks, and associated
logical unit numbers (LUNs) are to be included in the storage partition.
Storage partitioning fails when:
• All mappings are defined.
• You create a mapping for a host group that conflicts with an established
mapping for a host in the host group.
• You create a mapping for a host in a host group that conflicts with an
established mapping for the host group.
Storage partitioning is unavailable when:
• No valid host groups or hosts exist in the Topology pane on the Mappings
tab.
• No host ports are defined for the host being included in the storage
partition.
• All mappings are defined.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 137
NOTE: You can include a secondary virtual disk in a storage partition.
However, any hosts that are mapped to the secondary virtual disk has read-only
access until the virtual disk is promoted to a primary virtual disk, or the mirror
relationship is removed.
Storage partitioning topology is the collection of elements, such as Default
Group, host groups, hosts, and host ports shown as nodes in the Topology
pane of the Mappings tab in the AMW. For more information, see "Using the
Mappings Tab" on page 94.
If a storage partitioning topology is not defined, an informational dialog
appears each time you select the Mappings tab. You must define the storage
partitioning topology before you define the actual storage partition.
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.
The additional free capacity can then be used to perform a virtual disk
expansion on a standard or snapshot repository virtual disk.
Disk Group Expansion
To add free capacity to a disk group:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab.
2
Select a disk group.
3
Select
Disk Group
Add Free Capacity (Physical Disks)
.
The
Add Free Capacity
window is displayed. Based on the RAID level, and
the enclosure loss protection of the current disk group, a list of unassigned
physical disks appears.
NOTE: If the RAID level of the disk group is RAID Level 5, or RAID Level 6, and
the expansion enclosure has enclosure loss protection, Display only physical disks
that will ensure enclosure loss protection appears and is selected by default.
4
in the
Available physical disks
area, select physical disks up to the allowed
maximum number of physical disks.
NOTE: You cannot mix different media types or different interface types
within a single disk group or virtual disk.
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138 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
5
Click
Add
.
A message prompts you to confirm your selection.
6
To add the capacity to the disk group, click
Yes
.
You can also use the Command Line Interface (CLI) on both Windows and
Linux hosts to add free capacity to a disk group. See the CLI Guide for more
information.
After the capacity expansion is completed, additional free capacity is available
in the disk group for creation of new virtual disks or expansion of existing
virtual disks.
Virtual Disk Expansion
Virtual disk expansion is a dynamic modification operation that increases the
capacity of standard virtual disks.
NOTE: Snapshot repository virtual disks can be expanded from the CLI or from
MDSM. All other virtual disk types are expandable only from the CLI.
If you receive a warning that the snapshot repository virtual disk is becoming
full, you may expand the snapshot repository virtual disk from MDSM. See
"Snapshot Repository Capacity" on page 156 for step-by-step instructions.
Using Free Capacity
You can increase the capacity of a virtual disk using the free capacity on the
disk group of the standard virtual disk or the snapshot repository virtual disk.
The Free Capacity node, shown in the Logical pane, is a contiguous region of
unassigned capacity on a defined disk group. When increasing virtual disk
capacity, some or all of the free capacity might be used to achieve the required
final capacity. Data on the selected virtual disk remains accessible while the
process for increasing virtual disk capacity is in progress.
Using Unconfigured Capacity
You can increase the capacity of a standard virtual disk or a snapshot
repository virtual disk using the unconfigured capacity when no free capacity
exists on a disk group. An increase is achieved by adding unconfigured
capacity, in the form of unassigned physical disks, to the disk group of the
standard virtual disk or the snapshot repository virtual disk. See "Disk Group
Expansion" on page 137.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 139
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Disk Group Migration
Disk group migration allows to you export a disk group so that you can import
the disk group to a different storage array. You can also export a disk group so
that you can store the data offline.
NOTE: During the export process (before the disk group is imported) you lose
access to the data on the exported disk group.
NOTE: You must export a disk group before you move the disk group or import the
disk group.
Export Disk Group
The export disk group operation prepares the physical disks in the disk group
for removal. You can remove the physical disks for offline storage, or you can
import the disk group to a different storage array. After you complete the
export disk group operation, all of the physical disks are offline. Any
associated virtual disks or free capacity nodes are no longer shown in MDSM.
Non-Exportable Components
You must remove or clear any non-exportable settings before you can
complete the export disk group procedure. Remove or clear the following
settings:
• Persistent reservations
• Host-to-virtual disk mappings
• Virtual disk copy pairs
• Snapshot virtual disks and snapshot repository virtual disks
• Remote mirror pairs
• Mirror repositories
Exporting a Disk Group
On the source storage array:
1
Save the storage array configuration.
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140 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
2
Stop all I/O, and unmount or disconnect the file systems on the virtual
disks in the disk group.
3
Back up the data on the virtual disks in the disk group.
4
Locate the disk group, and label the physical disks.
5
Place the disk group offline.
6
Obtain blank physical disk modules or new physical disks.
On the target storage array:
1
Verify that the target storage array has available physical disk slots.
2
Verify that the target storage array supports the physical disks that you
import.
3
Verify that the target storage array can support the new virtual disks.
4
Verify that the latest version of firmware is installed on the RAID
controller module.
Import Disk Group
The import disk group operation adds the imported disk group to the target
storage array. After you complete the import disk group operation, all of the
physical disks have Optimal status. Any associated virtual disks or free
capacity nodes are now shown in MDSM installed on the target storage array.
NOTE: You lose access to your data during the export/import process.
NOTE: You must export a disk group before you move the disk group or import the
disk group.
Importing a Disk Group
NOTE: You must insert all of the physical disks that are part of the disk group into
the enclosure before the disk group can be imported.
On the target storage array:
1
Insert the exported physical disks into the available physical disk slots.
2
Review the Import Report for an overview of the disk group that you are
importing.
3
Check for non-importable components.
4
Confirm that you want to proceed with the import procedure.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 141
NOTE: Some settings cannot be imported during the import disk group
procedure.
The following settings are removed/cleared during the procedure:
• Persistent reservations
• Host-to-virtual disk mappings
• Virtual disk copy pairs
• Snapshot virtual disks and snapshot repository virtual disks
• Remote mirror pairs
• Mirror repositories
Non-Importable Components
Some components cannot be imported during the import disk group
procedure. These components are removed during the procedure:
• Persistent reservations
•Mappings
• Virtual disk copy pairs
• Snapshot virtual disks and snapshot repository virtual disks
Storage Array Media Scan
The media scan is a background 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.
NOTE: You cannot enable background media scans on a virtual disk comprised of
Solid State Disks (SSDs).
Errors discovered by the media scan include:
• Unrecovered media error—Data could not be read on the first attempt or
on any subsequent attempts. For virtual disks with redundancy protection,
data is reconstructed, rewritten to the physical disk, and verified and the
error is reported to the event log. For virtual disks without redundancy
protection (RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 6 virtual disks), the error is not
corrected but is reported to the event log.
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142 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
• Recovered media error—Data could not be read by the physical disk on the
first attempt but was successfully read on a subsequent attempt. Data is
rewritten to the physical disk and verified and the error is reported to the
event log.
• Redundancy mismatches error—The first 10 redundancy mismatches that
are found on the virtual disk are reported to the event log.
• Unfixable error—Data could not be read and parity or redundancy
information could not be used to regenerate the data. For example,
redundancy information cannot be used to reconstruct the data on a
degraded virtual disk. The error is reported to the event log.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Changing Media Scan Settings
To change the media scan settings:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select any virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Change
Media Scan Settings
.
The
Change Media Scan
Settings window is displayed.
3
Deselect
Suspend media scan
if selected.
4
In Scan duration, enter or select the duration (in days) for the media scan.
The media scan duration specifies the number of days for which the media
scan runs on the selected virtual disks.
5
To disable media scans on an individual virtual disk, select the virtual disk
in the
Select virtual disks to scan
area, and deselect
Scan selected virtual
disks
.
6
To enable media scans on an individual virtual disk, select the virtual disk
in the
Select virtual disks to scan
area, and select S
can selected virtual
disks
.
7
To enable or disable the consistency check, select either
With consistency
check
or
Without consistency check
.
NOTE: A consistency check scans the data blocks in a RAID Level 5 virtual
disk, or a RAID Level 6 virtual disk and checks the consistency information for
each block. A consistency check compares data blocks on RAID Level 1
mirrored physical disks. RAID Level 0 virtual disks have no data consistency.
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Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks 143
8
Click
OK
.
Suspending the Media Scan
You cannot perform a media scan while performing another long-running
operation on the disk drive such as reconstruction, copy-back,
reconfiguration, virtual disk initialization, or immediate availability
formatting. If you want to perform another long-running operation, you
should suspend the media scan.
NOTE: A background media scan is the lowest priority of the long-running
operations.
To suspend a media scan:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select any virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Change
Media Scan Settings
.
The
Change Media Scan
Settings window is displayed.
3
Select
Suspend media scan
.
NOTE: This applies to all the virtual disks on the disk group.
4
Click
OK
.
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144 Configuration: Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 145
11
Configuration: 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.
NOTE: The snapshot feature allows up to eight snapshots per LUN and 128 per
array to be present at the same time.
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 a copy of the original data; It is
a reference to the data that was contained on a virtual disk at a specific time.
A snapshot virtual disk is the logical equivalent of a complete physical copy.
However, you can create a snapshot virtual disk much faster than a physical
copy, using less disk space.
The virtual disk on which the snapshot is based, called the source virtual disk,
must be a standard virtual disk in your storage array. Typically, you create a
snapshot so that an application, such as a backup application, can access the
snapshot and read the data while the source virtual disk remains online and
accessible.
NOTE: No I/O requests are permitted on the source virtual disk while the virtual
disk snapshot is being created.
A snapshot repository virtual disk containing metadata and copy-on-write
data is automatically created when a snapshot virtual disk is created. The only
data stored in the snapshot repository virtual disk is that which has changed
since the time of the snapshot.
After the snapshot repository virtual disk is created, I/O write requests to the
source virtual disk resume. Before a data block on the source virtual disk is
modified, the contents of the block to be modified are copied to the snapshot
repository virtual disk for safekeeping. Because the snapshot repository virtual
disk stores copies of the original data in those data blocks, further changes to
those data blocks write only to the source virtual disk. The snapshot
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146 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
repository uses less disk space than a full physical copy, because the only data
blocks that are stored in the snapshot repository virtual disk are those that
have changed since the time of the snapshot.
When you create a snapshot virtual disk, you specify its location, capacity,
and other parameters. You can disable or delete the snapshot virtual disk
when it is not required. If you disable a snapshot virtual disk, you can re-
create and reuse it the next time you perform a backup. For more
information, see "Re-creating Snapshot Virtual Disks" on page 159. If you
delete a snapshot virtual disk, you also delete the associated snapshot
repository virtual disk.
NOTE: Deleting a snapshot does not affect data on the source virtual disk.
NOTE: The following host preparation sections also apply when using the snapshot
feature through the CLI interface.
Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the
Simple Path
You can choose the simple path to create a snapshot virtual disk if the disk
group of the source virtual disk has the required amount of free space. A
snapshot repository virtual disk requires a minimum 8 MB of free capacity.
The destination of a snapshot repository virtual disk is determined based on
the free capacity available in the disk group.
If 8 MB of free capacity is not available in the disk group of the source virtual
disk, the Create Snapshot Virtual Disks feature defaults to the advanced path.
For more information, see "Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the
Advanced Path" on page 149.
In the advanced path option, you can choose to place the snapshot repository
virtual disk in another disk group or you can use unconfigured capacity on the
storage array to create a new disk group.
About the Simple Path
Using the simple path, you can specify:
• Snapshot Virtual Disk Name—A user-specified name that helps you
associate the snapshot virtual disk to its corresponding snapshot repository
virtual disk and source virtual disk.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 147
• 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.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Capacity—The snapshot repository
virtual disk capacity is expressed as a percentage of the source virtual disk
capacity. The maximum percentage allowed is 120 percent.
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.
• Host-to-Virtual Disk Mapping—The default setting is
Map now
.
• Percent Full—When the snapshot repository virtual disk reaches the
specified repository full percentage level, the event is logged in the Major
Event Log (MEL). The default snapshot repository full percentage level is
50 percent of the source virtual disk.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Full Conditions—When the snapshot
repository virtual disk becomes full, you are given a choice of failing write
activity to the source virtual disk or failing the snapshot virtual disk.
Preparing Host Servers to Create the Snapshot Using the Simple Path
NOTE: Before using the Snapshot Virtual Disks Premium Feature in a Microsoft®
Windows® clustered configuration, you must first map the snapshot virtual disk to
the cluster node that owns the source virtual disk. This ensures that the cluster
nodes correctly recognize the snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: Mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the node that does not own the source
virtual disk before the Snapshot enabling process is completed can result in the
operating system mis-identifying the snapshot virtual disk. This, in turn, can result in
data loss on the source virtual disk or an inaccessible snapshot.
NOTE: For details on mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the secondary node,
refer to the Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i and MD3220i Storage Arrays With
Microsoft® Windows Server® Failover Clusters on support.dell.com/manuals.
NOTE: You can create concurrent snapshots of a source virtual disk on both the
source disk group and on another disk group.
Before creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk, note that:
• The following types of virtual disks are not valid source virtual disks:
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148 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot 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. Failure to meet the requirements of your
host operating system results in an inaccurate snapshot of the source
virtual disk or the target virtual disk in a virtual disk copy.
NOTE: Before you create a new snapshot of a source virtual disk, stop any data
access (I/O) activity or suspend data transfer to the source virtual disk to ensure
that you capture an accurate snapshot of the source virtual disk. Close all
applications, including Windows Internet Explorer®, to make sure all I/O activity
has stopped.
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk(s) in Windows or
unmounting the virtual drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive
for the Snapshot.
Before creating a snapshot virtual disk, the host server has to be in the proper
state. To ensure that the host server is properly prepared to create a snapshot
virtual disk, you can either use an application to carry out this task, or you can
perform the following steps:
1
Stop all I/O activity to the source.
2
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select a valid source virtual disk.
3
Select
Virtual Disk
Snapshot
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-
click the source virtual disk and select Create Snapshot Virtual Disk from
the pop-up menu.
The
Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard - Introduction
dialog appears.
4
Select
Simple (Recommended)
, and click
Next
.
The
Specify Names
window is displayed.
5
Enter the
Snapshot virtual disk name
and the
Snapshot repository virtual
disk name
and click
Next.
The
Specify Snapshot Repository Capacity
window is displayed.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 149
6
Enter the snapshot repository virtual disks capacity as a percentage of the
source virtual disks capacity and click
Next
.
The
Preview
window containing the summary of the snapshot virtual disk
is displayed.
7
Click
Finish
.
The
Completed
window is displayed.
8
Click
OK
.
After creating one or more snapshot virtual disks, mount the source virtual
disk, and restart the host application using that source virtual disk.
9
In the AMW, select the
Mappings
tab, assign mappings between the
snapshot virtual disk and the host that accesses the snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: In some cases, conflicts might result from mapping the same host to both a
source virtual disk and its associated snapshot virtual disk. This conflict depends on
the host operating system and any virtual disk manager software in use.
10
To register the snapshot virtual disk with the host operating system, run
the host-based hot_add utility.
11
To associate the mapping between the storage array name and the virtual
disk name, run the host-based SMdevices utility.
NOTE: If your operating system requires additional instructions, you can find those
instructions in your operating system documentation.
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.
Using the advanced path, you can specify the following parameters for your
snapshot virtual disk:
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150 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
• Snapshot Virtual Disk Name—A user-specified name that helps you
associate the snapshot virtual disk to its corresponding snapshot repository
virtual disk and source virtual disk.
• 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.
• Capacity Allocation—This parameter allows you to choose where to create
the snapshot repository virtual disk. You can allocate capacity by using one
of the following methods:
– Use free capacity on the same disk group where the source virtual disk
resides.
– Use free capacity on another disk group.
– Use unconfigured capacity and create a new disk group for the
snapshot repository virtual disk.
– Dell recommends placing the snapshot repository virtual disk within
the disk group of the source virtual disk. This ensures that if drives
associated with the disk group are moved to another storage array, all
the virtual disks associated with the snapshot virtual disk remain in
the same group.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Capacity—The snapshot repository
virtual disk capacity is expressed as a percentage of the source virtual disk
capacity. The maximum percentage allowed is 120 percent.
• Percent Full—When the snapshot repository virtual disk reaches the user-
specified repository full percentage level, the event is logged in the Major
Event Log (MEL). The default snapshot repository full percentage level is
50% of the source virtual disk.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Full Conditions—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.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 151
Preparing Host Servers to Create the Snapshot Using the Advanced Path
NOTE: Before using the Snapshot Virtual Disks Premium Feature in a Microsoft®
Windows® clustered configuration, you must first map the snapshot virtual disk to
the cluster node that owns the source virtual disk. This ensures that the cluster
nodes correctly recognize the snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: Mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the node that does not own the source
virtual disk before the Snapshot enabling process is completed can result in the
operating system mis-identifying the snapshot virtual disk. This, in turn, can result in
data loss on the source virtual disk or an inaccessible snapshot.
NOTE: For details on mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the secondary node,
refer to the Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i and MD3220i Storage Arrays With
Microsoft® Windows Server® Failover Clusters on support.dell.com/manuals.
The destination of a snapshot repository virtual disk is determined based on
the free capacity available in the disk group. A snapshot repository virtual disk
requires a minimum 8 MB of free capacity. You can choose your preferred
creation path—simple or advanced—if the disk group of the source virtual
disk has the required amount of free space.
If 8 MB of free capacity is not available in the disk group of the source virtual
disk, the Create Snapshot Virtual Disks feature defaults to the advanced path
(see "Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Advanced Path" on
page 149). In the advanced path option, you can choose to place the snapshot
repository virtual disk in another disk group or you can use unconfigured
capacity on the storage array to create a new disk group.
NOTE: You can create concurrent snapshots of a source virtual disk on both the
source disk group and on another disk group.
Before creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk:
• 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.
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152 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
• You must satisfy the requirements of your host operating system for
creating snapshot virtual disks. Failure to meet the requirements of your
host operating system results in an inaccurate snapshot of the source
virtual disk or the target virtual disk in a virtual disk copy.
NOTE: Before you create a new snapshot of a source virtual disk, stop any data
access (I/O) activity or suspend data transfer to the source virtual disk to ensure
that you capture an accurate snapshot of the source virtual disk. Close all
applications, including Windows Internet Explorer®, to make sure all I/O activity
has stopped.
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk(s) in Windows or
unmounting the virtual drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive
for the Snapshot.
Before creating a snapshot virtual disk, the host server must be in the proper
state. To prepare your host server:
1
Stop all I/O activity to the source.
2
Using your Windows system, flush the cache to the source. At the host
prompt, type
SMrepassist -f <filename-identifier>
and
press <Enter>. For more information, see "SMrepassist Utility" on
page 243.
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 reports that it has
completed successfully, but the snapshot data is not 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. 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 a Snapshot Virtual
Disk Using the Advanced Path" on page 149 to create the snapshot using the
advanced path.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 153
If you want to use a snapshot regularly, such as for backups, use the Disable
Snapshot and Re-create Snapshot options to reuse the snapshot. Disabling
and re-creating snapshots preserves the existing virtual disk-to-host mappings
to the snapshot virtual disk.
Creating the Snapshot Using the Advanced Path
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk in Windows or
unmounting the virtual drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive
for the Snapshot.
After first preparing the host server(s) as specified in the preceding procedure,
complete the following steps to create a virtual disk snapshot using the
advanced path:
1
Stop the host application accessing the source virtual disk, and unmount
the source virtual disk.
2
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab, select a valid source virtual disk.
3
Select
Virtual Disk
Snapshot
Create
. Alternatively, you can right-
click the source virtual disk and select
Create Snapshot Virtual Disk
from
the pop-up menu.
The
Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard - Introduction
dialog appears.
4
Select
Advanced
, and click
Next
.
The
Specify Names
window is displayed.
5
Enter the
Snapshot visual disk name
and the
Snapshot repository virtual
disk name
and click
Next.
The
Allocate Capacity
window is displayed.
6
In the
Capacity allocation
area, select:
• Free capacity on same disk group as base (recommended)
• Free capacity on different disk group
• Unconfigured capacity (create new disk group)
7
Enter the snapshot repository virtual disks capacity as a percentage of the
source virtual disks capacity and click
Next
.
The
Specify Virtual Disk Parameters
window is displayed.
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154 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
8
In the
Snapshot virtual disk parameters
area, select the relevant mapping
option, you can select:
•
Automatic
•
Map later with Storage Partition
9
In the
Snapshot repository virtual disk parameters
area, enter the system
behavior when:
• The snapshot repository virtual disk is full to the selected percentage
level.
• The snapshot repository virtual disk is full.
10
Click
Next
.
The
Preview
window containing the summary of the snapshot virtual disk
is displayed.
11
Click
Finish
.
The
Completed
window is displayed.
12
Click
OK
.
13
In the
Mappings
tab, assign mappings between the snapshot virtual disk
and the host that accesses the snapshot virtual disk.
14
To register the snapshot virtual disk with the host operating system, run
the host-based hot_add utility.
15
To associate the mapping between the storage array name and the virtual
disk name, run the host-based SMdevices utility.
Specifying Snapshot Virtual Disk Names
Choose a name that helps you associate the snapshot virtual disk and
snapshot repository virtual disk with its corresponding source virtual disk. The
following information is useful when naming virtual disks:
By default, the snapshot name is shown in the Snapshot virtual disk name
field as:
<source-virtual disk-name>—<sequence-number>
where sequence-number is the chronological number of the snapshot
relative to the source virtual disk.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 155
The default name for the associated snapshot repository virtual disk that is
shown in the Snapshot repository virtual disk field is:
<source-virtual disk-name>—R<sequence-number>
For example, if you are creating the first snapshot virtual disk for a source
virtual disk called Accounting, the default snapshot virtual disk is
Accounting-1, and the associated snapshot repository virtual disk default
name is Accounting-R1. The default name of the next snapshot virtual disk
you create based on Accounting is Accounting-2, with the corresponding
snapshot repository virtual disk named as Accounting-R2 by default.
• 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. For example, if you give the first snapshot of source virtual
disk Accounting the name Accounting-8, and do not use the software-
supplied sequence number of 1, the default name for the next snapshot of
Accounting is still Accounting-2.
• The next available sequence number is based on the number of existing
snapshots of a source virtual disk. If you delete a snapshot virtual disk, its
sequence number becomes available again.
• You must choose a unique name for the snapshot virtual disk and the
snapshot repository virtual disks, or an error message is displayed.
• Names are limited to 30 characters. After you reach this limit in either the
snapshot virtual disk name or the Snapshot repository virtual disk name
fields, you can no longer type in the field. If the source virtual disk is 30
characters, the default names for the snapshot and its associated snapshot
repository virtual disk use the source virtual disk name truncated enough
to add the sequence string. For example, for Host Software Engineering
Group GR-1, the default snapshot name is Host Software Engineering GR-
1, and the default repository name would be Host Software Engineering
GR-R1.
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156 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
Snapshot Repository Capacity
If you receive a warning that the capacity for the snapshot repository virtual
disk is approaching its threshold, you can increase the capacity of a snapshot
repository virtual disk by using one of the following methods:
• Use the free capacity available on the disk group of the snapshot repository
virtual disk.
• Add unconfigured capacity to the disk group of the snapshot repository
virtual disk. Use this option when no free capacity exists on the disk group.
You cannot increase the storage capacity of a snapshot repository virtual disk
if the snapshot repository virtual disk has any one of the following conditions:
• The virtual disk has one or more hot spare drives in use.
• The virtual disk has a status other than Optimal.
• 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.
NOTE: You can add a maximum of two physical disks at one time to increase
snapshot repository virtual disk capacity.
To expand the snapshot repository virtual disk from MDSM:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab.
2
Select the snapshot repository virtual disk for which you want to increase
the capacity.
3
Select
Virtual Disk
Increase Capacity
.
NOTE: If no free capacity or unconfigured capacity is available, the Increase
Capacity option is disabled.
The
Increase Snapshot Repository Capacity
window displays the Virtual
disk attributes. The snapshot repository virtual disk name, the associated
snapshot virtual disk name, the associated source virtual disk capacity and
name, the current capacity, and the amount of free capacity that is
available for the selected snapshot repository virtual disk appear. If free
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 157
capacity is available, the maximum free space appears in the
Increase
capacity by
.
If free capacity does not exist on the disk group, the free space that appears
in the Increase capacity by spinner box is 0. You must add physical disks to
create free capacity on the disk group.
4
To increase capacity of the snapshot repository virtual disk, use one of
these methods:
• Use the free capacity on the disk group of the snapshot repository
virtual disk – Go to step 5.
• Add unconfigured capacity, or physical disks to the disk group of the
snapshot repository virtual disk – Go to step 7.
5
In
Increase capacity by
,
enter or select the appropriate capacity.
6
Click
OK
.
The
Logical
tab is updated. The snapshot repository virtual disk having its
capacity increased shows a status of Operation in Progress. In addition, the
snapshot repository virtual disk shows its original capacity and the total
capacity being added. The virtual disk involved shows a reduction in
capacity. If all of the free capacity is used to increase the size of the virtual
disk, the Free Capacity node involved is removed from the Logical tab.
7
If unassigned physical disks are not available, do you have empty slots in
the expansion enclosures?
• Yes, there are empty slots—Insert new physical disks by using the
information in the initial setup guide for your expansion enclosure. Go
to step 9.
• No, there are no empty slots—Install another expansion enclosure and
additional physical disks. Use the information in the initial setup
guides for your RAID controller module and your expansion enclosure.
Go to step 9.
NOTE: The physical disks that you add must be of the same media type and
interface type as the physical disks that already make up the disk group of the
snapshot repository virtual disk.
8
Click
Add Physical Disks
.
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158 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
NOTE: The physical disks that appear has a capacity that is either the same
size or larger than the capacity of the physical disks already being used by the
disk group.
9
Select either a single physical disk to add or two physical disks to add.
10
Click
Add
.
The
Add Physical Disks
window closes.
11
Check the
Physical Disks to add
[enclosure, slot] area to make sure that
the correct physical disks have been added.
12
Either accept the final capacity, or enter or select the appropriate capacity
in
Increase capacity by
.
13
Click
OK
.
The
Logical
tab is updated. The snapshot repository virtual disk that is
having its capacity increased shows a status of Operation in Progress. In
addition, the snapshot repository virtual disk shows its original capacity
and the total capacity being added. The Free Capacity node involved in
the increase shows a reduction in capacity. If all of the free capacity is used
to increase the size of the virtual disk, the Free Capacity node involved is
removed from the Logical tab.
A new Free Capacity node is created and shown in the Logical tab if these
conditions exist:
• A Free Capacity node did not exist prior to the addition of capacity.
• Not all of the capacity that is added is used to increase the capacity of
the snapshot repository virtual disk.
On the Physical tab, the unassigned physical disks or unconfigured
capacity that you added to increase the capacity of the snapshot repository
virtual disk change to assigned physical disks. The new assigned physical
disks are associated with the disk group of the snapshot repository virtual
disk.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 159
Re-creating Snapshot Virtual Disks
You can re-create a snapshot virtual disk that you have previously disabled.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data redundancy – If the snapshot virtual disk is in
Optimal status, it is first disabled prior to being re-created. This action invalidates
the current snapshot.
Keep these important guidelines in mind when you re-create a snapshot
virtual disk:
• To re-create the snapshot virtual disks correctly, follow the instructions for
your operating system.
NOTE: Failing to follow these additional instructions could create unusable
snapshot virtual disks. For more information, see the PowerVault Modular
Disk Storage Manager online help topics.
• To use this option, the snapshot virtual disk must be either in an Optimal
status or Disabled status.
• When using this option, the previously configured snapshot name
parameters and snapshot repository virtual disk are used.
To recreate the snapshot virtual disk:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab, select a snapshot virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Snapshot
Re-create
.
3
Ty p e
yes
, and click
OK
.
Disabling a Snapshot Virtual Disk
Disable a snapshot virtual disk if one of the following conditions exists:
• You do not need the snapshot now.
• You intend to re-create the snapshot at a later time and want to retain the
associated snapshot repository virtual disk so that you do not need to
create it again.
• You want to maximize storage array performance by stopping copy-on-
write activity to the snapshot repository virtual disk.
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160 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
NOTE: If you do not intend to re-create the snapshot virtual disk at a later time, in
the Logical pane, select the snapshot virtual disk, and select Virtual Disk

Delete
to remove it. The associated snapshot repository virtual disk is also removed. Refer
to the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager online help topics for more
information on removing a snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: The SMdevices utility displays the snapshot virtual disk in its output, even
after the snapshot virtual disk is disabled.
To disable a snapshot virtual disk:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab, select the snapshot virtual disk, and
select
Virtual Disk
Snapshot
Disable
.
2
In the text box, type
yes
and click
OK
.
The snapshot virtual disk is disabled. The associated snapshot repository
virtual disk does not change status. The copy-on-write activity to the
snapshot repository virtual disk stops until the snapshot virtual disk is re-
created.
Preparing Host Servers to Re-create a Snapshot Virtual Disk
NOTE: Before you create a new snapshot of a source virtual disk, stop any data
access (I/O) activity or suspend data transfer to the source virtual disk and
snapshot virtual disk to ensure that you capture an accurate snapshot of the source
virtual disk. Close all applications, including Windows Internet Explorer, to make
sure all I/O activity has stopped.
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk in Windows or
unmounting the virtual drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive
for the Snapshot.
Before re-creating a snapshot virtual disk, both the host server and the
associated virtual disk you are re-creating have to be in the proper state.
To prepare your host server and virtual disk:
1
Stop all I/O activity to the source and snapshot virtual disk (if mounted).
2
Using your Windows system, flush the cache to both the source and the
snapshot virtual disk (if mounted). At the host prompt, type
SMrepassist -f <filename-identifier>
and press <Enter>. For more information, see "SMrepassist Utility" on
page 243.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks 161
3
Click the
Summary
tab, then click
Disk Groups & Virtual Disks
to ensure
that the snapshot virtual disk is in
Optimal
or
Disabled
status.
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 reports that it has completed successfully, but the
snapshot data is not updated properly.
5
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.
Re-creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk
After first preparing the host server(s), re-create a snapshot virtual disk. For
more information, see "Preparing Host Servers to Create the Snapshot Using
the Simple Path" on page 147 or "Preparing Host Servers to Create the
Snapshot Using the Advanced Path" on page 151.
To recreate a snapshot virtual disk:
NOTE: This action invalidates the current snapshot.
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab, select a snapshot virtual disk.
2
Select
Virtual Disk
Snapshot
Re-create
.
3
Ty p e
yes
, and click
OK
.
Re-creating a snapshot repository virtual disk uses the previously
configured snapshot name and parameters.
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162 Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 163
12
Configuration: Premium Feature—
Virtual Disk Copy
NOTE: 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.
NOTE: The preferred method for creating a virtual disk copy is to copy from a
snapshot virtual disk. This allows the original virtual disk used in the snapshot
operation to remain fully available for read/write activity while the snapshot is used
as the source for the virtual disk copy operation.
When you create a virtual disk copy, you create a copy pair that has a source
virtual disk and a target virtual disk on the same storage array.
The source virtual disk is the virtual disk that contains the data you want to
copy. The source virtual disk accepts the host I/O read activity and stores the
data until it is copied to the target virtual disk. The source virtual disk can be
a standard virtual disk, a snapshot virtual disk, or the source virtual disk of a
snapshot virtual disk. When you start a virtual disk copy, all data is copied to
the target virtual disk, and the source virtual disk permissions are set to read-
only until the virtual disk copy is complete.
The target virtual disk is a virtual disk to which you copy data from the source
virtual disk. The target virtual disk can be a standard virtual disk, or the
source virtual disk of a failed or disabled snapshot virtual disk.
After the virtual disk copy is complete, the source virtual disk becomes
available to host applications for write requests. To prevent error messages, do
not attempt to access a source virtual disk that is participating in a virtual disk
copy while the virtual disk copy is in progress.
Reasons to use virtual disk copy include:
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164 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
• 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).
• Restoring snapshot virtual disk data to the source virtual disk—The Virtual
Disk Copy feature enables you first to restore the data from a snapshot
virtual disk and then to copy the data from the snapshot virtual disk to the
original source virtual disk.
• Creating a backup copy—The Virtual Disk Copy feature enables you to
create a backup of a virtual disk by copying data from one virtual disk (the
source virtual disk) to another virtual disk (the target virtual disk) in the
same storage array, minimizing the time that the source virtual disk is
unavailable to host write activity. You can then use the target virtual disk as
a backup for the source virtual disk, as a resource for system testing, or to
copy data to another device, such as a tape drive or other media.
NOTE: Recovering from a backup copy — You can use the Edit Host-to-Virtual Disk
Mappings feature to recover data from the backup virtual disk you created in the
previous procedure. The Mappings option enables you to unmap the source virtual
disk from its host and then to map the backup virtual disk to the same host.
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy for an MSCS Shared
Disk
To create a virtual disk copy for a Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) shared
disk, create a snapshot of the virtual disk, and then use the snapshot virtual
disk as the source for the virtual disk copy.
NOTE: An attempt to directly create a virtual disk copy for an MSCS shared disk,
rather than using a snapshot virtual disk, fails with the following error: The
operation cannot complete because the selected virtual disk is not a source virtual
disk candidate.
NOTE: When creating a snapshot virtual disk, map the snapshot virtual disk to only
one node in the cluster. Mapping the snapshot virtual disk to the host group or both
nodes in the cluster may cause data corruption by allowing both nodes to
concurrently access data.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 165
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. Keep the target
virtual disk Read-Only enabled if you want to preserve the data on the target
virtual disk for reasons such as the following:
• If you are using the target virtual disk for backup purposes.
• If you are using the data on the target virtual disk to copy back to the
source virtual disk of a disabled or failed snapshot virtual disk.
If you decide not to preserve the data on the target virtual disk after the
virtual disk copy is complete, change the write protection setting for the
target virtual disk to Read/Write.
To set the target virtual disk read/write permissions:
1
In the AMW, select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Copy Manager
.
The
Copy Manager
window is displayed.
2
Select one or more copy pairs in the table.
3
Perform one of these actions:
• To enable Read-Only permission, select
Change
Targ e t Virtua l Disk
Permissions
Enable Read-Only
.
NOTE: Write requests to the target virtual disk are rejected when the Read-
Only permission is enabled on the target virtual disk.
• To disable Read-Only permission, select
Change
Target Virtual
Disk Permissions
Disable Read-Only
.
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.
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166 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
• A virtual disk can be selected as a target virtual disk for only one virtual
disk copy at a time.
• A virtual disk copy for any virtual disk cannot be mounted on the same
host as the source virtual disk.
• Windows does not allow a drive letter to be assigned to a virtual disk copy.
• A virtual disk with a Failed status cannot be used as a source virtual disk or
target virtual disk.
• A virtual disk with a Degraded status cannot be used as a target virtual
disk.
• A virtual disk participating in a modification operation cannot be selected
as a source virtual disk or target virtual disk. Modification operations
include the following:
– Capacity expansion – RAID-level migration – Segment sizing
– Virtual disk expansion
– Defragmenting a virtual disk
NOTE: The following host preparation sections also apply when using the virtual
disk copy feature through the CLI interface.
Creating a Virtual Disk Copy
CAUTION: Possible loss of data – Source virtual disks that are participating in a
virtual disk copy are available for read I/O activity only while a virtual disk copy
has a status of In Progress or Pending. Write requests are allowed after the virtual
disk copy has completed. If the source virtual disk has been formatted with a
journaling file system, any attempt to issue a read request to the source virtual
disk might be rejected by the storage array, and an error message might appear.
The journaling file system driver issues a write request before it attempts to issue
the read request. The storage array rejects the write request, and the read request
might not be issued due to the rejected write request. This condition might result
in an error message appearing, which indicates that the source virtual disk is
write protected.To prevent this issue from occurring, do not attempt to access a
source virtual disk that is participating in a virtual disk copy while the virtual disk
copy has a status of In Progress. Also, make sure that the Read-Only attribute for
the target virtual disk is disabled after the virtual disk copy has completed to
prevent error messages from appearing.
The Virtual Disk Copy premium feature includes these items:
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 167
•The
Create Copy Wizard
, which assists in creating a virtual disk copy
•The
Copy Manager
, which monitors virtual disk copies after they have
been created
Before you Begin
A virtual disk copy fails all snapshot virtual disks that are associated with the
target virtual disk, if any exist. If you select a source virtual disk of a snapshot
virtual disk, you must disable all of the snapshot virtual disks that are
associated with the source virtual disk before you can select it as a target
virtual disk. Otherwise, the source virtual disk cannot be used as a target
virtual disk.
A virtual disk copy overwrites data on the target virtual disk and automatically
makes the target virtual disk read-only to hosts
If eight virtual disk copies with a status of In Progress exist, any subsequent
virtual disk copy has a status of Pending, which stays until one of the eight
virtual disk copies completes.
Virtual Disk Copy and Modification Operations
If a modification operation is running on a source virtual disk or a target
virtual disk, and the virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress, Pending, or
Failed, the virtual disk copy does not take place. If a modification operation is
running on a source virtual disk or a target virtual disk after a virtual disk copy
has been created, the modification operation must complete before the
virtual disk copy can start. If a virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress, any
modification operation does not take place.
Create Copy Wizard
The Create Copy Wizard guides you through:
1
Selecting a source virtual disk from a list of available virtual disks
2
Selecting a target virtual disk from a list of available virtual disks
3
Setting the copy priority for the virtual disk copy
When you have completed the wizard dialogs, the virtual disk copy starts, and
data is read from the source virtual disk and written to the target virtual disk.
Operation in Progress icons appear on the source virtual disk and the target
virtual disk while the virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress or Pending.
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168 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
Failed Virtual Disk Copy
A virtual disk copy can fail due to these conditions:
• A read error from the source virtual disk
• A write error to the target virtual disk
• A failure in the storage array that affects the source virtual disk or the
target virtual disk.
When the virtual disk copy fails, a critical event is logged in the Event Log,
and a Needs Attention icon appears in the Array Management Window.
While a virtual disk copy has this status, the host has read-only access to the
source virtual disk. Read requests from and write requests to the target virtual
disk do not take place until the failure is corrected by using the Recovery
Guru.
Preferred RAID Controller Module Ownership
During a virtual disk copy, the same RAID controller module must own both
the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk. If both virtual disks do not
have the same preferred RAID controller module when the virtual disk copy
starts, the ownership of the target virtual disk is automatically transferred to
the preferred RAID controller module of the source virtual disk. When the
virtual disk copy is completed or is stopped, ownership of the target virtual
disk is restored to its preferred RAID controller module. If ownership of the
source virtual disk is changed during the virtual disk copy, ownership of the
target virtual disk is also changed.
Failed RAID Controller Module
You must manually change RAID controller module ownership to the
alternate RAID controller module to allow the virtual disk copy to complete
under all of these conditions:
• A virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress
• The preferred RAID controller module of the source virtual disk fails
• The ownership transfer does not occur automatically in the failover
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 169
Copy Manager
After you create a virtual disk copy by using the Create Copy Wizard, you can
monitor the virtual disk copy through the Copy Manager. From the Copy
Manager, a virtual disk copy may be re-copied, stopped, or removed. You can
also modify the attributes, such as the copy priority and the target virtual disk
Read-Only attribute. You can view the status of a virtual disk copy in the
Copy Manager. Also, if you need to determine which virtual disks are involved
in a virtual disk copy, you can use the Copy Manager or the storage array
profile.
Copying the Virtual Disk
You can create a virtual disk copy by using the Create Copy Wizard.
CAUTION: Possible loss of data access – A virtual disk copy overwrites data on
the target virtual disk.
A virtual disk copy automatically makes the target virtual disk read-only to
hosts. You might want to keep this attribute enabled to preserve the data on
the target virtual disk.
CAUTION: If you decide not to preserve the data on the target virtual disk after the
virtual disk copy has completed, disable the Read-Only attribute for the target
virtual disk. See “Virtual Disk Read/Write Permissions” on page 1-1 for more
information on enabling and disabling the Read-Only attribute for the target virtual
disk.
To prevent write-protected error messages from appearing, do not try to
access a source virtual disk that is participating in a virtual disk copy while the
virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress. Also, make sure that the Read-
Only attribute for the target virtual disk is disabled after the virtual disk copy
has completed to prevent error messages from appearing.
To copy the virtual disk:
1
Stop all I/O activity to the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk.
2
Unmount any file systems on the source virtual disk and the target virtual
disk.
3
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab and select the source virtual disk.
4
Select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Create
.
The
Create Copy Wizard - Introduction
window is displayed.
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170 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
5
In the
Select source virtual disk
are, select the appropriate virtual disk and
click Next.
The
Select Target Virtual Disk and Copy Priority
window is displayed.
6
In the
Select target virtual disk
area, select the appropriate virtual disk
7
In the
Select copy priority area
, select the relevant copy priority and click
Next
.
The Preview window displays the summary of your selections.
8
Ty p e
yes
, and click
Finish
.
NOTE: Operation in Progress icons appear on the source virtual disk and the target
virtual disk while the virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress or Pending.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Storage Array Performance During Virtual Disk
Copy
The following factors contribute to the overall performance of the storage
array:
• I/O activity
•Virtual disk RAID level
• Virtual disk configuration—Number of drives in the virtual disk groups
• Virtual disk type—Snapshot virtual disks might take more time to copy
than standard virtual disks
During a virtual disk copy, resources for the storage array are diverted from
processing I/O activity to completing a virtual disk copy. This affects the
overall performance of the storage array. When you create a new virtual disk
copy, you define the copy priority to determine how much controller
processing time is diverted from I/O activity to a virtual disk copy operation.
Setting Copy Priority
You can use the Copy Manager to select the rate at which a virtual disk copy
completes for a selected copy pair. You can change the copy priority for a copy
pair at any of these times:
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 171
• Before the virtual disk copy begins
• While the virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress
• When you re-create a virtual disk copy
To set copy priority:
1
In the AMW, select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Copy Manager
.
The
Copy Manager
window is displayed.
2
In the table, select one or more copy pairs.
3
Select
Change
Copy Priority
.
The
Change Copy Priority
window is displayed.
4
In the
Copy priority
area, select the appropriate copy priority, depending
on your system performance needs.
NOTE: There are five copy priority rates available: lowest, low, medium, high,
and highest. If the copy priority is set at the lowest rate, I/O activity is
prioritized, and the virtual disk copy takes longer.
Stopping a Virtual Disk Copy
You can stop a virtual disk copy operation that has an In Progress status, a
Pending status, or a Failed status. Stopping a virtual disk copy that has a
Failed status clears the Needs Attention status displayed for the storage array.
Keep these guidelines in mind when you stop a virtual disk copy:
• To use this option, select only one copy pair in the Copy Manager.
• When the virtual disk copy is stopped, all of the mapped hosts have write
access to the source virtual disk. If data is written to the source virtual disk,
the data on the target virtual disk no longer matches the data on the
source virtual disk.
To stop a virtual disk copy, complete the following steps:
1
In the AMW, select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Copy Manager
.
The
Copy Manager
window is displayed.
2
Select the copy pair in the table.
3
Select
Copy
Stop
.
4
Click
Yes
.
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172 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
Recopying a Virtual Disk
You can recopy a virtual disk when you have stopped a virtual disk copy and
you want to start it again or when a virtual disk copy has failed.
The Recopy option overwrites existing data on the target virtual disk and
makes the target virtual disk read-only to hosts. This option fails all snapshot
virtual disks associated with the target virtual disk, if any exist.
Preparing Host Servers to Recopy a Virtual Disk
NOTE: 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.
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk(s) in Windows or
unmounting the virtual drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive
for the virtual disk copy.
Before creating a new virtual disk copy for an existing copy pair, both the host
server and the associated virtual disk you are recopying have to be in the
proper state. Perform the following steps to prepare your host server and
virtual disk:
1
Stop all I/O activity to the source and target virtual disk.
2
Using your Windows system, flush the cache to both the source and the
target virtual disk (if mounted). At the host prompt, type
SMrepassist -f <filename-identifier>
and press <Enter>. For more information, see "SMrepassist Utility" on
page 243.
3
Click the
Summary
tab, then click
Disk Groups & Virtual Disks
to ensure
that the virtual disk is in Optimal or Disabled status.
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 reports that it has completed successfully, but the copied data is
not updated properly.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy 173
5
Follow any additional instructions for your operating system. Failure to
follow these additional instructions can create unusable virtual disk copies.
NOTE: If your operating system requires additional instructions, you can find
those instructions in your operating system documentation.
Recopying the Virtual Disk
You can use the Copy Manager to create a new virtual disk copy for a selected
source virtual disk and a target virtual disk. Use this option when you have
stopped a virtual disk copy and want to start it again or when a virtual disk
copy has failed or completed. The virtual disk copy starts over from the
beginning.
• Possible loss of data—The re-copying operation overwrites existing data on
the target virtual disk.
• Possible loss of data access—While a virtual disk copy has a status of In
Progress or Pending, source virtual disks are available for read I/O activity
only. Write requests are allowed after the virtual disk copy has completed.
Keep these guidelines in mind when re-copying a virtual disk:
• If hosts are mapped to the source virtual disk, the data that is copied to the
target virtual disk when you perform the re-copy operation might have
changed since the previous virtual disk copy was created.
• Select only one virtual disk copy in the Copy Manager dialog.
To recopy the virtual disk:
1
Stop all I/O to the source virtual disk and the target virtual disk.
2
Unmount any file systems on the source virtual disk and the target virtual
disk.
3
In the AMW, select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Copy Manager
.
The
Copy Manager
window is displayed.
4
Select the copy pair in the table.
5
Select
Copy
Re-Copy
.
The
Re-Copy
window is displayed.
6
Set the copy priority.
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174 Configuration: Premium Feature—Virtual Disk Copy
NOTE: There are five copy priority rates available: lowest, low, medium, high, and
highest. If the copy priority is set at the lowest rate, I/O activity is prioritized, and the
virtual disk copy takes longer. If the copy priority is set to the highest priority rate,
the virtual disk copy is prioritized, but I/O activity for the storage array might be
affected.
Removing Copy Pairs
You can remove one or more virtual disk copies by using the Copy Manager.
Any virtual disk copy-related information for the source virtual disk and the
target virtual disk is removed from the Virtual Disk Properties dialog and the
Storage Array Profile dialogs. When you remove a virtual disk copy from the
storage array, the Read-Only attribute for the target virtual disk is also
removed. After the virtual disk copy is removed from the Copy Manager, you
can either select the target virtual disk as a source virtual disk or the target
virtual disk for a new virtual disk copy.
If you remove a virtual disk copy, the source virtual disk and the target virtual
disk no longer appear in the Copy Manager.
Keep these guidelines in mind when you remove copy pairs:
• Removing copy pairs does not delete the data on the source virtual disk or
target virtual disk.
• If the virtual disk copy has a status of In Progress, you must stop the virtual
disk copy before you can remove the copy pair.
To remove copy pairs:
1
In the AMW, select
Virtual Disk
Copy
Copy Manager
.
The
Copy Manager
window is displayed.
2
In the table, select one or more copy pairs.
3
Select
Copy
Remove Copy Pairs
.
The
Remove Copy Pairs
dialog appears.
4
Click
Yes
.
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Configuration: Premium Feature—Upgrading to High-Performance-Tier 175
13
Configuration: Premium Feature—
Upgrading to High-Performance-
Tier
The High Performance Tier premium feature on an MD3200i Series array
increases the performance of the system beyond that of a MD3200i Series
array operating at the standard performance level.
If this feature is ordered, a Premium Feature Activation card is placed in the
box with the storage array. After reading the information below, follow the
directions on the card to obtain a key file and to enable the feature.
CAUTION: Loss of data access – The storage array automatically restarts when
the High-Performance-Tier feature is enabled or disabled. During the restart data
is unavailable. Data availability is restored when the array restarts.
To upgrade from a standard-performance-tier storage array to a high-
performance-tier storage array, you enable the high-performance-tier
premium feature, using the Dell™ PowerVault Modular Disk Storage
Management (MDSM) software.
When the high performance tier feature is enabled or disabled the array
restarts. During this time data access and management access to the
controller will be temporarily lost.
It is recommended that all I/O to the array be stopped before this feature is
enabled or disabled.
While the array is restarting the state of the array in the MDSM application
may change from Optimal to Unresponsive. When the restart completes the
status will return to Optimal.
When the array status returns to Optimal verify that all communication
sessions have been reestablished. If any sessions are not automatically
reestablished you must reestablished the sessions manually.
When all communication sessions to the array are ready, I/O to the array can
be restarted.
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176 Configuration: Premium Feature—Upgrading to High-Performance-Tier
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Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux 177
14
Configuration: Device Mapper
Multipath for Linux
Overview
The MD3200i Series storage array uses a Linux operating system software
framework, known as Device Mapper (DM), to enable multipath capabilities
on Linux Host Servers. The DM multipath functionality is provided by a
combination of drivers and utilities. This chapter describes how to use those
utilities to complete the process of enabling MD3200i Series storage array on
a Linux system.
The Device Mapper technology replaces an earlier, proprietary technology,
known as MPP. MPP was used to enable multipathing for the previous MD
generation MD3000 Series storage arrays.
NOTE: The required Device Mapper software components are installed on a Linux
host server by running the MD3200i Series resource media installation program on
the server, and selecting either the Full or Host install option. For detailed
installation procedures please refer to the Dell PowerVault MD3200i and MD3220i
storage arrays Deployment Guide.
Benefits of using DM Multipath include:
• Detects path failure and re-routes I/O to other available paths
• Revalidates failed paths after path restoration
• Utilizes multiple available paths to maximize performance
• Reconfigures path usage based on path states and error conditions
• Unifies multiple device nodes into a single logical multipath device node
• Indentifies a new multipathed LU and automatically configures a new
multipath node
• Provides device name persistency for DM devices under /dev/mapper/
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178 Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux
Using DM Multipathing Devices
NOTE: Using or modifying any nodes other than the multipathing device nodes can
result in array or file system problems, including loss of communication with the
array and corruption of the file system. Avoid accessing any device other than the
multipathing device.
NOTE: After creating a partition on a multipathing device, all I/O operations,
including file system creation, raw I/O and file system I/O, must be done through the
partition node and not through the multipathing device nodes.
Prerequisite Steps
The following tasks must be completed before proceeding. For more
information about steps 1-3, see the MD3200i and MD3220i storage arrays
Deployment Guide. For more information about step 4, see "Creating Virtual
Disks" on page 106.
1
Install the host software from the MD3200i Series resource media
—
Insert the Resource media in the system to start the installation of
Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) and Modular Disk
Configuration Utility (MDCU).
NOTE: Red Hat install of 5.x requires a remount of the DVD media to make
contents executable.
2
Reboot when prompted by the install program
—The installation program
prompts for and needs a reboot at completion of the installation.
3
Configure using MDCU
—After the host server has rebooted, the MDCU
automatically starts and is present on the desktop. This utility allows for
quick and easy configuration of new and or existing MD3200i Series
storage arrays present on your network. It also provides a GUI wizard for
establishing the iSCSI sessions to the array.
4
Create and map virtual disks using MDSM
—After configuring the arrays
using the Modular Disk Configuration Utility, run the Modular Disk
Storage Manager to create and map virtual disks.
Using the MDSM software:
1
Map the host server to the MD3200i Series storage array
2
Create the Virtual Disks
3
Map newly created arrays to your host server
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Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux 179
NOTE: Any arrays configured with MDCU automatically adds to the list of Devices
in the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager Enterprise Management Window
(EMW).
Device Mapper Configuration Steps
To complete the DM multipathing configuration and make storage available
to the Linux host server:
1
Scan for virtual disks. See "Scan for newly added Virtual Disks" on
page 179.
2
Display the multipath device topology. See "Display the multipath device
topology using the multipath command" on page 180.
3
Create a partition on a multipath device node. See "Create a New fdisk
Partition on a Multipath Device Node" on page 181.
4
Add a partition to DM. See "Add a new Partition to Device Mapper" on
page 181.
5
Create a file system on a DM partition. See "Create a file system on a
Device Mapper Partition" on page 182.
6
Mount a DM partition. See "Mount a Device Mapper Partition" on
page 182.
The following instructions show how to complete each of these steps.
In the following command descriptions <x> is used to indicate where a
substitution should be made. On Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® systems <x>
is the number assigned to the device. On SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server
systems <x> is the letter(s) assigned to the device.
Scan for newly added Virtual Disks
The rescan_dm_devs command scans the host server system looking for
existing and newly added virtual disks mapped to the host server.
# rescan_dm_devs
If an array virtual disk (VD) is mapped to the host server at a later time the
rescan_dm_devices command must be run again to make the VD a
visible LUN to the operating system.
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180 Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux
Display the multipath device topology using the multipath command
The multipath command adds newly scanned and mapped virtual disks to the
Device Mapper tables and creates entries for them in the /dev/mapper
directory on the host server. These devices are the same as any other block
devices in the host.
To list all the multipath devices run the following command.
# multipath –ll
The output should be similar to this example, which shows the output for one
mapped virtual disk.
mpath1 (3600a0b80005ab177000017544a8d6b92) dm-0 DELL,
MD32xxi
[size=5.0G][features=3 queue_if_no_path
pg_init_retries 50][hwhandler=1 rdac][rw]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=6][active]
\_ 5:0:0:0 sdc 8:32 [active][ready]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=1][enabled]
\_ 4:0:0:0 sdb 8:16 [active][ghost]
where:
mpath1 is the name of the virtual device created by device mapper. It is
located in the /dev/mapper directory.
DELL is the vendor of the device
MD3200i is the model of the device
Sdc is the physical path to the owning controller for the device
Sdb is the physical path to the non-owning controller for the device
The following is an example of SLES output:
mpathb(360080e500017b2f80000c6ca4a1d4ab8) dm-21
DELL,MD32xxi
[size=1.0G][features=3 queue_if_no_path
pg_init_retries 50][hwhandler=1 rdac][rw]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=6][active]
\_ 4:0:0:22 sdx 65:112 [active][ready]
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Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux 181
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=1][enabled]
\_ 6:0:0:22 sdcl 69:144 [active][ghost]
where:
mpathb is the name of the virtual device created by device mapper. It is
located in the /dev/mapper directory.
DELL is the vendor of the device
MD3200i is the model of the device
Sdx is the physical path to the owning controller for the device
Sdcl is the physical path to the non-owning controller for the device
Create a New fdisk Partition on a Multipath Device Node
The fdisk command allows creation partition space for a file system on the
newly scanned and mapped virtual disks that have been presented to Device
Mapper.
To create a partition with the multipathing device nodes
/dev/mapper/mpath<x>, for example, use the following command, where
mpath<x> is the multipathing device node on which you want to create the
partition:
# fdisk /dev/mapper/mpath<x>
NOTE: The <x> value is an alphanumeric operating system dependent format. The
corresponding value for mapped virtual disks can be seen using the previously run
multipath command. See your operating system documentation for additional
information on fdisk.
Add a new Partition to Device Mapper
The kpartx command adds the newly fdisk created partition to the Device
Mapper list of usable partitions. See examples below, where mpath<x> is the
device node on which the partition was created.
# kpartx –a /dev/mapper/mpath<x>
If successful the command does not display an output. To verify success and
view exact partition naming, you can use these commands to see the full
partition names assigned.
# cd /dev/mapper
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182 Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux
# ls
Below are some examples of the general mapping formats:
On RHEL hosts a partition node has the format
/dev/mapper/mpath<x>p<y>, where <x> is the alphabetic number for the
multipathing device, <y> is the partition number for this device.
On SLES 11.x hosts a partition node has the format
/dev/mapper/mpath<x>-part<y>, where <x> is letter(s) assigned to the
multipathing device and <y> is the partition number.
On SLES 10.3 hosts a partition node has the format
/dev/mapper/mpath<x>_part<y>, where <x> is the letter(s) assigned to
the multipathing device and <y> is the partition number.
NOTE: After creating a partition on a multipathing device, all I/O operations,
including file system creation, raw I/O and file system I/O, must be done through the
partition node, and not through the multipathing device nodes.
Create a file system on a Device Mapper Partition
Use the standard mkfs command to create the file system on the newly
created Device Mapper partition
For example:
# mkfs –t <filesystem type> /dev/mapper/<partition
node>
where <partition node> is the partition on which the file system is
created.
Mount a Device Mapper Partition
Use the standard mount command to mount the Device Mapper partition, as
shown below.
# mount /dev/mapper/<partition_node> <mounting_point>
Ready For Use
The newly created virtual disks created on the MD3200i Series array are now
setup and ready to be used. Future reboots automatically find multipathing
devices along with their partitions.
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Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux 183
NOTE: To ensure data integrity protection, reboot a Linux host server attached to
an MD3200i Series storage array using the procedure given below.
Linux Host Server Reboot Best Practices
Its is recommended that you follow the procedures shown below when
rebooting your Linux host server using Device Mapper multipathing with an
MD3200i Series storage array.
1
Unmount all Device Mapper multipath device nodes mounted on the
server
# umount <mounted_multipath_device_node>
2
Stop the Device Mapper multipath service
# /etc/init.d/multipathd stop
3
Flush the Device Mapper multipath maps list to remove any old or
modified mappings
# multipath –F
NOTE: The boot operating system drive may have an entry with the Device
Mapper multipathing table. This is not affected by the multipath –F
command. However, using #multipath –ll should not show any
multipathing devices with model “MD3200i” or “MD3200i”.
4
Log out of all iSCSI sessions from the host server to the storage array
# iscsiadm –m node --logout
Important Information About Special Partitions
When using Device Mapper with the MD3200i Series array, all physical disks
are assigned a disk device node. This includes a special device type used for
in-band management of the MD3200i Series array, known as the Access Disk
or Universal Xport device.
CAUTION: Certain commands, such as lsscsi, displays one or more instances of
Universal Xport devices. These device nodes must never be accessed, mounted, or
used in any way. Doing so could cause loss of communication to the storage array
and possibly cause serious damage to the storage array, potential making data
stored on the array inaccessible.
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184 Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux
Only multipathing device nodes and partition nodes created using the
directions provided above should be mounted or in any way accessed by the
host system or its users.
Limitations and Known Issues
• In certain error conditions with the no_path_retry or the
queue_if_no_path feature is set, applications may hang. To overcome
these conditions the you must enter the following command for each
affected multipath device:
dmsetup message [device] 0 "fail_if_no_path"
where [device] is the multipath device name (e.g. mpath2; do not specify
the path)
Table 14-1. Useful Device Mapper Commands
Command Descriptions
multipath –h Prints usage information
multipath –ll Displays the current multipath topology using all available
information (sysfs, the device mapper, path checkers, and
so on)
multipath Re-aggregates multipathing device with simplified output.
multipath –f
<multipath_dev_node>
Flushes out Device Mapper for the specified multipathing
device. Used if the underlying physical devices are
deleted/unmapped.
multipath –F Flushes out all unused multipathing device maps.
rescan_dm_devs Dell provided script. Forces a rescan of the host SCSI bus
and aggregates multipathing devices as needed. For use
when:
• LUNs are dynamically mapped to the hosts.
• New targets are added to the host.
• Failback of the storage array is required.
• For MD3200i Series arrays, iSCSI sessions have to be
established for rescan to take effect.
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Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux 185
• I/O may hang when a Device Mapper device is deleted before the volume
is unmounted.
• If the scsi_dh_rdac module is not included in initrd, slower device
discovery may be seen and the syslog may become populated with buffer
I/O error messages.
• I/O may hang if the host server or storage array is rebooted while I/O is
active. All I/O to the storage array should be stopped before shutting down
or rebooting the host server or storage array.
• With the MD3200i Series array, after a failed path is restored, failback does
not occur automatically because the driver cannot auto-detect devices
without a forced rescan. Run the command
rescan_dm_devs
to force a
rescan of the host server. This restores the failed paths enabling failback to
occur.
• Failback can be slow when the host system is experiencing heavy I/O. The
problem is exacerbated if the host server is also experiencing very high
CPU utilization.
• The Device Mapper Multipath service can be slow when the host system is
experiencing heavy I/O. The problem is exacerbated if the host server is
also experiencing very high CPU utilization.
• If the root disk is not blacklisted in the multipath.conf file, a multipathing
node may be created for the root disk. The command
multipath –ll
lists vendor/product ID which can help identify this issue.
Troubleshooting
Question Answer
How can I check if multipathd is
running?
Run the following command.
/etc/init.d/multipathd status
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186 Configuration: Device Mapper Multipath for Linux
Why does the multipath –ll
command output not show any
devices?
First verify if the devices are discovered or not.
The command #cat /proc/scsi/scsi
displays all the devices that are already
discovered. Then verify the multipath.conf to
ensure that it is been updated with proper
settings. After this, run multipath. Then run
multipath –ll, the new devices should show
up.
Why is a newly-mapped LUN not
assigned a multipathing device
node?
Run rescan_dm_devs in any directory. This
should bring up the devices.
I have no LUNs mapped before.
Then I map some LUNs. After
running rescan-scsi-bus.sh, LUN 0
doesn’t show up.
Run rescan_dm_devs instead of rescan-
scsi-bus for LUN 0 reconfiguration.
I removed a LUN. But the
multipathing mapping is still
there.
The multipathing device is still there after you
remove the LUNs. Run multipath –f
<device node for the deleted LUN>
to remove the multipathing mapping. For
example, if device devices related with /dev/dm-1
is deleted, you must run multipath –f
/dev/dm-1 to remove /dev/dm-1 from DM
mapping table. If multipathing daemon is
stopped/restarted, run multipath –F to
flush out all stale mappings.
Failback does not happen as
expected with the array.
Sometimes the low level driver cannot auto-
detect devices coming back with the array. Run
rescan_dm_devs to rescan host server SCSI
bus and re-aggregate devices at multipathing
layer.
Question Answer
book.book Page 186 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Firmware Downloads 187
15
Management: Firmware Downloads
Downloading RAID Controller and NVSRAM
Packages
A version number exists for each firmware file. The version number indicates
whether the firmware is a major version or a minor version. You can use the
Enterprise Management Window (EMW) to download and activate both the
major firmware versions and the minor firmware versions. You can use the
Array Management Window (AMW) to download and activate only the
minor firmware versions.
NOTE: Firmware versions are of the format aa.bb.cc.dd. Where aa is the major
firmware version. bb.cc.dd is the minor firmware version. Depending on which one
changes, firmware can be updated from EMW and AMW or only EMW.
You can activate the files immediately or wait until a more convenient time.
You might want to activate the firmware or NVSRAM files at a later time
because of these reasons:
•
Time of day
—Activating the firmware and the NVSRAM can take a long
time, so you can wait until I/O loads are lighter. The RAID controller
modules are offline briefly to load the new firmware.
•
Ty p e o f p a c k a g e
—You might want to test the new firmware on one storage
array before loading the files onto other storage arrays.
The ability to download both files and activate them later depends on the
type of RAID controller module in the storage array.
NOTE: You can use the command line interface to download and activate the
firmware to several storage arrays by using a script. Refer to the PowerVault
Modular Disk Storage Manager online help topics for more information on the
command line interface.
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188 Management: Firmware Downloads
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: Dell recommends that the firmware and NVSRAM be upgraded during a
maintenance period when the array is not being used for I/O.
NOTE: The RAID enclosure must contain at least two disk drives in order to update
the firmware on the controller.
To download RAID controller and NVSRAM firmware in a single operation:
1
If you are using the EMW, go to step 9. If you are using the AMW, go to
step 2.
2
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Advanced
Maintenance
Download
RAID Controller
Module Firmware
.
• Select the
Support
tab, and click
Download Firmware
. In
Select
download task
, select the
Download RAID controller module
firmware
and click
OK
.
NOTE: The RAID Controller Module Firmware area and the NVSRAM area list
the current firmware and the current NVSRAM versions respectively.
3
To locate the directory in which the file to download resides, click
Select
File
next to the Selected RAID controller module firmware file text box.
4
In the
File Selection
area, select the file to download.
By default, only the downloadable files that are compatible with the
current storage array configuration appear.
When you select a file in the
File Selection
area of the dialog, applicable
attributes (if any) of the file appear in the
File Information
area. The
attributes indicate the version of the file.
5
If you want to download an NVSRAM file with the firmware, select
Transfer NVSRAM file with RAID controller module firmware
, and click
Select File
next to
Selected NVSRAM file
.
6
To transfer the files to the RAID controller module without activating
them, click
Transfer files but don't activate them (activate later)
.
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Management: Firmware Downloads 189
7
Click
Transfer
.
Keep these guidelines in mind:
–If the
Transfer
button is inactive, ensure that you either select an
NVSRAM file or cleared the Transfer NVSRAM file with RAID
controller module firmware.
– If the file selected is not valid or is not compatible with the current
storage array configuration, the
File Selection Error
dialog appears.
Click
OK
to close it, and choose a compatible firmware or NVSRAM
file.
8
In the
Confirm Download
dialog, click
Yes
.
The download starts.
9
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Tools
Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware
.
• Select the
Setup
tab, and click
Upgrade RAID Controller Module
Firmware
.
10
In the
Storage array
pane, select the storage array for which you want to
upgrade the RAID controller module firmware or the NVSRAM.
You can select more than one storage array.
NOTE: The Details pane shows the details of only one storage array at a time.
If you select more than one storage array in the Storage Array pane, the
details of the storage arrays are not shown in the Details pane.
11
Click
Firmware
in the
Download
area.
If you select a storage array that cannot be upgraded, the
Firmware
button
is disabled.
The
Download Firmware
dialog appears. The current firmware version and
the NVSRAM version of the selected storage arrays appear.
NOTE: If you select the storage arrays with different RAID controller module
types that cannot be updated with the same firmware or NVSRAM file and
click Firmware, the Incompatible RAID Controller Modules dialog appears.
Click OK to close the dialog and select the storage arrays with similar RAID
controller module types.
12
To locate the directory in which the file to download resides, click
Browse
in the
Select files
area.
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190 Management: Firmware Downloads
The
Select File
dialog appears.
13
Select the file to download.
14
Click
OK
.
15
If you want to download the NVSRAM file with the RAID controller
module firmware, select
Download NVSRAM file with firmware
in the
Select files
area.
Any attributes of the firmware file appear in the Firmware file information
area. The attributes indicate the version of the firmware file.
Any attributes of the NVSRAM file appear in the NVSRAM file
information area. The attributes indicate the version of the NVSRAM file.
16
If you want to download the file and activate the firmware and NVSRAM
later, select the Transfer files but don’t activate them (activate later) check
box.
NOTE: If any of the selected storage arrays do not support downloading the
files and activating the firmware or NVSRAM later, the Transfer files but don’t
activate them (activate later) check box is disabled.
17
Click
OK
.
The Confirm Download dialog appears.
18
Click
Yes
.
The download starts and a progress indicator appears in the Status column
of the Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware window.
Downloading Only NVSRAM Firmware
You also can use the command line interface (CLI) to download and activate
NVSRAM to several storage arrays. For more information, see the PowerVault
Modular Disk Storage Manager online help topics.
To download only NVSRAM firmware:
1
To download the NVSRAM firmware from:
•EMW—Go to step7.
•AMW—Go to step2.
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Management: Firmware Downloads 191
2
Select
Advanced
Maintenance
Download
RAID Controller
Module NVSRAM
or
Select the
Support
tab, and click
Download Firmware
. In
Select download
task
, select
Download RAID controller module NVSRAM
and click
OK
.
An error message appears. Click
OK
to close it, and select a compatible
file.
3
To locate the directory in which the file to download resides, click
Select
File
.
4
Select the file to download in the
File selection
area, and click
OK
.
By default, only downloadable files that are compatible with the current
storage array configuration appear.
When you select a file in the File selection area, applicable attributes (if
any) of the file appear in the NVSRAM File information area. The
attributes indicate the version of the NVSRAM file.
5
Click
Transfer
.
NOTE: If the file selected is not valid or is not compatible with the current
storage array configuration, the File Selection Error dialog appears. Click OK
to close it, and choose a compatible NVSRAM file.
6
Click
Yes
in the Confirm Download dialog.
The download starts.
7
Perform one of these actions:
• Select
Tools
Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware
.
• Select the Setup tab, and click Upgrade RAID Controller Module
Firmware.
The
Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware
window appears.
The Storage array pane lists the storage arrays. The Details pane shows the
details of the storage array that is selected in the Storage array pane.
8
In the Storage array pane, select the storage array for which you want to
download the NVSRAM firmware.
You can select more than one storage array.
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192 Management: Firmware Downloads
NOTE: The Details pane shows the details of only one storage array at a time.
If you select more than one storage array in the Storage array pane, the
details of the storage arrays are not shown in the Details pane.
9
Click
NVSRAM
in the
Download
area.
NOTE: If you select a storage array that cannot be upgraded, the NVSRAM
button is disabled.
The Download NVSRAM dialog appears. The current firmware version
and the NVSRAM version of the selected storage arrays appear.
NOTE: If you select the storage arrays with different RAID controller module
types that cannot be updated with the same NVSRAM file and click NVSRAM,
the Incompatible RAID Controller Modules dialog appears. Click OK to close
the dialog and select the storage arrays with similar RAID controller module
types.
10
To locate the directory in which the NVSRAM file to download resides,
click
Browse
in the
Select file
area.
The
Select File
dialog appears.
11
Select the file to download.
12
Click
OK
.
Any attributes of the NVSRAM file appear in the NVSRAM file
information area. The attributes indicate the version of the NVSRAM file.
13
Click
OK
.
The
Confirm Download
dialog appears.
14
Click
Yes
.
The download starts and a progress indicator appears in the Status column of
the Upgrade RAID Controller Module Firmware window.
Downloading Physical Disk Firmware
CAUTION: When updating physical disk firmware, you should stop all I/O activity
to the array to prevent data loss.
The physical disk firmware controls various features of the physical disk. The
disk array controller (DAC) uses this type of firmware. Physical disk firmware
stores information about the system configuration on an area of the physical
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Management: Firmware Downloads 193
disk called DACstore. DACstore and the physical disk firmware enable easier
reconfiguration and migration of the physical disks. The physical disk
firmware performs these functions:
• The physical disk firmware records the location of the physical disk in an
expansion enclosure. If you take a physical disk out of an expansion
enclosure, you must insert it back into the same physical disk slot, or the
physical disk firmware cannot communicate with the RAID controller
module or other storage array components.
• RAID configuration information is stored in the physical disk firmware and
is used to communicate with other RAID components.
NOTE: Risk of application errors – Downloading the firmware could cause
application errors.
Keep these important guidelines in mind when you download firmware to
avoid the risk of application errors:
• Downloading firmware incorrectly could result in damage to the physical
disks or loss of data. Perform downloads only under the guidance of your
Technical Support representative.
• Stop all I/O to the storage array before the download.
• Make sure that the firmware that you download to the physical disks are
compatible with the physical disks that you select.
• Do not make any configuration changes to the storage array while
downloading the firmware.
NOTE: Downloads can take several minutes to complete. During a download, the
Download Physical Disk - Progress dialog appears. Do not attempt another
operation when the Download Physical Disk - Progress dialog is shown.
To download Physical Disk Firmware:
1
From the AMW, select
Advanced
Maintenance
Download
Physical Disk.
The
Download Physical Disk - Introduction
window appears.
2
Click
Next
.
The
Download Physical Disk Firmware - Add Packages
window is
displayed.
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194 Management: Firmware Downloads
3
In the
Selected Packages
area, click
Add
. Navigate to the location of the
packages and click
OK
.
The selected package is added to the
Packages to be transferred
area.
4
Click
Next
.
The
Download Physical Disk Firmware - Select Physical Disks
window is
displayed.
5
In the
Compatible Physical Disks
tab, select the appropriate physical
disks or
Select all
the physical disks.
The
Confirm Download
dialog is displayed.
6
Ty p e
yes
and click
OK
.
The
Download Physical Disk Firmware - Progress
window is displays the
progress of physical disk firmware download.
7
After the firmware download is complete click
Close
.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Downloading MD1200 Series Expansion Module
EMM Firmware
NOTE: Do not make any configuration changes to the storage array while you are
downloading the expansion enclosure EMM firmware. Doing so could cause the
firmware download to fail, damage the storage array, or cause loss of data
accessibility.
NOTE: Due to a limitation with Linux, expansion enclosure EMM firmware updates
must be performed using out-of-band management only. Failure to do so may result
in the host server becoming unresponsive, and it may require a reboot.
You can transfer a downloadable firmware file to the expansion enclosure
EMM in the expansion enclosures attached to the storage array.
CAUTION: Risk of possible loss of data or risk of damage to the storage array –
Downloading the expansion enclosure EMM firmware incorrectly could result in
loss of data or damage to the storage array. Perform downloads only under the
guidance of your Technical Support representative.
book.book Page 194 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Firmware Downloads 195
CAUTION: Risk of making expansion enclosure EMM unusable – Do not make
any configuration changes to the storage array while downloading expansion
enclosure EMM firmware. Doing so could cause the firmware download to fail
and make the selected expansion enclosure unusable.
1
Perform one of these actions:
•In the AMW, select
Advanced
Maintenance
Download
EMM
Firmware
.
• Select the
Support
tab, and click
Download Firmware
. In the dialog
that appears, select the
EMM firmware
, and click
OK
.
The
Download Environmental (EMM) Firmware
dialog appears.
2
In the
Select enclosures
area, either select each expansion enclosure to
which you want to download firmware, or select the
Select All
to select all
of the expansion enclosures in the storage array.
Each selected expansion enclosure should have the same product ID.
3
Click
Select File
.
The
Select Environmental (EMM) Card Firmware File
dialog appears.
4
Select the file to download, and click
OK
.
5
Click
Start
.
6
Click
Yes
to continue with the firmware download,
NOTE: If you click Stop while a firmware download is in progress, the
download-in-progress finishes before the operation stops. The status for the
remaining expansion enclosures changes to Canceled.
7
Monitor the progress and completion status of the download to the
expansion enclosures. The progress and status of each expansion enclosure
that is participating in the download appears in the Status column of the
Select enclosures table.
NOTE: Each firmware download can take several minutes to complete.
8
Perform one of these actions depending on whether the download
succeeded:
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196 Management: Firmware Downloads
• The download succeeded—The statuses of all the expansion
enclosures show Complete. You can close the
Download
environmental (EMM) Card Firmware
dialog by clicking
Close
. The
expansion enclosure EMM cards are now operating with the new
firmware.
• The download failed—The status of one expansion enclosure shows
Failed, and the remainder of the expansion enclosures show Canceled.
Make sure that the new firmware file is compatible before attempting
another firmware download.
Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting
Technology (SMART)
Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) monitors the
internal performance of all physical disk components to detect faults
indicating the potential for physical disk failure. SMART uses this
information to report whether failure is imminent so that a physical disk can
be replaced before failure occurs. The RAID controller monitors all attached
drives and notifies users when a predicted failure is reported by a physical
disk.
Media Errors and Unreadable Sectors
If the RAID controller detects a media error while accessing data from a
physical disk that is a member of a disk group with a redundant RAID level
(RAID 1, RAID 5 or RAID 10), the controller tries to recover the data from
peer disks in the disk group and uses recovered data to correct the error. If the
controller encounters an error while accessing a peer disk, it is unable to
recover the data and affected sectors are added to the unreadable sector log
maintained by the controller. Other conditions under which sectors are added
to the unreadable sector log include:
• A media error is encountered when trying to access a physical disk that is a
member of a nonredundant disk group (RAID 0 or degraded RAID 1,
RAID 5 or RAID 10).
• An error is encountered on source disks during rebuild.
NOTE: Data on an unreadable sector is no longer accessible.
book.book Page 196 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 197
16
Management: Installing Array
Components
Recommended Tools
You may need the following items to perform the procedures in this section:
• Key to the system keylock
•#2 Phillips screwdriver
•W
rist grounding stra
p
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198 Management: Installing Array Components
Front Bezel (Optional)
Removing the Front Bezel
1
Using the system key, unlock the front bezel (if locked).
2
Lift up the release latch next to the keylock.
3
Rotate the left end of the bezel away from the front panel.
4
Unhook the right end of the bezel and pull the bezel away from
the system.
Figure 16-1. Removing and Installing the Front Bezel
Installing the Front Bezel
1
Hook the right end of the bezel onto the chassis.
2
Fit the free end of the bezel onto the system.
3
Secure the bezel with the keylock. See Figure 16-1.
1 bezel 2 keylock
3 release latch 4 hinge tab
1
2
3
4
book.book Page 198 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 199
Hard Drives
SAFETY: Models AMT, E03J, and E04J
Models AMT, E03J, and E04J are intended for installation only in restricted
access locations as defined in cl 1.2.7.3 of IEC 60950-1:2005.
Depending on your configuration, your array either supports up to 24 2.5-inch
SAS hard drives or up to 12 3.5-inch SAS hard drives in internal drive bays.
Hard drives are connected to a backplane through hard-drive carriers and can
be configured as hot-swappable.
Removing a Drive Blank
CAUTION: To maintain proper system cooling, all empty hard-drive bays must
have drive blanks installed.
1
If installed, remove the front bezel
. See
"Removing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
2Press the release tab and
slide the drive blank out until it is free of the
drive bay.
See
Figure 16-2 for PowerVault MD3200i and Figure 16-3 for
PowerVault MD3220i.
Figure 16-2. Removing and Installing a 3.5-Inch Hard-Drive Blank
1 drive blank 2 release tab
1 2
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200 Management: Installing Array Components
Figure 16-3. Removing and Installing a 2.5-Inch Hard-Drive Blank
Installing a Drive Blank
1
If installed, remove the front bezel
. See
"Removing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
2
Insert the drive blank into the drive bay until the blank is fully seated.
3
Close the handle to lock the blank in place.
4
If applicable, replace the front bezel. See "Installing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
Removing a Hard Drive
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with
the product.
1
If installed, remove the front bezel
. See
"Removing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
1 drive blank 2 release tab
1 2
book.book Page 200 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 201
2
From the Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) software, prepare the
drive for removal.
Wait until the hard-drive indicators on the drive
carrier signal that the drive can be removed safely. For more information,
see your controller documentation for information about hot-swap drive
removal.
If the drive has been online, the green
activity/
fault indicator flashes as
the drive is powered down. When the drive indicators are off, the drive is
ready for removal.
3Press the release button to open the drive carrier release handle. See
Figure 16-4.
4
Slide the hard drive out until it is free of the drive bay.
CAUTION: To maintain proper system cooling, all empty hard-drive bays must
have drive blanks installed.
5
Insert a drive blank in the empty drive bay. See "Installing a Drive Blank"
on page 200.
6
If applicable, replace the front bezel. See "Installing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
Figure 16-4. Removing and Installing a Hard Drive
1 release button 2 hard-drive carrier handle
1
2
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202 Management: Installing Array Components
Installing a Hard Drive
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is
not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
CAUTION: Use only hard drives that have been tested and approved for use with
the MD3200i series.
CAUTION: When installing a hard drive, ensure that the adjacent drives are fully
installed. Inserting a hard-drive carrier and attempting to lock its handle next to a
partially installed carrier can damage the partially installed carrier's shield spring
and make it unusable.
1
If applicable, remove the front bezel
. See
"Removing the Front Bezel" on
page 198.
2
If applicable, remove the drive blank from the bay. See "Removing a Drive
Blank" on page 199.
3Press the release button to open the drive carrier release handle
.
4
Insert the hard-drive carrier into the drive bay until the carrier contacts the
backplane.
5
Close the handle to lock the drive in place.
Removing a Hard Drive From a Hard-Drive Carrier
Remove the screws from the slide rails on the hard-drive carrier and separate
the hard drive from the carrier. See
Figure 16-5 for PowerVault MD3200i and
Figure 16-6 for PowerVault MD3220i.
book.book Page 202 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 203
Figure 16-5. Removing and Installing a Hard Drive Into a 3.5-Inch Drive Carrier
1 screws (4) 2 drive carrier
3 SAS screw hole 4 hard drive
4
2
1
3
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204 Management: Installing Array Components
Figure 16-6. Removing and Installing a Hard Drive Into a 2.5-Inch Drive Carrier
1 screws (4) 2 drive carrier
3 SAS screw hole 4 hard drive
2
1
3
4
book.book Page 204 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 205
Installing a Hard Drive Into a Drive Carrier
1Insert the hard drive into the hard-drive carrier with the connector end
of the drive at the back. See
Figure 16-5.
2
Align the screw holes on the hard drive with the back set of holes on the
hard-drive carrier.
When aligned correctly, the back of the hard drive is flush with the back of
the hard-drive carrier.
3
Attach the four screws to secure the hard drive to the hard-drive carrier.
RAID Controller Module
An MD3200i series storage array supports single as well as dual RAID
controller configurations. If only one RAID controller module is installed in
your array, it must be installed in slot 0. You must install the RAID controller
module blank in slot 1.
CAUTION: RAID controller modules can be removed and installed without turning
off the array. It is recommended that you do not remove the RAID controller module
while data is being transferred. Replacing or installing a RAID controller module
that is connected to a host server causes it to loose communication with the array
and may require a reboot of the host server.
Removing a RAID Controller Module Blank
CAUTION: To maintain proper system cooling, you must install a RAID controller
module blank in the empty slot.
1
Turn off the array and host server.
2
Disconnect all the power cables connected to the array.
3
To remove the RAID controller module blank, press down on the release
latch and pull the blank away from the array. See Figure 16-7.
4
Install RAID controller modules in slot 0 and 1. See "Installing a RAID
Controller Module" on page 208.
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206 Management: Installing Array Components
5
Connect all the power cables to the array.
6
Turn on the array and the host server.
Figure 16-7. Removing and Installing a RAID controller module Blank
Installing a RAID Controller Module Blank
To install a RAID controller module blank, align the blank with the RAID
controller module bay and insert the blank into the chassis until it clicks into
place.
1 release latch 2 RAID controller module blank
1 2
book.book Page 206 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 207
Removing a RAID Controller Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
1
Disconnect the cables connected to the RAID controller module.
2
Push down on the release tab and pull the release lever away from the
chassis. See Figure 16-8.
3
Grasp the release lever and pull the module away from the chassis.
NOTE: To avoid damage to the sensitive EMI contacts on the RAID controller
module, do not stack RAID controller module s.
Figure 16-8. Removing and Installing a RAID controller module
1 RAID controller module 2 release tab
3 release lever
23
1
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208 Management: Installing Array Components
Installing a RAID Controller Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Insert the RAID controller module into the RAID controller module bay
until it seats into place.
2
Push the release lever toward the chassis until it clicks into place.
3
Connect all the cables to the RAID controller module.
4
If applicable, update the firmware for the RAID controller module. For
information about the latest firmware, see the Dell Support website at
support.dell.com
.
Opening the RAID Controller Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Turn off the array and host server.
2
Disconnect all the power cables connected to the array.
3
Remove the RAID controller module. See "Removing a RAID Controller
Module Blank" on page 205.
4
Remove the screws from the sides of the RAID controller module. See
Figure 16-9.
5
While pressing the indent, slide the cover in the direction of the arrow and
lift it away from the RAID controller module. See Figure 16-9.
book.book Page 208 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 209
Figure 16-9. Opening and Closing the RAID Controller Module
Closing the RAID Controller Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Place the cover onto the RAID controller module and offset it slightly
towards the back, so that the hooks on the cover fit over the corresponding
slots on the RAID controller module.
2
Slide the cover toward the front till it snaps into place. See Figure 16-9.
3
Replace the screws on the RAID controller module. See Figure 16-9.
4
Connect all the cables to the array.
5
Turn on the array and the host server.
1 screws (2) 2 RAID controller module
3 indent
123
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210 Management: Installing Array Components
RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit
Removing the RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Turn off the array and host server.
2
Disconnect all the cables connected to the array.
3
Remove the RAID controller module. See "Removing a RAID Controller
Module" on page 207.
4
Open the RAID controller module. See "Opening the RAID Controller
Module" on page 208.
5
Loosen the screw that secures the backup battery unit to the RAID
controller module. See Figure 16-10.
6
Slide the backup battery unit in the direction of the arrow and lift it out of
the RAID controller module. See Figure 16-10.
Figure 16-10. Removing and Installing the RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit
1
2
book.book Page 210 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 211
Installing the RAID Controller Module Backup Battery Unit
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Align the backup battery unit with the slots on the RAID controller
module.
2
Slide the backup battery unit toward the connector on the RAID controller
module.
3
Tighten the screw that secures the backup battery unit to the RAID
controller module.
4
Close the RAID controller module. See "Closing the RAID Controller
Module" on page 209.
5
Replace the RAID controller module. See "Installing a RAID Controller
Module" on page 208.
6
Connect all the cables to the array.
7
Turn on the array and the host server.
Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module
The array supports two hot-swappable power supply/cooling fan modules.
While the array can operate temporarily with one module, both the modules
must be present for proper system cooling.
CAUTION: A single power supply/cooling fan module can be removed from a
powered-on array for a maximum period of five minutes. Beyond that time, the
array may automatically shut down to prevent damage.
Removing a Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
1 backup battery unit 2 screw
book.book Page 211 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
212 Management: Installing Array Components
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
NOTE: If you remove a fully functioning power supply/cooling fan module, the fan
speed in the remaining module increases significantly to provide adequate cooling.
The fan speed decreases gradually when a new power supply/cooling fan module
is installed.
1
Turn off the power supply/cooling fan module.
2
Disconnect the power cable from the power source.
3
Remove the Velcro straps that secure the power cable and then disconnect
the power cable from the power supply/cooling fan module.
WARNING: The power supply/cooling fan modules are heavy. Use both hands
while removing the module.
4
Press the release tab and pull the power supply out of the chassis.
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Management: Installing Array Components 213
Figure 16-11. Removing and Installing a Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module
1 release tab 2 power supply
3 power supply handle
1
3
2
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214 Management: Installing Array Components
Installing a Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You
should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your
product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and
support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the
product.
1
Slide the power supply/cooling fan module into the chassis until it is fully
seated and the release tab clicks into place. See Figure 16-11.
2
Connect the power cable to the power supply/cooling fan module and plug
the cable into a power outlet.
3
Secure the power cable using the Velcro strap. See Figure 16-12.
Figure 16-12. Securing the Power Cable
CAUTION: When connecting the power cable, secure the cable with the Velcro
strap.
NOTE: If the array is powered on, all the power supply LEDs remain off until the AC
power cable is connected to the power supply/cooling fan module and the power
switch is turned on.
4
Turn on the power supply/cooling fan module.
1Velcro strap
1
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Management: Installing Array Components 215
Control Panel
Removing the Control Panel
1
Turn off the array and host server.
2
Disconnect all the power cables connected to the array.
3
Remove the hard drives from:
– slots 0 to 2 in
PowerVault MD3200i
– slots 0 to 5 in
PowerVault MD3220i
See "Removing a Hard Drive" on page 200.
NOTE: Mark each hard drive with it’s slot position as you remove it.
4
Slide the control panel out of the chassis after:
– Pushing the release tab toward the front of the array in
PowerVault
MD3200i
. See Figure 16-13.
– Pulling the release pin toward the front of the array in
PowerVault
MD3220i
. See Figure 16-14.
Figure 16-13. Removing and Installing the Control Panel—PowerVault MD3200i
1 control panel 2 release tab
21
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216 Management: Installing Array Components
Figure 16-14. Removing and Installing the Control Panel—PowerVault MD3220i
Installing the Control Panel
1
Align the control panel with the slot on the array.
2
Slide the control panel into the array until:
– The release tab clicks into place in
PowerVault MD3200i
. See
Figure 16-13.
– The release pin clicks into place in
PowerVault MD3220i
. See
Figure 16-14.
3
Replace the hard drives in their respective slots. See "Installing a Hard
Drive" on page 202.
4
Connect all the power cables to the array.
5
Turn on the array and the host server.
1 control panel 2 release pin
2
1
book.book Page 216 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: Installing Array Components 217
Backplane
WARNING: Whenever you need to lift the array, get others to assist you. To avoid
injury, do not attempt to lift the array by yourself.
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
Removing the Backplane
1
Turn off the array and disconnect it from the electrical outlet.
2
Disconnect all the cables connected to the array.
3
Remove the hard drives. See "Removing a Hard Drive" on page 200.
4
Remove the RAID controller modules. See "Removing a RAID Controller
Module" on page 207.
5
Remove the power supply/cooling fan modules. See "Removing a Power
Supply/Cooling Fan Module" on page 211.
6
Remove the control panel. See "Removing the Control Panel" on page 215.
7
Remove the screws that secure the RAID controller module /power supply
cage to the chassis.
8
Grasp the cage removal ring at the bottom center of the array and pull the
RAID controller module /power supply cage toward the back of the chassis.
See Figure 16-15.
9
Lift the RAID controller module /power supply cage away from the chassis.
See Figure 16-15.
10
Loosen the captive screw that secures the backplane to the chassis. See
Figure 16-16 for PowerVault MD3200i or Figure 16-17 for PowerVault
MD3220i.
11
Remove the screws that secure the backplane and pull the backplane out
of the array. See Figure 16-16 for PowerVault MD3200i or Figure 16-17 for
PowerVault MD3220i.
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218 Management: Installing Array Components
Figure 16-15. Removing and Installing the RAID controller module /Power Supply Cage
1 RAID controller module /power
supply cage
2 screws (6)
12
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Management: Installing Array Components 219
Figure 16-16. Removing and Installing the Backplane—PowerVault MD3200i
Figure 16-17. Removing and Installing the Backplane—PowerVault MD3220i
1 screws (5) 2 backplane
3 captive screw
1 screws (4) 2 backplane
3 captive screw
2
1
3
2
1
3
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220 Management: Installing Array Components
Installing the Backplane
1
Align the holes on the backplane with the holes on the array.
2
Tighten the captive screw to secure the backplane to the chassis.
See Figure 16-16 for PowerVault MD3200i or Figure 16-17 for
PowerVault MD3220i.
3
Replace the screws that secure the backplane to the chassis.
See Figure 16-16 for PowerVault MD3200i or Figure 16-17 for
PowerVault MD3220i.
4
Align the slots on the RAID controller module /power supply cage with the
tabs on the chassis. See Figure 16-15.
5
Push the RAID controller module /power supply cage toward the front of
the array.
6
Replace the screws that secure the RAID controller module /power supply
cage to the chassis.
7
Replace the control panel. See "Installing the Control Panel" on page 216.
8
Replace the power supply/cooling fan modules. See "Installing a Power
Supply/Cooling Fan Module" on page 214.
9
Replace the hard drives. See "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 202.
10
Connect all the cables to the array.
11
Turn on the array and the host server.
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Management: Firmware Inventory 221
17
Management: Firmware Inventory
A storage array is made up of many components, which might include RAID
controller modules, physical disks, and enclosure management modules
(EMMs). Each of these components contains firmware. Some versions of
firmware are dependent on other versions of firmware. To capture
information about all of the firmware versions in the storage array, view the
firmware inventory.
If the firmware inventory does not contain information for a particular
storage array, the firmware inventory service is not available on that storage
array.
You can also save the firmware inventory to a text file. You can then send the
file to your Technical Support representative for analysis. Your Technical
Support representative can detect any firmware mismatches.
Viewing the Firmware Inventory
To view the firmware inventory:
1
Perform one of these actions based on whether you want to view the
firmware information for one storage array or all storage arrays:
• One storage array – From the Array Management Window, select
Advanced

Maintenance
Firmware Inventory
.
• All storage arrays – From the Enterprise Management Window, select
Tools
Firmware Inventory
.
2
To save the firmware inventory to a text file, Click
Save As
.
3
In
Specify filename
, enter a name for the file to be saved. You might also
specify another physical disk and directory if you want to save the file in a
location other than the default.
NOTE: The suffix *.txt is added to the file name automatically if you do not
specify a suffix for the file name.
4
Click
Save
.
An ASCII text file that contains the firmware inventory is saved to the
designated directory.
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222 Management: Firmware Inventory
book.book Page 222 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Management: System Interfaces 223
18
Management: System Interfaces
Microsoft Services
Virtual Disk Service
The Microsoft® Virtual Disk Service (VDS) is a component of the Windows®
operating system. The VDS component utilizes third-part vendor specific
software modules, known as providers, to access and configure third-party
storage resources, such as MD3200i storage arrays. The VDS component
exposes a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that provides a
single interface for managing disks and other storage hardware. The MD3200i
Series VDS Provider enables Windows tools, including the Disk Manager, to
access and configure storage array virtual disks.
The VDS Provider for the MD3200i Series arrays is available on the MD3200i
Series resource media. For more information on VDS, see microsoft.com.
Volume Shadow-Copy Service
The Microsoft Volume Shadow-copy Service (VSS) is a component of the
Microsoft Windows operating system. The VSS component utilizes third-part
vendor specific software modules, known as providers, to access and utilize
snapshot and disk copy functionality provided by third-party storage
resources, such as MD3200i Series storage arrays. The combination of the
VSS component and the VSS Provider, included on the MD3200i Resource
media, enable the MD3200i Series arrays to be utilized by third-party and
Windows backup and snapshot applications.
NOTE: Virtual disks used as source virtual disks for VSS snapshots should have
names no longer than 16 characters.
The VSS hardware provider uses the source virtual disk name as a prefix for
the snapshot and repository virtual disk names. The resulting snapshot and
repository names are too long if the source virtual disk name exceeds 16
characters.
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224 Management: System Interfaces
VSS attaches to the service and uses it to coordinate the creation of snapshot
virtual disks on the storage array. VSS-initiated snapshot virtual disks can be
triggered through backup tools, known as requestors. The VSS Provider
Configuration Tool makes available the following configuration options:
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Properties—This section contains a
drop-down list for the RAID level and a field for entering source virtual
disk capacity percentage for snapshot repositories.
• Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk Location—This section contains a list of
preferences for the location of the snapshot repository virtual disk. These
preferences are honored whenever conditions permit.
The Microsoft VSS installer service for storage provisioning is available on the
MD3200i resource media in the \windows\VDS_VSS directory.
NOTE: When registering VSS during your Windows setup, the registration
graphical user interface (GUI) prompts you to provide the name of your array
because settings in the GUI are array-specific, not host-specific.
Storage Management VSS Hardware Provider Tips:
• The number of snapshot virtual disks that can be created using a single
snapshot set varies with the I/O load on the RAID controller modules.
Under little or no I/O load, the number of virtual disks in a snapshot set
should be limited to eight. Under high I/O loads, the limit should be three.
• The snapshot virtual disks created in the storage management software are
differential snapshots. Plex snapshots are not supported.
• Virtual disks to be used as source virtual disks for VSS snapshots should
have names no longer than 16 characters. The VSS hardware provider uses
the base virtual disk name as a prefix for the snapshot and repository
virtual disk names. The resulting snapshot and repository names are too
long if the source virtual disk name exceeds 16 characters.
NOTE: A volume is another term for virtual disk.
For more information on VDS and VSS, see microsoft.com.
book.book Page 224 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 225
19
Troubleshooting: Your Storage
Array Software
Start-Up Routine
Look and listen during the array’s start-up routine for the indications
described in Table 19-1. For a description of the front- and back-panel
indicators, see "Planning: About Your Storage Array" on page 23.
NOTE: At least two physical disks must be installed in the array.
Device Health Conditions
When you open the Enterprise Management Window (EMW), the Dell™
PowerVault™ Modular Disk Storage Management software (MDSM)
establishes communication with each managed storage array and determines
the current storage array status. The current status is represented by icons
next to the managed storage array.
The status icons shown in the Tree view in the EMW represent a summary
status for each storage array. If a storage array has a status of Needs Attention
or a status of Fixing, you must determine the condition that is causing this
status before attempting any management actions. You can determine the
condition causing the Needs Attention status or the Fixing status by selecting
the storage array and launching its Array Management Window (AMW). To
launch the AMW, perform one of these actions:
Table 19-1. Start-Up Routine Indications
Look/listen for Action
Alert messages. See your storage management
documentation.
An unfamiliar constant scraping or grinding
sound when you access a physical disk.
See "Getting Help" on page 259.
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226 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
•On the
Devices
tab, in either the Tree view or the Table view, double-click
a storage array. Alternatively, you can right-click a storage array and select
Manage Storage Array
from the pop-up menu.
•On the
Setup
tab, select
Manage a Storage Array
.
After the AMW opens, select the Physical tab to see the components in the
storage array. A component that has a problem is indicated by a status icon.
The status icons indicate the status of the components that comprise the
storage array. Also, the Recovery Guru option provides a detailed explanation
of the conditions and the applicable steps to remedy any Needs Attention
status. For more information, see "Recovery Guru" on page 232.
For the status of a storage array, the icons shown in the following table are
used in the Tree view, the Table view, and both the EMW Status Bar and the
AMW Status Bar.
In the Table view, every managed storage array is listed once, regardless of the
number of attachments it has in the Tree view. After the storage array has
been contacted by MDSM, an icon representing its hardware status appears.
Table 19-2. Status Icon
Status Icon Description
Optimal Each component in the managed storage array is in
the desired working condition.
Needs Attention There is a problem with the managed storage array
that requires your intervention to correct it.
Unresponsive The storage management station cannot
communicate with the storage array or one RAID
controller module or both RAID controller modules
in the storage array.
Fixing Status A Needs Attention status has been corrected and the
managed storage array is currently transitioning to an
Optimal state.
Unsupported The node is currently not supported by this version of
MDSM.
Software
Unsupported
The storage array is running a level of software that is
no longer supported by MDSM.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 227
Hardware status can be Optimal, Needs Attention, or Fixing. If, however, all
of the network management connections from the storage management
station to the storage array shown in the Tree view are Unresponsive, the
storage array status is represented as Unresponsive.
In the EMW Status Bar and the AMW Status Bar, the icons also have these
behaviors:
• Hold the mouse over the icon in the EMW Status Bar and the AMW
Status Bar to show a tooltip with a brief description of the status.
• The icons for the Needs Attention status and Unresponsive status appear
in EMW Status Bar and the AMW Status Bar if there are discovered
storage arrays with either condition.
The EMW Tree view has additional status icons that are shown in the
following table.
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228 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
Table 19-3. Additional Status Icons
Status Icon Description
Unsupported Alerts
with a Needs
Upgrade Status
Setting an alert on a s storage array with a Needs
Upgrade status is not supported. In this case, the
storage array shows both a Needs Upgrade status
and an Unsupported Alerts icon in the Tree view.
The Unsupported Alerts icon indicates that the
storage array cannot be monitored.
Alert Set If you installed the Event Monitor with MDSM,
and if you have set alerts, the Alert Set icon
appears next to the storage array status in the
Tree view for which the alerts have been set.
Setting an Alert at
the Parent Node
Level
You can set alerts at any of the nodes in the Tree
view. Setting an alert at a parent node level, such
as at a host level, sets alert fir any child nodes. If
you set an alert at a parent node level and any of
the in-band storage array child nodes have a
Needs Upgrade status, the Alert Disables status
icon appears next to the parent node in the tree
view.
Adding a Storage
Array
The Contacting Storage Array icon is shown in
the Tree view and Table view until the current
status of each managed storage array is known.
The Contacting Storage Array icon is shown in
the EMW Status Bar and the AMW Status Bar
and the tooltip shows Contacting Storage arrays.
As each storage array is contacted, its current
status is obtained and shown in the Tree view and
Table view. The applicable statuses are the
Optimal, Needs Attention, Fixing, or
Unresponsive.
Adding a Storage
Array OK
No problems were encountered while adding the
storage array.
MDSM software continues to check for any
status change events.
Adding a Storage
Array Error
Appears only when an error occurs.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 229
NOTE: MDSM may take a few minutes to update a status change to Unresponsive or from
Unresponsive. A status change from or to Unresponsive depends on the network
link to the storage array. All other status change updates faster.
Storage Array Support Data
You can gather various types of inventory, status, and performance data that
can help troubleshoot any problem with the storage array. All the files are
compressed into a single archive in a zipped-file format. You can forward the
archive file to your Technical Support representative for troubleshooting and
further analysis.
To generate the support data report:
1
In the AMW, perform one of these actions:
• Select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Support Data
Collect
.
• Select the
Support
tab, and click
Gather Support Information
.
The
Collect All Support Data
window is displayed.
2
Enter a name for the support data file in
Specify filename
or click
Browse
to navigate to a previously saved file to overwrite an existing file.
The suffix .zip is added automatically to the file if you do not specify a
suffix for the file.
3
Enter the
Execution summary
.
4
Click
Start
.
After all of the support files have been gathered, they are archived using
the file name that you specified.
5
Click
OK
.
Automatically Collect the Support Bundle Data
You can use the Collect Support Bundle option to automatically save a copy
of the support bundle when the client monitor process detects a critical
event.
During a critical event, the support bundle is saved to the local physical disk
of the client system in the same area that is used for other recovery
information. This information is not overwritten for at least 72 hours.
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230 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
WARNING: Use this option only under the guidance of your Technical Support
representative.
To automatically collect the support bundle data:
1
In the AMW, select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Support Data
Automatic Settings
.
2
Select
Automatically collect support data for critical events
.
3
To change the location of the saved support bundle, click
Change
.
The
Change Folder Location
window is displayed, navigate to the relevant
folder and click
OK
.
4
To reset the default location, click
Reset
.
5
Click
OK
.
Collecting the Physical Disk Data
You can use the Collect Physical Disk Data option to collect log sense data
from all the physical disks on your storage array.
Log sense data consists of statistical information that is maintained by each
of the physical disks in your storage array. Your Technical Support
representative can use this information to analyze the performance of your
physical disks and for troubleshooting problems that might exist.
WARNING: Use this option only under the guidance of your Technical Support
representative.
To collect physical disk data:
1
In the AMW, select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Collect Physical Disk
Data
.
The
Collect Physical Disk Data
window is displayed.
2
Enter a name for the physical disk data filename in
Specify filename
or
click
Browse
to navigate to a previously saved file to overwrite an existing
file.
The suffix *.bin is added to the file automatically if you do not specify a
suffix for the file.
3
Click
Start.
book.book Page 230 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 231
The physical disk data collection is completed and saved at the location
that you entered.
4
Click
OK
.
Event Log
You can use the Event Log Viewer to view a detailed list of events that occur
in a storage array. The event log is stored on reserved areas on the storage array
disks. It records configuration events and storage array component failures.
WARNING: Use this option only under the guidance of your Technical Support
representative.
The event log stores approximately 8000 events before it replaces an event
with a new event. If you want to keep the events, you may save them, and
clear them from the event log.
The event log window shows two types of event views:
• Summary view—Shows an event summary in a table form.
• Detail view—Shows details about a selected event.
To view the event log:
1
In the AMW, select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
View Event Log
.
The
Event Log
is displayed. By default, the summary view is displayed.
2
To view the details of each selected log entry, select
View details
.
A detail pane is added to the event log that contains detailed information
about the log item. You can view the details about a single log entry at a
time.
3
To save the event log, click
Save As
.
The
Save Events
dialog is displayed, navigate to the relevant folder, enter
the relevant
file name
, and click
Save
.
4
To erase all log entries from the event log, click
Clear All
.
5
To exit the event log, click
Close
.
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
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232 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
Recovery Guru
The Recovery Guru is a component of MDSM that diagnoses critical events
on the storage array and recommends step-by-step recovery procedures for
problem resolution.
In the AMW, to display the Recovery Guru, perform one of these actions:
•Click
Recovery Guru
.
•In the
Support
tab, click the
Recover from Failure
link.
•From the
Status
pane on the
Summary
tab, click the
Storage Array Needs
Attention
link.
You can detect a problem using the following indicators:
• Non-Optimal status icons
• Alert notification messages that are sent to the appropriate destinations
• Hardware indicator lights
The status icons return to Optimal status as problems are resolved.
Storage Array Profile
The storage array profile provides a description of all of the components and
properties of the storage array. The storage array profile also provides the
option to save the storage array profile information to a text file. You might
want to use the storage array profile as an aid during recovery or as an
overview of the current configuration of the storage array. Create a new copy
of the storage array profile if your configuration changes.
1
To open the storage array profile, in the AMW, perform one of the
following actions:
• Select
Storage Array
View
Profile
.
• Select the
Summary
tab, and click
Storage Array Profile
in the
Status
area.
• Select the
Support
tab, and click
View Storage Array Profile
.
The
Storage Array Profile
dialog appears. The Storage Array Profile dialog
contains several tabs, and the title of each tab corresponds to the subject
of the information contained.
2
Perform one of these actions in the
Storage Array Profile
dialog:
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 233
• View detailed information – Go to step 3.
• Search the storage array profile – Go to step 4.
• Save the storage array profile – Go to step 5.
• Close the storage array profile – Go to step 6.
3
Select one of the tabs, and use the horizontal scroll bar and the vertical
scroll bar to view the storage array profile information.
You can use the other steps in this procedure to search the storage array
profile, to save the storage array profile, or to close the storage array profile.
4
To search the storage array profile, perform these steps:
a
Click .
b
Type the term that you want to search for in the
Find
text box.
If the term is located on the current tab, the term is highlighted in the
storage array profile information.
NOTE: The search is limited to the current tab. If you want to search for the
term in other tabs, select the tab and click the Find button again.
c
Click the
Find
button again to search for additional occurrences of the
term.
5
To save the storage array profile, perform these steps:
a
Click
Save As
.
b
To save all sections of the storage array profile, select the
All sections
.
c
To save information from particular sections of the storage array
profile, select the
Select sections
, and select the check boxes
corresponding to the sections that you want to save.
d
Select an appropriate directory.
e
In
File Name
, type the file name of your choice. To associate the file
with a particular software application that opens it, specify a file
extension, such as .txt.
NOTE: The file is saved as ASCII text.
f
Click
Save
.
6
To exit the storage array profile, click
Close
.
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234 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
For more information, see the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager
online help topics.
Viewing the Logical Associations
You can use the Associated Logical Elements option to view the logical
associations among different virtual disks in a storage array.
To view the associations for source virtual disks, snapshot virtual disks, and
snapshot repository virtual disks:
1
In the AMW, select the
Logical
tab or in the
Topology
pane of the
Mappings
tab.
2
Select
View
Associated Logical Elements
. Alternatively, you can right-
click the virtual disk to open a pop-up menu and select
View
Associated
Logical Elements
.
If you select a virtual disk that does not have logical associations with other
virtual disks, the Associated Logical Elements option is disabled.
NOTE: The View Associated Logical Elements dialog appears, which
indicates the logical associations for the selected virtual disk.
3
To close the
View Associated Logical Element
s dialog, click
Close
.
Viewing the Physical Associations
You can use the Associated Physical Components option to view the physical
components that are associated with source virtual disks, snapshot virtual
disks, snapshot repository virtual disks, disk groups, unconfigured capacity,
and free capacity in a storage array.
To view the physical associations:
1
In the
AMW
, select a node in the
Logical
pane of the
Logical
tab or in the
Topology
pane of the
Mappings
tab.
2
Select
View
Associated Physical Components
. Alternatively, if the
selected node is a virtual disk, you can right-click the node to open a pop-
up menu and select
View
Associated Physical Components
. If the
selected node is a disk group, unconfigured capacity, or free capacity, you
can right-click the node to open a pop-up menu and select
View
Associated Physical Components
.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 235
The
View Associated Physical Components
dialog appears with blue dots
next to the physical components that are associated with the selected
node.
3
To close the
View Associated Physical Components
dialog, click
Close
.
Finding Nodes
You can use the Find option to search for a particular node on the Logical tab,
the Physical tab, or the Mappings tab of the Array Management Window. The
search might be based on a particular node name, the RAID level, virtual disk
capacity, or specific free capacity nodes. The search might be based also on
one of these combinations:
• The node name and the RAID level
• The node name and the virtual disk capacity
To find nodes:
1
In the AMW, select
View
Find
.
2
Based on the type of search, select one of these options, and go to the
indicated step:
• Search by name – see step 3.
• Search by special criteria – see step 4.
3
Type the name of the node to be found in the Find node text box. See
step 8.
4
Based on the search criteria, select one of these options, and go to the
indicated step:
• Find all virtual disks with RAID level—Go to step 5.
• Find all virtual disks with capacity—Go to step 6.
• Find all free capacity nodes—Go to step 7.
5
To search for all nodes based on their RAID level, perform these steps:
a
Select
Find all virtual disks with RAID level
.
b
Select the RAID level from the list.
c
Go to step 8.
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236 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
6
To search for all nodes based on their virtual disk capacity, perform these
steps:
a
Select
Find all virtual disks with capacity
.
b
Type the capacity in the GB box.
c
Specify that the capacity to be matched is less than, equal to, or
greater than the capacity entered in the GB box.
d
Go to step 8.
7
To search for all
Free Capacity
nodes with a particular capacity, perform
these steps:
NOTE: This option is not available when the Search by name option is
selected or from the Mappings tab. You must cancel the selection of the
Search by name option to use this option.
a
Select
Find all free capacity nodes
.
b
Type the capacity in the GB box.
c
Specify that the free capacity to be matched is less than, equal to, or
greater than the capacity entered in the GB box.
d
Go to step 8.
8
Click
Find Next
.
To see every node that matches the criteria, click
Find Next
repeatedly. If
no matches are found, the
Search Failed
dialog appears. Click
OK
, and re-
enter the search criteria.
9
To close the dialog, click
Cancel
.
To continue searching for nodes with the same criteria after the
Find
dialog has been closed, press F3.
Using Go To
Use the Go To option to quickly jump to an associated snapshot repository
virtual disk, snapshot virtual disk, source virtual disk, or target virtual disk.
These virtual disks appear in the Logical pane of the Logical tab.
The Go To option is available only if the Snapshot premium feature or the
Virtual Disk Copy premium feature is enabled or if snapshot virtual disks or
virtual disk copies currently exist on the storage array. The Go To option is not
accessible from the Mappings tab of the Array Management Window.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 237
1
On the
Logical
tab of the AMW, select one of these virtual disks, and go to
the indicated step:
• Snapshot virtual disk—Go to step 2.
• Snapshot repository virtual disk—Go to step 3.
• Source virtual disk—Go to step 4.
• Target virtual disk—Go to step 5.
2
Select
View
Go To
Snapshot Virtual Disk
.
The selection jumps to the associated snapshot virtual disk in the Logical
pane.
3
Select
View
Go To
Snapshot Repository Virtual Disk
.
The selection jumps to the associated snapshot repository virtual disk in
the Logical pane.
4
Select
View
Go To
Source Virtual Disk
.
The selection jumps to the associated source virtual disk in the Logical
pane.
5
Select
View
Go To
Target Virtual Disk
.
NOTE: If the source virtual disk has more than one associated target virtual
disk, select the target virtual disk that you want from the list, and click OK.
The selection jumps to the associated target virtual disk in the Logical pane.
Recovering From an Unresponsive Storage Array
Condition
A storage array can have an Unresponsive status for several reasons. Use the
procedure in this topic to determine a possible cause and solution.
MDSM can take up to five minutes to detect that a storage array has become
unresponsive or becomes responsive again. Before completing this procedure,
make sure that you wait some time before you decide that the storage array is
still unresponsive.
To recover from an unresponsive storage array:
1
Check the Tree View in the EMW to see if all storage arrays are
unresponsive.
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238 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
2
If any storage arrays are unresponsive, check the storage management
station network connection to make sure that it can reach the network.
3
Ensure that the RAID controller modules are installed and that there is
power to the storage array.
4
If there a problem with the storage array, correct the problem.
5
Perform one of these actions, depending on how your storage array is
managed:
• Out-of-band managed storage array—Go to step 6.
• In-band managed storage array
–
Go to step 12.
6
For an out-of-band managed storage array, ensure that the RAID controller
modules are network accessible by using the ping command to make sure
that the RAID controller module can be reached. Type one of these
commands, and press Enter.
• ping <host-name>
• ping <RAID controller module-IP-address>
7
If the verification is successful, see step 8, if not, see step 9.
8
Remove the storage array with the Unresponsive status from the EMW,
and select Add Storage Array to add the storage array again.
9
If the storage array does not return to Optimal status, check the Ethernet
cables to make sure that there is no visible damage and that they are
securely connected.
10
Make sure the appropriate network configuration tasks have been
performed. For example, make sure that IP addresses have been assigned to
each RAID controller module.
11
If there is a cable or network accessibility problem, see step 20, if not
step 12.
12
For an in-band managed storage array, make sure that the host is network
accessible by using the ping command to verify that the host can be
reached. Type one of these commands, and press Enter.
• ping <host-name>
• ping <RAID controller module-IP-address>
13
If the verification successful, see step 14, if not, step 15.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 239
14
Remove the host with the Unresponsive status from the EMW, and select
Add Storage Array
to add the host again.
15
If the host does not return to Optimal status, go to step 16.
16
Ensure that the host is turned on and operational and that the host
adapters have been installed.
17
Check all external cables and switches or hubs to make sure that no visible
damage exists and that they are securely connected.
18
Make sure the host context agent software is installed and running.
If you started the host system before you were connected to the RAID
controller module in the storage array, the host context agent software is
not able to detect the RAID controller modules. If this is the case, make
sure that the connections are secure, and restart the host context agent
software.
19
If you have recently replaced or added the RAID controller module, restart
the host context agent software so that the new RAID controller module is
recognized.
20
If the problem still exists, make the appropriate host modifications, check
with other administrators to see if a firmware upgrade was performed on
the RAID controller module from another storage management station.
If a firmware upgrade was performed, the EMW on your management
station might not be able to locate the new AMW software needed to
manage the storage array with the new version of the firmware.
21
If the problem persists contact your Technical Support representative.
22
Determine if there is an excessive amount of network traffic to one or
more RAID controller modules.
This problem is self-correcting because the EMW software periodically
retries to establish communication with the RAID controller modules in
the storage array. If the storage array was unresponsive and a subsequent
try to connect to the storage array succeeds, the storage array becomes
responsive.
For an out-of-band managed storage array, determine if management
operations are taking place on the storage array from other storage
management stations. A RAID controller module-determined limit exists
to the number of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
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240 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
(TCP/IP) connections that can be made to the RAID controller module
before it stops responding to subsequent connection attempts. The type of
management operations being performed and the number of management
sessions taking place together determine the number of TCP/IP
connections made to a RAID controller module. This problem is self-
correcting because, after some TCP/IP connections terminate, the RAID
controller module then becomes responsive to other connection attempts.
23
If the storage array is still unresponsive, a problem might exists with the
RAID controller modules. Contact your Technical Support representative.
Locating a Physical Disk
You can use the Locate Physical Disk option to physically locate and identify
one or more of the physical disks in an expansion enclosure by activating
physical disk LEDs.
To locate the physical disk:
1
Select the
Physical
tab.
2
Select the physical disks that you want to locate.
3
Select
Physical Disk
Blink
Physical Disk
.
The LEDs on the selected physical disks blink.
4
When you have located the physical disks, click
OK
.
The LEDs stop blinking. If any other blink operations (Blink Disk Group,
Blink Storage Array, Blink Physical Disk Ports, or Blink Expansion
Enclosure) are currently being invoked from another storage management
station, these LEDs also stop blinking.
5
In the rare case that the LEDs on the physical disks do not stop blinking,
in the AMW, select
Storage Array
Blink
Stop All Indications
.
If the LEDs successfully stop blinking, a confirmation message appears.
6
Click
OK
.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 241
Locating an Expansion Enclosure
You can use the Blink option to physically locate and identify an expansion
enclosure in the storage array.
The LED activation varies according to the type of expansion enclosure that
you have.
• If you have an expansion enclosure with a white LED, the Blink Expansion
Enclosure operation causes the white LED on the expansion enclosure to
come on. The LED does not blink.
• If you have any other types of expansion enclosures, this operation causes
the appropriate LED on all of the physical disks in the expansion enclosure
to blink.
To locate the expansion enclosure:
1
Select the
Physical
tab.
2
Select a physical disk in the expansion enclosure that you want to locate.
3
Select
Physical Disk
Blink
Expansion Enclosure
.
The LED or LEDs on the expansion enclosure or physical disks come on.
4
When you have located the expansion enclosure, click
OK
.
The LEDs stop blinking. (If you have an expansion enclosure with a blue
LED, the LED goes off). If any other blink operations (Blink Storage Array,
Blink Disk Group, Blink Physical Disk Ports, Blink Expansion Enclosure, or
Blink Physical Disk) are currently being invoked from another storage
management station, these LEDs also stop blinking.
5
In the rare case that the LEDs on the expansion enclosure do not stop
blinking, from the Array Management Window, select
Storage Array
Blink
Stop All Indications
.
If the LEDs successfully stop blinking, a confirmation message appears.
6
Click
OK
.
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242 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
Capturing the State Information
Use the Troubleshooting
Capture State Information option to capture
information about the current state of your storage array and save the
captured information to a text file. You can then send the captured
information to your Technical Support representative for analysis.
Potential to cause an unresponsive storage array – The State Capture option
can cause a storage array to become unresponsive to both the host and the
storage management station. Use this option only under the guidance of your
Technical Support representative.
1
From the AMW, select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Capture State
Information
.
2
Read the information in the
Confirm State Capture
dialog, and type
yes
to continue.
3
In the
Specify filename
text box, enter a name for the file to be saved, or
browse to a previously saved file if you want to overwrite an existing file.
Use the convention filename.dmp for the name of the file. The suffix
.dmp is added to the file automatically if you do not specify a suffix for the
file.
4
Click
Start
.
NOTE: Each test shows a status of Executing while it is in progress. The test
then shows Completed when it successfully finishes. If any of the tests cannot
be completed, a status of Failed appears in the Execution summary window.
5
Monitor the progress and completion status of all of the tests. When they
finish, click
OK
to close the
State Capture
dialog.
Clicking
Cancel
stops the state capture process, and any remaining tests
do not complete. Any test information that has been generated to that
point is saved to the state capture file.
NOTE: Refer to the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager online help
topics for more information on troubleshooting, and recovering from failures.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 243
SMrepassist Utility
SMrepassist (replication assistance) is a host-based utility for Windows
platforms. This utility is installed with MDSM. Use this utility before and
after you create a virtual disk copy on a Windows operating system to ensure
that all the memory-resident data for file systems on the target virtual disk is
flushed and that the driver recognizes signatures and file system partitions.
You can also use this utility to resolve duplicate signature problems for
snapshot virtual disks.
From a command prompt window on a host running Windows, navigate to
C:\Program Files\Dell\MD Storage Manager\util and run the following
command:
SMrepassist -f <filesystem-identifier>
where -f flushes all the memory-resident data for the file system indicated by
<filesystem-identifier>, and <filesystem-identifier> specifies a unique file
system in the following syntax:
drive-letter: <mount-point-path>
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.
An error message appears in the command line when the utility cannot
distinguish between the following:
• Source virtual disk and snapshot virtual disk (for example, if the snapshot
virtual disk has been removed).
• Standard virtual disk and virtual disk copy (for example, if the virtual disk
copy has been removed).
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244 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
Unidentified Devices
An unidentified node or device occurs when MDSM 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 context
agent software is installed and running. If you started the host before the host was
connected to the storage array, the host context agent software is not be able to
find the storage array. If so, make sure that the connections are tight, and restart
the host context agent software.
• If a storage array is managed by using both out-of-band management and
in-band management using the same host, a management network
connection problem might prevent direct communication with the storage
array. However, you might still be able to manage the storage array over the
in-band connections. The opposite situation can also occur.
• If a storage array is managed through more than one host, it is possible
that the storage array might become unresponsive to communication over
the connections given by one host. However, you might still be able to
manage the storage array over the connections provided by another host.
Recovering From an Unidentified Storage Array
To recover from an unidentified storage array:
1
Make sure that the network connection to the storage management station
is operating.
2
Make sure that the controllers are installed and that the power is turned on
to the storage array. Correct any existing problems before continuing.
3
If you have an in-band storage array, use the following procedure. Click
Refresh after each step to check the results:
a
Make sure that the host context agent software is installed and
running. If you started the host before the host was connected to the
controllers in the storage array, the host context agent software is not
be able to find the controllers. If so, make sure that the connections
are tight, and restart the host context agent software.
b
Make sure that the network can access the host by using the ping
command in the following syntax:
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 245
ping <host-name-or-IP-address-of-the-host>
.
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 MDSM, and
add that host again.
If the host returns to optimal status, you have completed this
procedure.
d
Make sure that the power to the host is turned on and that the host is
operational.
e
If applicable, make sure that the host bus adapters have been installed
in the host.
f
Examine all external cables and switches or hubs to make sure that
you cannot see any damage and that they are tightly connected.
g
If you have recently replaced or added the controller, restart the host
context agent software so that the new controller is found.
If a problem exists, make the appropriate modifications to the host.
4
If you have an out-of-band storage array, use the following procedure. Click
Refresh
after each step to make sure of the results:
a
Make sure that the network can access the controllers by using the
ping command. Use the following syntax:
ping <controller-IP-address>.
If the network can access the controllers, continue to step b. If the
network cannot access the controllers, skip to step c.
b
Remove the storage array with the unresponsive status from MDSM,
and add that storage array again.
If the storage array returns to optimal status, you have completed this
procedure.
c
Examine the ethernet cables to make sure that you cannot see any
damage and that they are tightly connected.
d
Make sure that the applicable network configuration tasks have been
done (for example, the IP addresses have been assigned to each
controller).
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246 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
5
Make sure that the controller firmware is compatible with MDSM on your
management station. If the controller firmware was upgraded, the MDSM
might not have access to the storage array. A new version of MDSM might
be needed to manage the storage array with the new version of the
controller firmware.
If this problem exists, see the Dell support website at support.dell.com.
6
Look to see if there is too much network traffic to one or more controllers.
This problem corrects itself because the MDSM tries to re-establish
communication with the controllers in the storage array at regular times. If
the storage array was unresponsive and a subsequent try to connect to the
storage array succeeds, the storage array becomes responsive.
7
For an out-of-band storage array, look to see if management operations are
taking place on the storage array from other storage management stations.
The type of management operations being done and the number of
management sessions taking place together establish the number of
TCP/IP connections made to a controller. When the maximum number of
TCP/IP connections have been made, the controller stops responding.
This problem corrects itself because after some TCP/IP connections
complete, the controller then becomes responsive to other connection
tries.
8
If the storage array is still unresponsive, problems might exist with the
controllers.
If these problems exist, see the Dell support website at support.dell.com.
Starting or Restarting the Host Context Agent
Software
The host context agent software module is the software component that
resides on the server or management station that communicates with the
MD3200i series storage arrays. The SMagent software automatically starts
after you reboot the host.
Windows
To restart the SMagent software in Windows:
1
Click
Start
Settings
Control Pane
Administrative Tools
Services
.
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Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software 247
or
Click
Start
Administrative Tools
Services
.
2
In the
Services
dialog, select
Modular Disk Storage Manager Agent
.
3
If the modular disk storage manager agent is running, click
Action
Stop
,
then wait approximately 5 seconds.
4
Click
Action
Start
.
Linux
To start or restart the host context agent software in Linux, enter the
following command at the prompt:
SMagent start
The SMagent software might take a little time to initialize. The cursor is
shown, but the terminal window does not respond. When the program starts,
the following message is displayed:
SMagent started.
After the program completes the startup process, text similar to the following
messages is displayed:
Modular Disk Storage Manager Agent, Version 90.02.A6.14
Built Wed Feb 03 06:17:50 CST 2010
Copyright (C) 2009-2010 Dell, Inc. All rights reserved.
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg10): Activating
Checking device /dev/sdb (/dev/sg11): Skipping
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg3): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg4): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg5): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg6): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg7): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg8): Activating
Checking device <n/a> (/dev/sg9): Activating
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248 Troubleshooting: Your Storage Array Software
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Troubleshooting: Your Array 249
20
Troubleshooting: Your Array
Safety First—For you and Your Array
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
Troubleshooting Storage Array Startup Failure
If your system halts during startup, check if:
• The array emits a series of beeps.
• The array fault LEDs are lit. See "RAID Controller Modules" on page 31.
• There is a constant scraping or grinding sound when you access the hard
drive. See "Getting Help" on page 259.
Troubleshooting Loss of Communication
For information about troubleshooting loss of communication, see
"Troubleshooting Array and Expansion Enclosure Connections" on page 255.
Troubleshooting External Connections
• Verify that the cables are connected to the correct ports before
troubleshooting any external devices. For the location of the back-panel
connectors on your array, see Figure 3-1.
• Ensure that all the cables are securely attached to the external connectors
on your array.
• For information on cabling, see the
Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3200i
Deployment Guide
.
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250 Troubleshooting: Your Array
Troubleshooting Power Supply/Cooling Fan
Module
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
CAUTION: It is recommended that you turn off the host server before turning off
the array to prevent loss of data.
1
Locate the faulty power supply and determine the status of the LEDs.
• If the AC power LED is not lit, check the power cord and power source
into which the power supply is plugged.
• Connect another device to the power source to verify if it is
working.
• Connect the cable to a different power source.
• Replace the power cable.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
• If the DC power LED is not lit, verify that the power switch is turned
on. If the power switch is turned on, see step 2.
• If the power supply’s fault indicator is lit, see "Getting Help" on
page 259.
CAUTION: Power supply/cooling fan modules are hot-swappable. The array can
operate on a single power supply; however both modules must be installed to
ensure proper cooling. A single power supply/cooling fan module can be removed
from a powered-on array for a maximum period of five minutes. Beyond that time,
the array may automatically shut down to prevent damage.
2
Reseat the power supply by removing and reinstalling it. See "Power Supply
and Cooling Fan Features" on page 29.
NOTE: After installing a power supply, allow several seconds for the array to
recognize the power supply and to determine if it is working properly.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
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Troubleshooting: Your Array 251
Troubleshooting Array Cooling Problems
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
Ensure that none of the following conditions exist:
• array cover or drive blank is removed.
• Ambient temperature is too high. See “Technical Specifications” in the
Getting Started Guide
.
• External airflow is obstructed.
• The power supply/cooling fan module is removed or has failed. See
"Troubleshooting Power Supply/Cooling Fan Module" on page 250.
If the problem is not resolved, see
"Getting Help
" on page 259.
Troubleshooting Expansion Enclosure
Management Modules
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
CAUTION: It is recommended that you turn off the host server before turning off
the expansion enclosure to prevent loss of data.
• If the EMM status LED is solid or blinking amber (2 or 4 times per
sequence):
a
Turn off the server.
b
Remove the EMM and verify that the pins on backplane and EMM are
not bent. See Removing an EMM in the MD1200 and MD1220
Storage Enclosures Hardware Owner's Manual.
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252 Troubleshooting: Your Array
c
Reseat the EMM module and wait for 30 seconds. See Removing an
EMM in the MD1200 and MD1220 Storage Enclosures Hardware
Owner's Manual.
d
Turn on the server.
e
Check the EMM status LED.
f
If the LED does not turn Green, replace the EMM.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
• If EMM status LED is blinking amber (5 times per sequence), update the
firmware to the latest supported firmware on both the EMMs. For more
information about downloading the latest firmware, see "Management:
Firmware Downloads" on page 187.
• If the link status LEDs are not green:
a
Turn off the server.
b
Reseat the cables on the expansion enclosure and the server.
c
Turn on the expansion enclosures and then the storage array and wait
until the system is fully booted.
d
Turn on the server.
e
Check the link status LED. If the link status LED is not green, replace
the cables.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
book.book Page 252 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Troubleshooting: Your Array 253
Troubleshooting RAID Controller Modules
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
CAUTION: In the case of non-redundant configurations, it is recommended that
you turn off the host server before turning off the array to prevent loss of data.
• If the array status LED is solid or blinking amber:
a
In the AMW, select the
Summary
tab, and click on
Storage Array
needs attention
. Follow the listed procedures in the recovery guru(s)
and wait for up to 5 minutes to check if the LED has turned blue. See
"Recovery Guru" on page 232.
b
If following the recovery guru procedures does not solve the problem,
complete the following procedure to further troubleshoot the array.
c
Turn off the host server as appropriate.
d
Remove the RAID controller module and verify that the pins on
backplane and RAID controller module are not bent. See "Removing a
RAID Controller Module Blank" on page 205.
e
Reinstall the RAID controller module and wait for 30 seconds. See
"Installing a RAID Controller Module" on page 208.
f
Check the RAID controller module status LED.
g
Replace the RAID controller module.
h
Turn on the host server.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
• If the link status LEDs are not green, see "Troubleshooting Array and
Expansion Enclosure Connections" on page 255.
a
Turn off the server, storage array, and expansion enclosures.
b
Reseat the RAID controller module and reconnect cables on the
storage array and the server.
c
Restart the storage array and wait until array is fully booted.
d
Turn on the server.
book.book Page 253 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
254 Troubleshooting: Your Array
e
Check the link status LED. If the link status LED is not green, replace
the cables.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
Troubleshooting Hard Drives
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
1
Remove the hard drive from the system. See "Removing a Hard Drive" on
page 200.
NOTE: You must ensure that you check the hard drive indicators before
removing the faulty hard drive from the system.
2
Check the hard drives and the backplane to ensure that the connectors are
not damaged.
3
Reinstall the hard drive.
4
Reboot the host server.
If the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 5.
5
Verify that the RAID controller module port link status LED and the
RAID controller module status LED are solid green for each port that is
connected to a cable.
6
Replace the failed physical disk.
If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting Loss of Communication" on
page 249 or see "Getting Help" on page 259.
book.book Page 254 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Troubleshooting: Your Array 255
Troubleshooting Array and Expansion Enclosure
Connections
1
Verify that the RAID controller module port link status LED and the
RAID controller module status LED are solid green for each port that is
connected to a cable. If the LEDs are not solid green, see "Planning: RAID
Controller Modules" on page 31.
2
Ensure that all the cables are attached correctly according to expansion
enclosure mode you selected.
3
Turn off the server, storage array, and expansion enclosures.
4
Reseat the RAID controller module and reconnect cables on the storage
array and the server.
5
Turn on the expansion arrays and then the storage array and wait until the
system is fully booted.
6
Turn on the server.
7
Check the link status LED. If the link status LED is not green, replace the
cables.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
8
Reboot the host server.
NOTE: You must turn off the host server before resetting the cables on
the storage array or expansion enclosure.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
Troubleshooting a Wet Storage Array
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
1
Turn off the array and disconnect all the cables.
2
Remove the following components from the array. See "Management:
Installing Array Components" on page 197.
book.book Page 255 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
256 Troubleshooting: Your Array
•Hard drives
• RAID controller modules
• Power supply/cooling fan modules
• Control panel
•Backplane
3
Let the system dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.
4
Reinstall the components you removed in step 2.
5
Connect all the cables and turn on the array.
If the array does not start properly, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
Troubleshooting a Damaged Array
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician.
You should only perform troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in
your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service
and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not
covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came
with the product.
1
Ensure that the following components are properly installed:
•Hard drives
• RAID controller module s
• Power supply/cooling fan modules
• Control panel
•Backplane
2
Ensure that all the cables are properly connected and that there are no
damaged pins in the connectors.
3
Run diagnostics available in Dell™ PowerVault™ Modular Disk (MD)
Storage Manager software. In the AMW, select a component in the
Physical pane of the Physical tab. Select
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Run Diagnostics
.
If the test fails, see "Getting Help" on page 259.
book.book Page 256 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Troubleshooting: Your Array 257
Troubleshooting RAID Controller Modules
Conditions
Certain events can cause a RAID controller module to fail and/or shut down.
Unrecoverable ECC memory or PCI errors, or critical physical conditions can
cause lockdown. If your RAID storage array is configured for redundant access
and cache mirroring, the surviving controller can normally recover without
data loss or shutdown.
Typical hard controller failures are detailed in the following sections.
Invalid Storage Array
The RAID controller module is supported only in a Dell-supported storage
array. Upon installation in the storage array, the controller performs a set of
validation checks. The array status LED is lit with a steady amber color while
the RAID controller module completes these initial tests and the controllers
are booted successfully. If the RAID controller module detects a non-Dell
supported storage array, the controller aborts startup. The RAID controller
module does not generate any events to alert you in the event of an invalid
array, but the array status LED is lit with a flashing amber color to indicate a
fault state.
For full details on the LEDs and their interpretation, see "Back Panel Features
and Indicators" on page 27.
ECC Errors
RAID controller firmware can detect ECC errors and can recover from a
single-bit ECC error whether the RAID controller module is in a redundant
or nonredundant configuration. A storage array with redundant controllers
can recover from multi-bit ECC errors as well because the peer RAID
controller module can take over, if necessary.
The RAID controller module failsover if it experiences up to 10 single-bit
errors, or up to three multi-bit errors.
book.book Page 257 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
258 Troubleshooting: Your Array
PCI Errors
The storage array firmware can detect and only recover from PCI errors when
the RAID controller modules are configured for redundancy. If a virtual disk
uses cache mirroring, it fails over to its peer RAID controller module, which
initiates a flush of the dirty cache.
Critical Conditions
The storage array generates a critical event if the RAID controller module
detects a critical condition that could cause immediate failure of the array
and/or loss of data. The storage array is in a critical condition if one of the
following occurs:
• More than one fan has failed
• Any backplane temperature sensors in the critical range
• Backplane/power supply failure
• Two or more temperature sensors are unreadable
• Failure to detect or unable to communicate with peer port
NOTE: If both RAID controller modules fail simultaneously, the array cannot issue
critical or noncritical event alarms for any array component.
When the array is under critical condition, its array status LED blinks amber.
Noncritical Conditions
A noncritical condition is an event or status that does not cause immediate
failure, but must be corrected to ensure continued reliability of the storage
array. Examples of noncritical events include the following:
• One power supply has failed
• One cooling fan has failed
• One RAID controller module in a redundant configuration has failed
• A battery has failed or has been removed
• A physical disk in a redundant virtual disk has failed
When the array is under noncritical condition, its array status LED blinks
amber.
book.book Page 258 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Getting Help 259
21
Getting Help
Contacting Dell
For customers in the United States, call 800-WWW-DELL (800-999-3355).
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact
information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options.
Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be
available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or
customer service issues:
1
Visit
support.dell.com
.
2
Click your country/region at the bottom of the page. For a full listing of
country/region click
All
.
3
Click
All Support
from
Support
menu.
4
Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
5
Choose the method of contacting Dell that is convenient for you.
book.book Page 259 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
260 Getting Help
book.book Page 260 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 261
Index
A
Access Virtual Disk, 64
Advanced Feature
Using Snapshot and Disk Copy
Together, 5 3
Advanced Features, 50
Snapshot Repository Virtual
Disk, 52
Snapshot Virtual Disks, 51
Advanced iSCSI Host Ports
Settings, 87
Advanced Path, 149
Array Management Types
In-Band Management, 64
Out-of-Band Management, 63
B
backplane
installing, 220
removing, 217
Battery Settings, 78
C
Change
Controller Ownership of the
Virtual Disk, 129
I/O Type, 112
iSCSI Target Authentication, 81
iSCSI Target Identification, 84
RAID Controller Module
Ownership of a Disk
Group, 130
RAID Controller Module
Ownership of a Virtual Disk or
a Disk Group, 133
RAID Level of a Disk Group, 131,
135
Segment Size of a Virtual
Disk, 111
Virtual Disk Cache Settings, 109
Virtual Disk Modification
Priority, 108
CHAP Secrets
Creating, 82
Initiator CHAP Secret, 83
Target CH AP S ecre t , 8 3
Valid Characters, 83
Choosing an Appropriate
Physical Disk Type, 113
Configuring
Host Access, 93
Hot Spare Physical Disks, 121
the iSCSI Host Ports, 85
Configuring Alert Notifications
SNMP, 77
Contacting Dell, 259
book.book Page 261 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 262
contacting Dell, 259
control panel
installing, 216
removing, 215
Copy Manager, 169
D
Defining a Host, 94
Dell
contacting, 259
Disk Group
Creating, 104
Expansion, 137
Export, 139
Exporting, 140
Import, 140
Locating, 106
Migration, 139
Disk Group and Virtual Disk
Expansion, 137
Disk Group Operations, 45
Defragmentation, 46
Expansion, 46
Limit, 46
RAID Level Migration, 45
Segment Size Migration, 45
Virtual Disk Capacity
Expansion, 46
Disk Groups and Virtual Disks
Creating, 103
Download
NVSRAM Firmware, 190
Physical Disk Firmware, 192
RAID Controller and NVSRAM
Firmware, 188
RAID Controller and NVSRAM
Packages, 187
RAID controller module
Firmware, 194
drive carrier
hard drive, 202
E
Edit, Remove, or Rename Host
Topology, 90
Enclosure Loss Protection, 124
Entering Mutual Authentication
Permissions, 82
Enterprise Management
Window, 60
Event Monitor, 91
Enabling or Disabling, 91
Linux, 92
Windows, 92
F
Failed RAID Controller
Module, 168
Features and Indicators
Front Panel, 24
Firmware Downloads, 187
Firmware Inventory, 221
View, 221
book.book Page 262 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 263
Free Capacity, 138
front bezel
installing, 198
removing, 198
H
hard drive
drive carrier, 202
installing, 202
removing, 200
Hard-Drive Indicator
Patterns, 28
Hardware Features
Back panel features, 27
Front panel features, 24
Hard drive indicator patterns, 28
Power indicator codes, 30
Power supply and cooling fan
features, 29
Host Group
Adding, 97
Create, 96
Moving a Host, 97
Removing a host, 97
Removing a Host Group, 98
Host Topology, 98
Host-to-Virtual Disk
Mapping, 126
Host-to-Virtual Disk Mappings
Creating, 126
Modifying and Removing, 128
Removing, 129
Hot Spare
Drive Protection, 123
Global Hot Spares, 123
Operation, 123
Hot Spares and Rebuild, 123
I
I/O Data Path Protection, 100
Inside the box, 19
installing
backplane, 220
control panel MD1200, 216
drive blank, 200
EMM, 208
EMM blank, 206
front bezel, 198
hard drive, 202
hard drives, 202
power supply/cooling fan
module, 214
L
Load Balancing, 55
Locating a Physical Disk, 240
M
Managing Host Groups, 96
Managing Host Port
Identifiers, 101
book.book Page 263 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 264
MDSM, 20
Media Errors and Unreadable
Sectors, 196
Media Scan
Changing settings, 142
Suspending, 143
Microsoft
Virtual Disk Service, 223
Volume Shadow-Copy
Service, 223
Microsoft Services
Virtual Disk Copy, 52
Monitoring Performance, 56
Multi-Path
Preferred and Alternate
Controllers and Paths, 54
Multi-Path Software, 54
N
Non-Exportable
Components, 139
O
Other Information, 20
P
phone numbers, 259
Physical Disk Security with Self
Encrypting Disk, 113
Physical Disk States, 38
Physical Disks, 37
Erasing Secure, 120
Unlocking Secure, 120
Physical Disks, Virtual Disks,
and Disk Groups, 37
Power Indicator Codes, 30
Power Supply and Cooling Fan
Features, 29
Preferred RAID Controller
Module Ownership, 168
Preparing Host Servers
Simple path, 147
R
RAID, 40
Changing Level of disk
group, 135
RAID 0, 41
RAID 1, 41
RAID 10, 42
RAID 5, 42
RAID 6, 42
Usage, 41
RAID Background Operations
Priority, 47
recommended tools, 197
removing
backplane, 217
control panel MD1200, 215
drive blank, 199
EMM, 207
book.book Page 264 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 265
EMM blank, 205
front bezel, 198
hard drive, 200
hard drive from a drive carrier, 202
power supply/cooling fan
module, 211
Removing Copy Pairs, 174
Removing Host Access, 96
Restricted Mappings, 132
S
Safety, 19
safety, 249
Security Key
Changing, 117
Creating, 116
Saving, 119
Segment Size, 42
Setting a Password, 69
Setting Copy Priority, 170
Simple Path, 146
SMART, 39
SMrepassist Utility, 243
Snapshot Repository
Capacity, 156
Snapshot Virtual Disk
Creating using advanced
path, 147
Creating using simple path, 146
Snapshot Virtual Disks
Disabling, 159
Re-create, 161
Re-creating, 159
Starting or Stopping the Host
Context Agent, 99
Storage Array
RAID Controller Module
Clocks, 79
Storage Array Media Scan, 141
Storage Arrays, 64
Automatic Discovery, 65
Manual Addition, 65
Storage Partitioning, 136
support
contacting Dell, 259
T
telephone numbers, 259
Troubleshooting
Automatically Collect the Support
Bundle Data, 229
Capturing the State
Information, 242
Collecting the Physical Disk
Data, 230
Device Health Conditions, 225
Event Log, 231
Finding Nodes, 235
Locating an Expansion
Enclosure, 241
Recovering from an Unidentified
Storage Array, 244
book.book Page 265 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 266
Recovering from an Unresponsive
Storage Array Condition, 237
Recovery Guru, 232
Starting or Restarting the
Host-Agent Software, 246
Start-Up Routine, 225
Storage Array Profile, 232
Storage Array Support Data, 229
Unidentified Devices, 244
Viewing the Logical
Associations, 234
Viewing the Physical
Associations, 234
troubleshooting, 249
connections, 255
cooling problems, 251
damaged enclosure, 256
external connections, 249
hard drives, 254
loss of communication, 249
power supply/cooling fan
module, 250
startup failure, 249
wet enclosure, 255
U
Unconfigured Capacity, 138
User Interface
AMW, 61
EMW, 60
Overview, 59
Using Go To, 236
V
Viewing iSCSI Statistics and
Setting Baseline
Statistics, 89
Viewing or Ending an iSCSI
Session, 88
Virtual Disk
Background Initialization, 43
Consistency Check, 43
Copy and Modification
Operations, 167
Copy Restrictions, 165
Copying, 169
Creating, 166
Creating a Copy for an MSCS
Shared Disk, 164
Cycle Time, 44
Failed Copy, 168
Foreground Initialization, 43
Media Verification, 44
Read/Write Permissions, 165
Recopying, 172
Recovery, 53
Stopping copy, 171
Storage Array Performance, 170
Virtual Disk Copy
Source, 53
Virtual Disk Expansion, 138
Virtual Disk Initialization, 43
Virtual Disk Migration and Disk
Roaming
Disk Migration, 48
Disk Roaming, 50
Virtual Disk Operations, 43
book.book Page 266 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Index 267
Virtual Disk Operations
Limit, 44
Virtual Disk Ownership, 55
Virtual Disk States, 40
Virtual DiskCopy
Target , 5 3
Virtual Disks and Disk
Groups, 39
book.book Page 267 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
268 Index
book.book Page 268 Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM

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