How to Virtualize EMC DMX-4 Storage Array with HP P9500 or HDS VSP

How to Virtualise EMC DMX-4 Storage Array behind HP P9500 or HDS VSP storage arrays.

This article explains the configuration requirements and steps involved in virtualising a DMX storage array behind HP P9500. As you may be aware the HP P9500 is a rebadged HDS VSP storage array. Therefore the steps are identical whether you are using HDS VSP or HP P9500. This article assumes that you are a storage administrator/designer who has worked with both EMC and HP/HDS storage arrays and are familiar with the terminology.

1.      Create a Cache Logical Partition (CLPR) of 4GB within the HP P9500/VSP.

The CLPR license is bundled with the base license. You can create up to 32 CLPRs without purchasing any additional license

It is recommended to use a dedicated CLPR for every external array that will be virtualized with P9500/VSP

2.      Identify the CHA ports on the P9500 that will be used as “external” ports. You will need a minimum of two front end ports, one from each cluster. In this example, I use 5E (fabric A) and 6E (fabric B)

3.      You may connect the P9500 ports directly to the DMX FA ports or using fabric switches. This example assumes that a fabric switch is being used. Set the external port properties as below.

Port Mode : External

Speed : 8Gbps (assuming your fabric switch supports this, if not set to match the switch port speed)

4.      Ensure that the P9500/VSP external ports are connected to the same fabric where the EMC FAs are connected. In this example I am using FA ports 7A0, 7A1 connected fabric A and 10A0, 10A1 connected fabric B

5.      Zone in P9500/VSP external ports to the EMC  FA ports identified

The zones will look like this

Fabric A

P9500_5E to DMX_7A0

P9500_5E to DMX_7A1

Fabric B

P9500_6E to DMX_10A0

P9500_6E to DMX_10A1

6.      Register the WWPNS of the P9500/VSP ports 5E and 6E on the corresponding DMX FA ports. Set the below port attributes for P9500 WWPNs on the DMX

Parameter                          Parameter setting

SC3 flag                              Enable

SPC2 flag                            Disable

7.      Create a 10GB (or any size) test LUN on the DMX-4

8.      Assign the test LUNs to P9500 WWPNs on FA ports 7A0,7A1 and 10A1 and 10B1

9.      On the P9500, In Remote Web Console, select Add External Volumes from the General Tasks menu and

display the Add External Volumes window.

10.    To create a new path group and add external volumes, select By “New External Path Group”

and click “Create External Path Group”, and then create a path group.

11.    To add external volumes to the existing external path group, select By Existing External Path

Group, and select the desired path group from the Available External Path Groups list. Click Next.

12.    Select external volumes from the Discovered External Volumes list and enter the external volume

group number and their sequential number in the Initial Parity Group ID box, and then click

Add. Select whether to create LDEVs in the external volume in Allow Simultaneous Creation of LDEVs.

If you want to take over the data of the external volume when you create LDEVs, select Yes in

Use External Storage System Configuration, and then enter an LDEV name in the LDEV Name

box. If you do not want to take over the data, select No in Use External Storage System

Configuration, and then enter an LDEV name in the LDEV Name box.You can

also set the attribute of the external volume by clicking Options.

Select the following options

CLPR : 1

Path mode : multi (This the multipathing policy for DMX arrays. IOS to the backend will be round robined)

Emulation :Open V

Cache mode : disable (IOs will be synchronously written to the DMX. In other words, the server will not be acknowledged until the IO hits the DMX cache and DMX acknowledges that data is safe)

Inflow control : disable (This setting controls the IO on the front end CHA port when there is an issue with the external storage system)

External Group Name: Exxxx (Select an External group name. This is similar to the Parity Group number in internal LUNs. If you have multiple external arrays, keep all the LUNs from one array under the same Ex group number or develop a standard suitable for your environment that will help you identify the LUNs in the future.)

Select the CU where the external LUN will be place and the LDEV number.

Click Finish to display the Confirm window.

13.   Procees with LUN mapping to the front end CHA port as required.

Any issues/questions/concerns please post here or email me. I may be able to help.

Have fun virtualizing EMC DMX-4 Storage Array behind HP P9500 or HDS VSP storage arrays!

How to create SRDF pairs between two EMC symmetrix VMAX storage arrays

How to create SRDF pairs between two EMC symmetrix VMAX storage arrays


This article provides step by step configuration procedure to create SRDF pairs between two EMC symmetrix storage arrays. 


1. Establish the replication link between the production site (source) and dr site (destination). The EMC symmetrix VMAX supports GigE RAs that can be used to configure FCIP between two sites. The other alterbatives are DWDM (FC) or use third party solutions such as Brocade 7800s to establish the connectivity between the sites. Click here to find the procedure for configuring FCIP using Brocade san switches.


2. Create an RDF group between two sites. To create RDF group 'testrdfg' with group id 3 and RDF directors 7G between symmetrix id 089 (prod site) and 099 (dr site), execute the command below


symrdf addgrp -label testrg -rdfg 03 -sid 089 -dir 7g -remote_rdfg 03 -remote_sid 099 -remote_dir 7g -gige 


3. Create a text file on the management server as below with a list of source devices against the destination devices. 


In the example, we will be creating an RDF pair from source device 045C on symmetrix id 089 to destination device 0285 on symmetrix id 099. So the text file will look like this


# cat pair.txt
045C         0285


045C and 0285 should have identical device characteristics. For example, if 045C is a striped meta device with 4 hypers of 60GB, then 0285 must be a striped meta of the same size. Click here for the procedure to create and expand striped meta devices. 


4. Create the pair between the source and target devices using the above text file. The command below will create pair between the devices mentioned in the text file from source array 089 using rdf group 3. rdf group 3 is already configured between Sym ID 089 and 099. So the command will pick the destination device 0285 from Sym ID 099 based on the relationship defined in rdfg 3. The commad will create the pairs in Adaptive copy mode. 



symrdf -file pair.txt -sid 089 -rdfg 3 createpair -type RDF1 -invalidate r2 -rdf_mode acp
_disk 


5. Check the status of the pair. You will see suspended status.


symrdf -file pair.txt  -rdfg 3 query -sid 089


6. Start the synchronization of the pairs. Once the below command is completed, execute command in step 5 to verify the status.


symrdf -file pair.txt  -rdfg 2 esta -sid 089


7. Switch the SRDF mode of operation from adaptive copy to Aysnc or sync, depending on the requirements. It is recommended to wait until the pairs are in sync in adaptive copy mode before switching the mode. There are also other caveats in configuring SRDF/A or SRDF/S which I will explain in another post.


symrdf -file pair.txt -rdfg 2 set mode async (or sync)


8. You could also create a disk group and add all source devices into it and then manage the pairs using the dg name. For example, the below commands create 'pair_dg' and add device 045C into it.


symdg create pair_dg -sid 089 -type RDF1
symld -g pair_dg add dev 045C -sid 089


9. Once the dg is created, use the dg name instead of the file name to query the pair status


symrdf -g pair_dg query -sid 089


Please note that you could have as many devices as you wish in the pair.txt file before issuing create device. You should also take precaution and necessary checks to make sure that the R2 devices on the destination array is not in use.


Enjoy!