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New Configuration

The New Configuration option enables you to customize the logical drive configuration to meet the specific needs of your environment. You can configure one or more logical drives with varying RAID levels. You can then add two or more logical drives (unpartitioned) to a logical volume and divide the logical volume into a maximum of 32 partitions.

Procedures in this topic include:

The New Configuration option enables you to customize the logical drive configuration to meet the specific needs of your environment. You can configure one or more logical drives with varying RAID levels. You can then add two or more logical drives (unpartitioned) to a logical volume and divide the logical volume into a maximum of 32 partitions.

NOTE: On UNIX systems, if the console locks up during use, you can stop SANscape by typing ssconsole stop. Then close and reopen the window. The window is displayed again without affecting the agent.

Before You Use New Configuration

Before you use New Configuration to create a logical drive or a logical volume for the first time, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the information contained in the following steps. Knowing this information ahead of time will ease the process of creating a logical drive or volume.

NOTE: Logical volumes are unsuited to some modern configurations such as Sun Cluster environments, and do not work in those configurations. Use logical drives instead.

  1. If you have preconfigured logical drives that you want to delete, see Deleting a Logical Drive or Logical Volume.

    NOTE: On preconfigured SANnet II SATA arrays, you must first unmap and delete logical drives so you can create new logical drives that support redundancy.

  2. Determine whether the optimization mode of the logical drive is to be Sequential I/O (default) or Random I/O.

    The optimization mode you select determines the maximum number of disks you can include in an array and the maximum usable capacity of a logical drive, total array capacity, and cache block size.

    Optimization is set in the Cache tab of the Change Controller Parameters window and is set to Sequential by default. For more information on Sequential I/O and Random I/O, and for steps on how to change the optimization mode, see Changing Controller Parameters - Cache tab.

  3. Determine the total number of physical disks to be included in the logical drive, which is dependent on the optimization mode selected.
  4. If the security of your data is important, leave remaining disks for standby drives. For information about maximum number of disks and maximum usable capacity per logical drive for random and sequential optimization, refer to the SANnet II Family RAID Firmware User’s Guide.

    NOTE: If the logical drive is going to be larger than 253 Gbyte, see Preparing for Logical Drives Larger Than 253 Gbyte.

  5. Determine whether any standby (spare) drives will be local or global.
  6. A standby drive is a drive that is marked as a spare to support automatic data rebuilding after a physical drive associated with a logical drive fails. For a standby drive to take the place of another drive, it must be at least equal in size to the failed drive. Also, the failed drive itself must be from a RAID 1, 3, or 5.

    A local spare drive is a standby drive assigned to serve one specified logical drive. When a member drive of this specified logical drive fails, the local spare drive becomes a member drive and automatically starts to rebuild.

    A global spare drive does not only serve one specified logical drive. When a member drive from any of the logical drives fail, the global spare drive joins that logical drive and automatically starts to rebuild. Global spares are used in the order in which they are created.

  7. Determine the RAID level; SANscape automatically computes the maximum size logical drive that can be created at that RAID level.
  8. Determine whether you want to partition the logical drive.
  9. A partition is a division of the logical drive (or logical volume). Partitions enable you to create the appearance of having separate logical drives (or logical volumes) for file management, multiple users, or other purposes.

    NOTE: Partitioning can be done during the initial configuration or after the logical drive has been created.

    NOTE: Logical drives that have been partitioned cannot be added to a logical volume.

  10. Understand the disk capacities displayed in the New Configuration window.

    • Max Drive Size (MB) - displays the maximum drive size per selected physical disk (total capacity of each disk).
    • A smaller logical drive can be created by decreasing this value. The remainder can be used later by expanding the drive (as explained in Expanding the Capacity of a Logical Drive or Logical Volume).

    • Available Size (MB) - displays the total capacity of all disks, which is the total logical drive or logical volume size.
    • NOTE: The maximum usable capacity for a logical drive is equal to the smallest physical size disk. For example, if you add an 18-Gbyte disk and then add a 70-Gbyte disk to be part of the logical drive, the maximum usable capacity is 18 Gbyte per drive.

      NOTE: Disk capacity is displayed in powers of 1024. See Device Capacities for specific device capacities.

  11. Determine whether the logical drive is to be part of a logical volume.
  12. NOTE: Logical volumes are unsuited to some modern configurations such as Sun Cluster environments, and do not work in those configurations. Use logical drives instead.

    NOTE: Logical drives that have been partitioned cannot be added to a logical volume.

  13. Determine whether you want to partition the logical volume.
  14. NOTE: Partitioning can be done during the initial configuration or after the logical volume has been created.

To Create and Partition a Logical Drive Using New Configuration

The following steps provide a working example of creating a new configuration for a new logical drive. Three drives are selected and configured into a RAID 5 logical drive. A small logical drive is then created and partitioned.

CAUTION: Back up any existing data to an external device before using the New Configuration command. SANscape automatically initializes new logical drives defined on the array controller.

  1. Log in as an ssconfig user.
  2. Select the controller that you want to configure.
  3. Choose Configuration > Custom Configure.
  4. Make sure that you have selected the appropriate Optimization mode for your application.

    Optimization is set in the Cache tab of the Change Controller Parameters window. For steps on how to set the Optimization mode, see Changing Controller Parameters - Cache tab.

  5. Click New Configuration.
  6. The New Configuration Warning message box is displayed.

  7. Click OK.
  8. Verify the Server and Controller displayed at the top of the window are correct.
  9. If the server and the controller displayed are not correct, click Cancel to exit the New Configuration window and return to the main window. Select the appropriate disk controller and reselect New Configuration.

  10. In the Select disks for Logical Drive list, select the first disk and click Add Disk.
  11. Proceed to add the next two disks so that three disks are displayed in the lower list box.

    If you make a mistake or change your mind, select the drive from the drives list and click Remove Disk.

    NOTE: Because the logical drive has not been partitioned yet, the Part Size (MB) and the Available Size (MB) are equal. A single logical drive is considered to be a single partition.

    NOTE: Mixing SATA and FC disks to create a logical drive is not supported.

  12. Select the RAID Level. For this example, select RAID Level 5.
  13. This RAID level applies to all disks in this logical drive.

    In this example, the new logical drive is composed of three physical disks, totaling 103428 Mbyte, as indicated in the Available Size (MB) field.

    The maximum number of drives per logical drive for each RAID level is:

    1. RAID 0 - 36
    2. RAID 1 - 2
    3. RAID 1+0 - 36
    4. RAID 3 or 5 31

    For RAID 1, note that if you select four or more drives, a logical drive with a RAID 1+0 is created.

  14. Set the Max Drive Size.
  15. The Max Drive Size displays the total capacity of each disk. A smaller logical drive can be created by decreasing this value.

    NOTE: If you do not change the Max Drive Size but you do change the Partition Size, SANscape creates a new partition at the specified partition size. The remaining logical drive size capacity moves to the last partition. Remaining capacity can be used later by expanding the drive (as explained in Expanding a Logical Drive or Logical Volume). The drive capacity is no longer editable after a partition is created.

  16. From the Channel and ID list boxes, select the host channel and ID to which you want the new logical drive mapped.

    Host channel connect to host computers either directly or indirectly through switches or other devices. Select the appropriate host channel based on the physical connection from the server to the array.

    The ID is a unique address that identifies the logical drive to the host.

  17. NOTE: If you do not want to map the logical drive at this time, select Do Not Map from the Channel list box.

  18. To use the logical drive immediately, select On-line Initialization.

    Because logical drive initialization can take up to several hours, you can choose to initialize a logical drive on-line. On-line initialization enables you to begin configuring and using the logical drive before initialization is complete. However, because the controller is building the logical drive while performing I/O operations, initializing a logical drive on-line requires more time than off-line initialization.

    If you do not select On-line initialization, you can configure and use the drive only after initialization is complete. Because the controller is building the logical drive without having to also perform I/O operations, off-line initialization requires less time than on-line initialization.

    NOTE:On-line Initialization does not apply to logical volumes.

  19. Select the Stripe Size.

    Select Default to assign the stripe size per Optimization mode as specified in the default stripe size table shown in Changing Controller Parameters - Cache tab, or select a different stripe size.

    Once the stripe size is selected and data written to logical drives, the only way to change it is to back up all data to another location, delete all logical configurations of drives, reconfigure the logical drive with the stripe size, and reboot the array.

    CAUTION: Only change the stripe size after you have tested the effects on your application.

  20. Specify Default, Write-through, or Write-back as the Write Policy for the logical drive.

    The write policy determines when cached data is written to the disk drives. The ability to hold data in cache while it is being written to disk can increase storage device speed during sequential reads. Write policy options include write-through and write-back.

    Using write-through cache, the controller writes the data to the disk drive before signaling the host OS that the process is complete. Write-through cache has lower write operation and throughput performance than write-back cache, but it is the safer strategy, with minimum risk of data loss on power failure. Because a battery module is installed, power is supplied to the data cached in memory and the data can be written to disk when power is restored.

    Using write-back cache, the controller receives the data to write to disk, stores it in the memory buffer, and immediately sends the host OS a signal that the write operation is complete, before the data is actually written to the disk drive. Write-back caching improves the performance of write operations and the throughput of the controller card. Write-back cache is enabled by default.

    NOTE: The setting you specify you specify in the Write Back field on the Cache tab of the Change Controller Parameters window is the default global cache setting for all logical drives. (See Changing Controller Parameters - Cache tab).

    • Default (Write through or Write-back) – Assigns the global write policy that is specified in the Write Back field of the Cache Tab on the Change Controller Parameters window. If the global setting for write policy is changed, automatically changes the write policy for this logical drive.

      The array can be configured to dynamically switch write policy from write-back cache to write-through cache if specified events occur. Write policy is only automatically switched for logical drives with write policy configured to “Default.” See Peripheral Tab for more information about event trigger operations.

    • Write-back – Assigns write-back cache regardless of any changes to the global write policy.

    • Write-through – Assigns write-through cache regardless of any changes to the global write policy.

  21. This steps depends on what you want to do next:

    • To create another logical drive, click New LD and repeat Steps 1-11.
    • To add this logical to a logical volume click Add to LV and see To Create Create and Partition Logical Volumes.

    • To partition this logical drive, continue with the following steps. In this example, a small logical drive is created and partitioned.

    • If you are finished creating logical drives and do not want to add this logical drive to a logical volume or partition it, click Commit.

  22. To create a small logical drive, type 2000 in the Max Drive Size field.
  23. NOTE: In this example, a total of 4000 Mbyte is shown for the logical drive size as opposed to 6000 Mbyte; because this is a RAID 5 level, you lose the capacity equal to 1 drive (2000 Mbyte) for parity.

  24. To create a partition, type 1000 in the Part Size field and click Add Partition.

    NOTE: Do not partition a logical drive if you plan on adding it to a logical volume. Once a logical drive is partitioned, it cannot be added to a logical volume.

    To create multiple partitions of the same size, click Add Partition as many times as partitions you want to create. You can also type the partition size in the Part Size field and multiple (*) it by the number of partitions you want to create, for example 100*128. Any remaining Mbyte is added to the last partition.

    As you add partitions, the remaining capacity displayed in Available Size (MB) decreases by the amount of the partition size.

  25. (Solaris OS only) If you want the new logical drive to be automatically labeled, which enables the operating system to use the drive, click Write a new label to the new LD.
  26. Click Commit to end the configuration of the logical drive or New LD to configure another logical drive.
  27. When you click New LD, any available disks that haven't been used are displayed.

    When the logical drive configuration for this array is complete, click Commit, and then click OK. The completed configuration is displayed.

    NOTE: You cannot change a logical drive configuration after you click OK.

    NOTE: During initialization LD/LV size is displayed as 0 Mbyte.

  28. (HP-UX OS only) To ensure the environment is stable and accurate after making configuration changes, you need to run the ioscan -fnC disk command.

    NOTE: If you used System Administrator Manager (SAM) to unmount the file system, make sure it is closed before running the ioscan command.

  29. (IBM AIX OS only) To ensure the environment is stable and accurate after making configuration changes, you need to update the Object Data Manager (ODM) as explained in Updating the Object Data Manager on Systems Running IBM AIX Environment.

To Create and Partition a Logical Volume

A logical volume is composed of two or more logical drives. The logical volume can be divided into a maximum of 32 partitions. During operation, the host sees a nonpartitioned logical volume or a partition of a logical volume as one single physical drive.

NOTE: Logical volumes are unsuited to some modern configurations such as Sun Cluster environments, and do not work in those configurations. Use logical drives instead.

  1. Create a logical drive as described above.
  2. NOTE: Do not partition the logical drive that you are adding to the logical volume. A logical drive that has been partitioned cannot be added to a logical volume.

  3. Before you click Commit, to add the logical drive to a logical volume, click Add to LV.
  4. The logical drive is added to the LV Definition box. The total size of the logical volume is displayed in the Available Size (MB) field.

    NOTE: Because the logical volume has not been partitioned yet, the Part Size (MB) and the Available Size (MB) are equal. A single logical volume is considered to be a single partition.

    NOTE: Mixing SATA and FC logical drives to create a logical volume is not supported.

  5. To create another logical drive to add to the logical volume, click New LD.
  6. Create the logical drive and add it to the logical volume by clicking Add to LV.
  7. Repeat this step for every logical drive you want to ad to the logical volume.

  8. To create a partition, type the partition size in the Part Size field and click Add Partition.

    To create multiple partitions of the same size, click Add Partition as many times as partitions you want to create. You can also type he partition size in the Part Size field and multiply (*) it by the number of partitions you want to create, for example 100* 128.

  9. As you add partitions, the remaining capacity displayed in Available Size (MB) decreases by the amount of the partition size.

  10. When you have finished adding logical drives to the logical volume, to create another logical volume or an individual logical drive, click Commit LV.
  11. When you have finished creating logical volumes and do not want to create an individual logical drive, click Commit.

    NOTE: When you have finished creating logical volumes and want to exit the New Configuration window, if you accidentally click Commit LV instead of Commit, you still have to create another logical drive; otherwise, you have to click Cancel and configure the logical volume again.

  12. (HP-UX OS only) To ensure the environment is stable and accurate after making configuration changes, you need to run the ioscan -fnC disk command.

    NOTE: If you used System Administrator Manager (SAM) to unmount the file system, make sure it is closed before running the ioscan command.

  13. (IBM AIX OS only) To ensure the environment is stable and accurate after making configuration changes, you need to update the Object Data Manager (ODM) as explained in Updating the Object Data Manager on Systems Running IBM AIX Environment.

To Clear a Configuration

If at any time during the configuration process in the New Configuration window you are dissatisfied with the configuration, you can clear it.

  1. Click Clear to remove all physical and logical drives from the display.
  2. Either click New LD to define a new logical drive, or click Commit.
  3. When you click Commit, a warning prompt is displayed; click OK.
  4. SANscape initializes the entire configuration on the selected array controller.

NOTE: Host LUNs are automatically mapped after logical drives have completed the initialization process.

To Log Out of the Configuration Level

  1. Choose File >Logout.

  2. Select Logout to monitoring mode and click OK.

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