[ketse]

I am a newbie and I just recently found out that I need to install my second VIOS on a SAN storage because we only got 1 HD Controller. I assigned a FC adapter to the VIOS partition but I cannot find the WW Name so that I can assign the LUN to in on NetApp. Can anyone Please Helpme ???? Thanks.

[Administrator]

You are so far from implementing best practices that I can't, in good conscience, help you implement what you're asking to do.

Go back and tell the powers that be that this is a bad idea and that they should deploy the right hardware.

VIOS is nothing to try to slam in with whatever you have at hand.

[ross.mather]

Agreed, if you cannot meet your service levels with a single VIO then you need different hardware. It IS possible to run a VIO from a SAN disk as I've done it, but in this case you want to steer clear.

A p505 does not have the ability to hold a second VIO Server on local SCSI as it only has one SCSI adapter. You'll need an extra SCSI adapter and then two external 7024-573s to mirror your VIO rootvg.

If you want inbuilt Dual SCSI then you need to look at the p560Q.

[ketse]

I have a P5 520Q. It has 4 - Dual Port 4 gig fibre cards, 1 2-port Gig network card, 1 Graphics Card and 1 HD controller. The first VIO server is using the HD Controller and Second VIO server, which will only be use incase the HD dies, has a Fibre card and the onboard Gig network ports. The LPAR will be installed on the HD and mirrored using the AIX Client to the SAN storage.

In my situation can you please tell me what you think I should do? Or if this setup is ok can you help me out on it?

Thanks.

[ross.mather]

I wouldn't touch that setup with a barge pole - sorry. Dual VIO Servers are only useful if they both run all the time, not "when the HD dies" They both need to be kept upto date with the disk mappings.

Assuming you have mirrored disks available for the VIO - I'd recmmend using only one VIO and ensureing that you have downtime arranged for upgrades every six months.

If not you really need that second SCSI Adapter. You can add one via a D20 expansion drawer - or the method I suggested earlier. Hosting the rootvg of a VIO on the SAN is not recommended in my view.

[ketse]

But if the controller fails what happens then? This is why we would like a second VIO Server. Unfortunatly it does have to be installed on SAN. because all we have is a P5 520 with 4 dual port fibre cards, 1 gig network card and 1 graphics card. Right now the problem that I have is getting the VIOS installation to see the NetApp storage through the FC adapter.

Can you please help me on this part?

On out next budget we will buy a new SCSI 320 adapter but for now we do need the redundency.


Thanks

[ross.mather]

As I mentioned on another thread you'll need to add the FC to another LPAR to see the WWN. Onlt devices that support MPIO can be used for booting the VIO so the NetApp may leave you stuck there as well.

[ketse]

I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I did get the WWN and I was able to get it talking to the EMC McData Fibre switch. I also have the LUN mapped on the NetApp side os the House everything is working fine because when I moved the card to our AIX LPAR I could see hdisk1 which belongs to the Fibre card. So I turned that LPAR off and moved it back to the VIO Partition that I want to do the install but I can't get it to connect to the NetApp.

Do you have any experience on this?

Thanks =)

[ross.mather]

I think you've hit the classic chicken and egg problem I think.

You need to boot the VIO Server to see the disk, but to to see the disk you need to install an additional device driver (I think) which you can only do when the VIO is installed!

I have no experience on this - I insist that all VIOS are on local disks (sorry to keep harping on about it - but its the way to work).

[ketse]

No I know your not harping. I do understand that that is the best way. I just would like to at least get something to back us up. Thanks for the help.