Using SMIT to replace a cluster disk

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The SMIT interface simplifies the process of replacing a failed disk by using C-SPOC commands.

About this task

Note: If you have VPATH devices configured, the procedure for replacing a cluster disk using C-SPOC requires additional steps.

Before you replace a disk, ensure that:

  • You have root user privilege to perform the disk replacement.
  • You have a replacement disk with an assigned PVID configured on all nodes in the resource group to which the volume group belongs. If you do not have the PVID assigned, run chdev on all nodes in the resource group.
  • To add a new disk, remove the old disk and put the new one in its place.

To replace a disk in the cluster:

Procedure

  1. Locate the failed disk. Make note of the PVID volume group.
  2. Enter smitty cspoc.
  3. In SMIT, select Storage > Physical Volumes > Cluster Disk Replacement and press Enter.

    SMIT displays a list of disks that are members of volume groups contained in cluster resource groups. There must be two or more disks in the volume group where the failed disk is located. The list includes the volume group, the hdisk, the disk PVID, and the reference cluster node. (This node is usually the cluster node that has the volume group varied on.)

    Note: The new disk that is available for replacement must have a PVID assigned to in on all nodes in the cluster. Use the chdev command to assign a PVID to the disk.
  4. Select the disk for disk replacement (source disk) and press Enter.

    SMIT displays a list of those available shared disk candidates that have a PVID assigned to them, to use for replacement. (Only a disk that is of the same capacity or larger than the failed disk is suitable to replace the failed disk.)

  5. Select the replacement disk (destination disk) and press Enter.

    SMIT displays your selections from the two previous panels.

  6. Press Enter to continue or Cancel to terminate the disk replacement process.

    SMIT warns you that continuing will delete any information you may have stored on the destination disk.

  7. Press Enter to continue or Cancel to terminate.

    SMIT displays a command status panel, and informs you of the replacepv recovery directory.

    If disk configuration fails and you want to proceed with disk replacement, you must manually configure the destination disk. If you terminate the procedure at this point, be aware that the destination disk may be configured on more than one node in the cluster.

    The replacepv utility updates the volume group in use in the disk replacement process (on the reference node only).

    Note: SMIT displays the name of the recovery directory to use should replacepv fail. Make note of this information, as it is required in the recovery process.

    Configuration of the destination disk on all nodes in the resource group takes place.

  8. If a node in the resource group fails to import the updated volume group, you must do this manually.

Results

C-SPOC will not remove the failed disk information from the cluster nodes, hdisk, and pdisk. You must do this manually.