Installing an HA single-system RAID configuration
Use this procedure to help you to install an HA single-system RAID configuration.
Before you begin
Procedure
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Install and update the AIX® SAS controller package on each
system or partition.
See Controller software for more information.Attention: If you believe the controller might have been used in a JBOD HA Single Path Dual Initiator configuration, do not attach cables in any HA RAID configuration. Disconnect all cables and change the controller's Dual Initiator Configuration to Default before using the controller in an HA RAID configuration.
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Install the SAS controllers into the system or partition.
Do not attach any cables to the SAS controllers at this time.
- Update each controller to the latest SAS controller microcode from the code download Web site.
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To prevent errors while connecting the cables, unconfigure the SAS controller on each system or
partition:
- Navigate to the IBM® SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
- Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
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Select Unconfigure an Available SAS RAID controller.
Note: In some environments, it might not be possible to unconfigure the controllers. To perform an error-free installation in these environments, perform a normal shutdown of the system or partition before you attach the cables.
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Attach an appropriate cable from the shared disk expansion drawer to the same SAS connector on
each controller.
To see examples of how to cable HA configurations, see Planning for serial-attached SCSI cables.
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Configure the SAS controllers (or power on system or partition if powered off earlier):
- Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
- Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
- Select Configure a Defined SAS RAID controller.
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Verify that the cabling and functioning of the controllers are correct by using the Change/Show
SAS Controller screen.
Each controller should show an operational Remote HA Link to the other SAS controller. View the HA RAID link status by using the Change/Show SAS Controller screen:
- Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
- Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
- Select Change/Show SAS RAID controller.
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Select the desired IBM SAS controller.
The Change/Show SAS Controller information screen displays information similar to the following examples:
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Change/Show SAS Controller | |Type or select values in entry fields. | |Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes. | | | | [Entry Fields] | | SAS adapter sissas0 | | Description PCI-X266 Ext Dual-x4 3> | | Status Available | | Location 0E-08 | | Maximum Number of Attached Devices 512 | | Maximum number of COMMANDS to queue to the adapter 100,300,0 | | Maximum Data Transfer Window 0x1000000,0x5000000,0x> | | Operating mode Primary Adapter | | Adapter Cache Default + | | Preferred HA Dual Initiator Operating mode No Preference | | Preferred HA Access State Setting Preserve + | | Dual Initiator Configuration Default | | Serial Number YL3027093770 | | World Wide ID 5005076c07040200 | | Remote HA Link Operational Yes | | Remote HA Serial Number 07199172 | | Remote HA World Wide ID 5005076c07079300 | | Remote AWC Link Operational | | Remote AWC Serial Number | | Remote AWC World Wide ID | | | |F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel F4=List | |F5=Reset F6=Command F7=Edit F8=Image | |F9=Shell F10=Exit Enter=Do | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------++--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Change/Show SAS Controller | | | |Type or select values in entry fields. | |Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes. | | | | [Entry Fields] | | SAS adapter sissas0 | | Description PCI-X266 Ext Dual-x4 3> | | Status Available | | Location 03-08 | | Maximum Number of Attached Devices 512 | | Maximum number of COMMANDS to queue to the adapter 100,300,0 | | Maximum Data Transfer Window 0x1000000,0x5000000,0x> | | Operating mode Secondary Adapter | | Adapter Cache Default + | | Preferred Dual HA Initiator Operating mode No Preference | | Preferred HA Access State Setting Preserve + | | Dual Initiator Configuration Default | | Serial Number YL3027199172 | | World Wide ID 5005076c07079300 | | Remote HA Link Operational Yes | | Remote HA Serial Number 07093770 | | Remote HA World Wide ID 5005076c07040200 | | Remote AWC Link Operational | | Remote AWC Serial Number | | Remote AWC World Wide ID | | | |F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel F4=List | |F5=Reset F6=Command F7=Edit F8=Image | |F9=Shell F10=Exit Enter=Do | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+A summarized version of the link status information is available from the List SAS Disk Array Configuration output from the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager:+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | COMMAND STATUS | | | |Command: OK stdout: yes stderr: no | | | |Before command completion, additional instructions can appear below. | |[TOP] | |------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Name Resource State Description Size | |------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |sissas0 FFFFFFFF Primary PCI-X266 Ext Dual-x4 3 Gb SAS Adapter | | sissas1 FFFFFFFF HA Linked Remote adapter SN 07199172 | | | |hdisk2 00FF0000 Optimal RAID 0 Array 69.7GB | |pdisk4 00000400 Active Array Member 69.7GB | | | |hdisk3 00FF0100 Optimal RAID 10 Array 69.7GB | | pdisk1 00000100 Active Array Member 69.7GB | | pdisk5 00000800 Active Array Member 69.7GB | | | |[MORE...17] | | | |F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel F6=Command | |F8=Image F9=Shell F10=Exit /=Find | |n=Find Next | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------++--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | COMMAND STATUS | | | |Command: OK stdout: yes stderr: no | | | |Before command completion, additional instructions can appear below. | | | |[TOP] | |------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Name Resource State Description Size | |------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |sissas1 FFFFFFFF Secondary PCI-X266 Ext Dual-x4 3 Gb SAS Adapter | | sissas0 FFFFFFFF HA Linked Remote adapter SN 07093770 | | | |hdisk0 00FF0000 Optimal RAID 0 Array 69.7GB | | pdisk7 00000400 Unknown Array Member N/A | | | |hdisk1 00FF0100 Optimal RAID 10 Array 69.7GB | | pdisk4 00000100 Unknown Array Member N/A | | pdisk12 00000800 Unknown Array Member N/A | | | |[MORE...17] | | | |F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel F6=Command | |F8=Image F9=Shell F10=Exit /=Find | |n=Find Next | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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Optional: Set the Preferred Primary mode.
You might want to configure one of the controllers in the HA single-system RAID configuration to be the Preferred Primary controller. This can be done for performance and usability reasons such as disk configuration changes. If neither controller is configured as the Preferred Primary controller, the controllers will default to primary or secondary through a negotiation process during boot.Things to consider when determining the Preferred Primary controller:
- Because all disk array access must go through the primary controller, performance will be better for disk I/O operations from the system or partition containing the primary controller.
- All disk array configuration changes must be done on the system or partition containing the primary controller.
- Most disk service including error log analysis will be performed from the system or partition containing the primary controller. However, errors might also be presented by the secondary controller that might require actions on the system or partition containing the secondary controller.
- Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
- Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
- Select Change/Show SAS RAID controller.
- Select the desired IBM SAS controller.
- Select Preferred Dual Initiator Operating mode and choose Primary Adapter.