Tag Archives: MSA

HPE MSA Cannot See LUN?

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 Cannot See LUN KB ID 0001862

Problem

I finally got round to replacing the SAN on my test network, I setup the new one via direct cable connection (10Gbps iSCSI DAC).  I created vDisks and volumes, presented those volumes. Setup iSCSI bindings in vSphere, all vanilla stuff.

ESX hosts could not see the storage LUNS, they could see the SAN, but ‘add datastore‘ showed me no available storage.

Solution: Cannot See LUN

Two days! That’s what this cost me, I’ve spent over 20 years deploying storage (mostly HPE) but an assortment of HPE, Dell, IBM, NetApp, and a score of cheap alternatives. I manually changed the iqn names in VMware, I proved connectivity from VMKernels to the storage array with vmping.  I updated the controller and card firmware – nothing.

I got a trusted colleague on the gear remotely to check I’d not done anyhting stupid, he made some suggestions, still no progress. I opened an quesiton on Experts Exchange – lot’s of good advice but nothing worked.

Then after trawling through old HPE  and VMware forum posts I found a link to a video, it was an Indian chap deploying some iSCSI volumes to a Windows server, even though I don’t speak Hindi, I thought “What the hell I’ll watch it, and make sure (once again) I had not done anything stupid.

Then while mapping the new volume, he did something so simple and so mind bogglingly easy to miss, everyone I’d spoken to had missed it also. When mapping a volume you create a LUN (in this example LUN 10) Set the rights to ‘read-write’ and apply.

See those green ticks over the iSCSI ports they DO NOT MEAN present the storage through those ports. They simply mean there’s a working cable in those ports.

You must manually go to each port, and make sure the PORT IS TICKED so it looks like this.

Whoever designed that GUI needs a massive punch in the face.

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HP StorageWorks P2000 – Connecting to and Configuring

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KB ID 0000569 

Problem

Normally I simply connect a new MSA to a clients network, and it gets it’s address from DHCP. Then I can get the address for the DHCP Scope, and point my web browser at it.

Yesterday I was starting with new virtual infrastructure and had no DHCP. With the G1 and G2 models, you got a console/serial cable and could just terminal in. With the G3 they have replaced the serial socket with a mini USB socket. Each time I put in a new P2000, I think “I wonder how that USB CLI socket works?” Yesterday I had to find out.

Solution

The Quickest Solution – is to connect the MSA to the network, and if it cannot get a DHCP address it automatically gives itself 10.0.0.2/24 on controller A and 10.0.0.3/24 on controller B.

MSA Default username = manage
MSA Default password = !manage

The Next Quickest Solution

1. If you do have DHCP running, connect your MSA and run the MSA Device Discovery Tool, (On the CD that came with the device).

2. Once you know the IP address, you can connect with your web browser.

Connect to and Manage your MSA via the USB/CLI Cable

1. For your machine to see the MSA as a device, you need to install a driver, there is a copy of the drivers on the CD that came with the device.

Note: Windows 7 users, use the Windows 2008 Drivers or use this one.

2. Install the driver.

3. Connect the USB lead from the MSA controller to your machine, TAKE NOTE of the COM port number it’s using.

4. Now you can use whatever terminal emulation program you prefer to connect to that COM port. (I prefer HyperTerminal, or you can use Putty if you want something a bit lighter).

5. Set the following, Bits per second = 115200, Data bits = 8, Parity = None, Stop bits = 1, and Flow control = None.

6. You will need to press {enter} to connect, then login.

MSA Default username = manage
MSA Default password = !manage

7. I only need to set the IP address of the controller(s) like so;

[box] set network-parameters ip {x.x.x.x} netmask {y.y.y.y} gateway {z.z.z.z} controller a [/box]

8. Then (If you have dual controllers) you can set the IP address of controller B.

[box] set network-parameters ip {a.a.a.a} netmask {b.b.b.b} gateway {c.c.c.c} controller b [/box]

9. Give the new IP addresses a quick test.

10. Note: You Cannot Manage an G3 P2000 with Internet Explorer 9, If you try it will simply say “Unable to Authenticate, Try again”

11. Normally I use Chrome, but that won’t work either 🙁 Firefox works fine though!

 

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HP MSA P2000 (G3) Error – ‘Unwritable write-back cache data exists for a volume’

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KB ID 0000817 

Problem

Seen on a G3 P2000 SAN, the client had also had an MSA70 shelf, which contained a failed array. I was removing the MSA and after the job, this error was getting logged.

Unwritable write-back cache data exists for a volume (vdisk: unknown name, volume: unknown name, SN {Serial Number} it comprises {number}% of cache.

Solution

Essentially, there was data in the cache that needed writing to the array/vdisk, when it failed. If the volume was going to get repaired and brought back online the data would have got written back. However this volume was never coming back.

1. Connect to a controller via Telnet.

2. Issue the following command;

[box] clear cache [/box]

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