AIX Best Practices for SAN

Neil Youshak
FTSS – South Florida
(954) 346-8566
neil.youshak@us.ibm.com
Introduction

Intelligent discussion of Storage for AIX

No sales pitch
Not another one sided skew of a vendor selling storage
Not a marketing scheme

Neil Youshak
FTSS – South Florida
(954) 346-8566 neil.youshak@us.ibm.com
Topics

• Multipath Drivers
• Zoning
• Storage Options: Fiber Channel, iSCSI or NAS
• The Disk Array
• Tips
MultiPath Drivers
• Redundancy + High Availability
• IBM = RDAC + SDD p5

• HP = Secure Path
• EMC = PowerPath
• MPIO

SAN SAN
Switch 1 Switch 2
HBA High Level Installation Steps
• Install the HBA and correct drivers Firmware upgrade maybe needed
• Run cfgmgr to install the HBA
• Ensure the HBA is available by running 'lsdev -C | grep fcs‘
• # lscfg –vl fcs0 ROS  displays firmware level of HBA
• Find the WWN of the HBA with 'lscfg -vl fcs0'.
• # lscfg –vpl fsc0 |grep Net  display WWN
• Ensure the child fscsi devices have been created with 'lscfg | grep fscsi'
• #lsdev –C |grep fcs  list the adpaters in the host
• Install the FC SCSI array drivers:
• devices.fcp.disk.array.rte
• devices.fcp.disk.array.diag
• devices.fcp.disk.rte
• devices.scsi.scarray.rte
• Run cfgmgr -v to detect the disk arrays – FLOGI
• # lslpp –ah devices.fcp.disk.array.rte  verify your multipath driver
• Display your SAN disks lsdev –Ccdisk

• Possible Problems:
• If you see several other FC SCSI Disk Drive lines, then the array drivers are not installed
correctly
• Remove each FC SCSI device (with rmdev -d -l ) & check the driver installation.
• Your host switch connection shows NL or L
• # lsattr –El fscsi 0  this will show if the connection is Switch (sw) or Loop (al)
• Try running cfgmgr again
• Use SMITTY to change the connection type
MultiPath Best Practice
• Rule 1
• Always check the vendor site
• Rule 2
• Read & follow recommendations
• Critical setting for HBA adapters.….this is only if two or
more adapters are present. (Thanks Inshan)
• Use this to change default of HBA on VIO servers.
• padmin # chdev -dev fscsi0 -attr fc_err_recov=fast_fail dyntrk=yes -
perm
• For Dedicated or standalone servers
• root # chdev -l fscsi0 -a fc_err_recov=fast_fail -P
• # chdev -l -a dyntrk=yes -P
HBA Tools
• Use them
Zoning
• Zoning = partitioning the Fibre
Channel fabric into smaller pieces
to restrict OS interference,
add security, and simplify
management.

• There are 2 methods of zoning

• Soft zoning - Hard zoning

• Zoning is not the same as LUN

masking, but serves the same goal.
LUN masking is usually performed
on disk array controllers.

• VSANs  multiple logical SANs over a common physical infrastructure.

Each port can be a member of multiple zones, but only one VSAN.
Different than Zoning
How to Zone Correctly
• Soft Zoning
• Use Alias not WWN – choose Port WWN
• Have a naming convention
• hostname_fcs0
How to Zone Correctly
• Zone Set or Quick Loop
• Single Initiator zoning
• Zone Naming convention
• hostname_zone
How to Zone Correctly
• Create your Zone Set/Configuration
• Add Zones
• Zone Config Naming convention
• company_date
• One Active Zone Set
• Backup the switch configuration
• Backup the zone configuration
Zoning Best Practices
• Dual Fabric
• Soft Zoning
• Single Initiator zoning
• Naming Conventions
• Core Edge Fabric Design
• Configuration Backups
• Maintenance Window
• Firmware Upgrades
Fibre Channel – iSCSI – NAS
• Differences
– Fiber Channel
• Wide vendor acceptance & More expensive
– iSCSI
• Less expensive & Shorter learning curve/implementation cycle

• When to use each

ISCSI Reference Links

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/index.jsp?topic=/iphcd/fc5714ussmitc.htm
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.aix.baseadmn/doc/baseadmndita/config_iscsi_adapter_aix.htm
iSCSI or Fibre Channel
– Fiber Channel
• Wide vendor acceptance
• More expensive
• Complex installs and maintenance
– iSCSI
• Less expensive
• Shorter learning curve/implementation cycle
• New technology/lack of legacy vendor
support
Disk Array
• IBM – DS8000, DS6000, DS5000, DS4000,
DS3000, NSeries, SVC
• HP – XP, EVA, MSA
• EMC – Symmetrix, Clariion, Celerra
• HDS – USP, AMS, SMS, WMS, BlueArc
• XYZ – enterprise, SMB, NAS

• Disk is disk……. ??????

Are All Disk Arrays Created Equal?
• Disk
• FC – SATA – SAS
• Speed
• Spindle Count
• Segment Size - Stripe Size
• Read your vendor’s custom options
• RAID
• RAID5 or RAID10 …. RAID50, RAID1
Tips
• Always read the documentation
• Use vendor resources
• Disk Magic - Capacity Magic
• Network groups for support
• Try to have a lab/test system … or play time
• Continuing education

• Zoning is where most problems occur

• Always check interop matrix
• Keep firmware current
• Baseline your SAN performance