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Installing an HA single-system RAID configuration

Use this procedure to help you to install an HA single-system RAID configuration.

To avoid problems during installation, follow the steps exactly as written.
Attention: Disk Arrays can be created either before or after the HA RAID configuration is set up. See Configuration and serviceability considerations for HA RAID configurations for important considerations.
  1. 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.
  2. Install the SAS controllers into the system or partition. Do not attach any cables to the SAS controllers at this time.
  3. Update each controller to the latest SAS controller microcode from the code download Web site. See Updating the SAS RAID controller microcode.
  4. To prevent errors while connecting the cables, unconfigure the SAS controller on each system or partition:
    1. Navigate to the IBM® SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
    2. Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
    3. 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.
  5. 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 the HA configurations, see Serial attached SCSI cable planning.
  6. Configure the SAS controllers (or power on system or partition if powered off earlier):
    1. Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
    2. Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
    3. Select Configure a Defined SAS RAID controller.
  7. 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:
    1. Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
    2. Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
    3. Select Change/Show SAS RAID controller.
    4. 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                                                                     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  8. 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.
    1. Navigate to the IBM SAS Disk Array Manager by using the steps found in Using the Disk Array Manager.
    2. Select Diagnostics and Recovery Options.
    3. Select Change/Show SAS RAID controller.
    4. Select the desired IBM SAS controller.
    5. Select Preferred Dual Initiator Operating mode and choose Primary Adapter.
Parent topic: Installing high availability

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Last updated: Thu, October 10, 2013