Page 1: Reference Guide
HP AA NetServer 4000 Reference Guide Printed in March 2000...
Page 2 Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
AA 4000 Reference Guide Contents CHAPTER ONE ~ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW AND TERMINOLOGY..........1-1 What is HP AA?..........................1-2 HPAA Components...........................1-3 Software Components ........................1-4 The Logical Server ...........................1-5 Windows NT and Application Licensing...................1-8 Division of Labor..........................1-9 The Compute Elements ........................1-9 The SSDLs ............................1-9 The I/O Processors ...........................1-9 Client Network Access ........................1-10 SCSI Identifiers..........................1-11 SCSI Port Number Changes......................1-12...
Page 4 For the CE Operating System ......................5-16 For the IOP Operating System....................... 5-16 Updating NT Applications......................5-17 CHAPTER SIX ~BACKUP AND RESTORE ................... 6-1 Backup topologies and tradeoffs ...................... 6-2 Pure Local Backups ......................... 6-2 Semi-Local Backups ........................6-3 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 5 AA 4000 Reference Guide Network Backups ..........................6-4 Configuration Comparisons ......................6-5 Backup Confiurguration Setup Notes ....................6-6 Pure-local backup configuration ......................6-6 Semi-local backup configuration .....................6-6 Network backup configuration......................6-8 Disaster recovery procedures......................6-11 Part Numbers for Backup Configurations ..................6-15 CHAPTER SEVEN ~BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING ................7-1 Overview of Troubleshooting in a HP AA Environment..............7-2 Diagnosing Faults ..........................7-2 Other MTC Tools..........................7-3...
Page 7: Chapter One ~Architecture Overview And Terminology
Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology Chapter One ~ Architecture Overview and Terminology This chapter contains a brief overview of the HP AA system based on the Endrance 4000 software from Marathon Technologies. Topics to be covered include: • HP AA Components •...
Page 8: What Is Hp Aa
HPAA. When referring to the specifics of the components, ‘AA 4000’ may be used to distinguish the generation of the product (as opposed to future products that may be referred to as ‘E6XX’). Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 9: Hpaa Components
Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology HPAA Components There are four major hardware componenets of the HPAA system: • The NetServers – Four NetServers are needed, two perform a synchronous operation of the NT operating system and the other two perform asynchronous I/O operations. •...
Page 10: Software Components
The specific locations of the AA 4000 software are not as important as the presence of the software itself. CAUTION The specific files of the AA 4000 software do not need to be modified or accessed by the administrator through Windows Explorer. Maintenance of these files must take Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 11: The Logical Server
Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology place only through AA 4000 Management Tools or Utilities. The Logical Server Logical servers are created from an array of four separate servers. Computing is distinctly separate from the input/output (I/O) processing, and the array runs simultaneously on two symmetrical halves (or tuples), which, combined together, do not have a single point of failure.
Page 12 “inserted” by the AA 4000 software and MICs. When the I/O operation is complete, the “results” are sent back through the MICs to the processor and cache of the CEs. Tuple Tuple 1 Tuple 2 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 13 Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology The term tuple simply refers to the pair of one CE and one IOP connected through one SSDL. Tuples are important during installation and when trying to determine the status of the array. By default, CE1 attempts comminucation with IOP1 first, and then IOP2 in the event of IOP1 being unavailable.
Page 14: Windows Nt And Application Licensing
HPAA is going to be an MS Exchange Server for the network, there is only one Exchange Application server license needed. Client licenses are unaffected. The client license requirements would be the same as if there was only one physical server running an application. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 15: Division Of Labor
Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology Division of Labor The compute elements and the I/O processors have very distinct roles and therefore have different performance characteristics. If the array was going to do nothing more than run Windows NT without any applications, then the memory requirements are minimal.
Page 16: Client Network Access
When network traffic is outbound from the array, only one network card of the pair will actually place data on the wire so as to avoid Ethernet collisions. 1-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 17: Scsi Identifiers
Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology SCSI Identifiers During the installation and maintenance of the HPAA system, there are several different pieces of configuration data that must be collected, documented, and referenced. One of the more important pieces is the SCSI identifier for the logical drives that the AA 4000 software will “redirect”...
Page 18: Scsi Port Number Changes
0 and the other SCSI adapters that previously existed would have their port numbers increased by 1. The result of this scenario is the AA 4000 software will not be able to identify the devices correctly based upon its configuration file. 1-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 19 Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology To prevent this problem from occurring, you must change the default load order used by Windows NT. Changing the Windows NT default load order for SCSI adapter drivers requires modification to the Registry. Each adapter driver has a Registry key located at: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\% adapter_driver_name% (Where %adapter_driver_name% is the name of the SCSI adapter...
Page 20: Device Redirection
HP AA 4000 Configuration Utility The list of redirected devices can be found by using the HP AA 4000 Configuration Utility. As seen by the screenshot below, the devices are redirected by category. 1-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 21 Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology The keyboard and the mouse connected to the IOPs are automatically redirected to the CEs when they boot. Control of the keyboard and mouse can be switched back to the IOP or to the CE by pressing <CTRL>...
Page 22: Putting It All Together
At this point the CE then performs the query to the database. It will be accessing the disks on each IOP via the MICs. Each tuple will perform this. At the CE level all I/O going in and out of the MICs in 1-16 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 23 Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology synchronous. At the IOP level, due to the different spin rates of the disk drives, the I/O is asynchronous. The query results are eventually gathered by the CE (remember, the CE is running the SQL server application, not the IOP) and passed by both CEs to the SSDLs.
Page 24: Netserver Rackmount Configurations
These configurations are specifically for the AA 4000 and are as of 3/2000. NetServer LPr as the CE and LH 3r or LH 4r as the IOP NetServer LH 4r as the CE and the IOP (two racks needed) 1-18 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 25 Ch 1: Architecture Overview and Terminology NetServer LPr as the CE and the IOP Network Server Division 1-19...
Page 26: Rules For Maintaining Availability
CE, not the IOP. • Changes to the NT operating system on the CE may not take place until NT is rebooted (just like in a single server environment). Take the appropriate precautions before rebooting the CE’s NT operating system. 1-20 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 27: Chapter Two ~Hpaa System Boot Up
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up Chapter Two ~ HPAA System Boot Up This chapter covers the startup process for the HPAA system. Before going through the details of powering on the system and beginning to use it, the proper hardware connections should be verified.
Page 28: Verifying The Mic Connections
1 and column 2 represents tuple 2. The Compute row shows the status of the MIC connections from the CEs to the SSDLs (1 and 2). The I/O row indicates the status of the MIC connections from the Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 29 Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up IOP to the SSDLs (1 and 2). The last row labeled “link” is for the connection between the SSDLs. When the SSDLs are not powered (not plugged in), the LEDs are completely off. On the far right of the front of the SSDL are power indicators;...
Page 30: Troubleshooting A "Red" Led
Windows NT. MTCTEST is a DOS-based application that runs from a bootable floppy. To use MTCTEST, copy the contents of the /MTCUTILS directory to a DOS-bootable diskette and power up the NetServer with the floppy. To fully test MIC communications, two Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 31 Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up MICs must be used meaning the MTCTEST must be run on two NetServers simultaneously. NOTE Create two utility diskettes for easier testing. Before running the MTCTEST verify: • All MIC cables and the tuple link cable are securely attached. •...
Page 32 The most effective and efficient way to test all MICs for functionality is to run MTCTEST once on CE1 and IOP2 at the same time, stop the test, then run it again on CE2 and IOP1 at the same time. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 33: Powering Up The Hpaa System
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up Powering Up the HPAA System There are up to eight components that need to be powered on in order to use the HPAA system (not counting any UPS devices in the rack): • Four NetServers •...
Page 34: Cabling The Console Switch
In this type of configuration, each tuple would not only need its own monitor, but its own keyboard and mouse as well. The HP Console switch eliminates the need for a second monitor, keyboard and mouse. In conjunction with the SSDLs it allows for Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 35: Power Distribution
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up the viewing of both CEs and IOPs. The HP Console switch has specific cabling requirements. To correctly cable the HP console switch within the array, use the following steps. 1. Verify the Monitor, Console switch, and keyboard kit have been rack-mounted 2.
Page 36: Power On Sequence
The two bottom servers are the IOPs and they should be “green” and in a ready state; the IOPs have “joined” each other. If not, then launch the Marathon Manager on the other IOP, check error 2-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 37 Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up logs, and start troubleshooting. Once the IOPs are joined then it is time to power on the CEs. 3. Power on CE1 – Only power one CE at a time. As CE1 is powered on, the POST and boot operations can be watched by changing the console switch and SSDL.
Page 38: Aa 4000 Boot Options
NT system files. This option offers a “backdoor” into accessing the \WINNT directory since while this copy of Windows NT is active, it is using a different system directory. Typically the system directory is called \MTCMAINT. 2-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 39: Aa 4000 Boot Process
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up AA 4000 Boot Process The CE and IOP boot process are independent of each other with the exception that the CE’s cannot start their boot sequence until at least one IOP is available. If a CE is powered up before an IOP is available, the screen of the CE(s) will display a text message that the Marathon boot is in progress on a black screen.
Page 40 The boot process of the CEs is not only different than the IOPs; it does not even start until the IOPs are prepared to accept the CEs into the array. The graphic below shows what the CE must go through to join the domain or an array. 2-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 41: Using The Keyboard, Mouse, And Video
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up Using the Keyboard, Mouse, and Video Once the HPAA system is powered up and all the NetServers are in the array, it is important to always make sure when using the keyboard and mouse that it is in the correct “context” of the NetServer.
Page 42: Keyboard And Mouse Control
Tuple 1 or Port 2 for Tuple 2. Most of the time the screen that will appear will be the CE and it will have keyboard control. If it is the IOP that needs to be accessed, press the video switch on the 2-16 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 43 Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up SSDL for the tuple being accessed and then press <CTRL> <SHIFT> <F12> to gain control of the keyboard and mouse. Network Server Division 2-17...
Page 44: Shutting Down The System
(test) or system management. When using MTCCONS, you must enter the exact command syntax and any required parameters. Each command has the following components: ‘Prefix’, ‘Target’, ‘Verb’, ‘Operation type’, ‘Executed from’ and any associated ‘Parameters’. 2-18 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 45: Removing Components
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up For more information on using MTCCONS, see the AA 4000 Users Guide. Removing Components Most components of the HPAA system can be removed from participating in the array. The advantage of being able to take this step is to proactively remove a component for maintenance that will prevent the AA 4000 software from reporting the same errors again and again, or worse, “failing”...
Page 46 HPAA system. Using MTCCONS MTCCONS CE_O/S Shutdown Operation From IOPx Using Display and Control Double-click on the picture of the CE and from the Control and Display window and choose the CE-O/S shutdown command. 2-20 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 47: Server Shutdowns And Reboots
Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up Server Shutdowns and Reboots By now, it is apparent that MTCCONS or the Marathon Manager can be used to change the status of a component or the entire system. Server shutdown commands are no different. The most important aspect of a server shutdown to note is not the command to execute a shutdown, but instead knowing how to perform an actual shutdown and not just a reboot.
Page 48: Using The "Right" Copy Of Windows Nt
CE. Some of the typical administrative tasks in a Windows NT environment to be done on the CE include: • Joining a Domain – The CE copy of Windows NT is typically a stand-alone installation of Windows NT Server. In the network 2-22 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 49 Ch 2: HPAA System Boot Up properties of NT, the administrator can join the NT domain as normal. • Setting up security – Whether the CE remains as stand-alone server or joins an NT domain structure, security precautions must be taken. This includes tasks like changing the Administrator password, bringing domain users into local groups on the server, applyng permissions to users, etc…...
Page 51: Chapter Three ~Aa 4000 And Hp Management Tools
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools Chapter Three ~ AA 4000 and HP Management Tools Mangement of the HPAA system is made easy by the use of the Marathon System Management Utility (MSM) or “Marathon Manager” for short. This tool can be run on any of the systems in the array or on a client.
Page 52: Aa 4000 Software Architecture
CEs through the Marathon Transport and sends them to the Windows NT device drivers local to the IOP. The providers also handle incoming I/O (networking) and pass it to the CE redirectors through the same Marathon Transport. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 53 Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools • Marathon Transport – This handles all data movement within the array where the redirectors and providers are concerned. It works in conjunction with a Device Synchronization Layer to make devices appear as one to the CEs and move the data using Marathon Interface Cards (MICs).
Page 54: Marathon System Manager (Msm)
MTCCONS.exe. This tool can be used at the NT command line for carrying out commands on the array. As a command line tool it can also be used for scripting commands or maintenance activities. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 55: Remote Management
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools Remote Management The Marathon Manager can be installed on a remote workstation to administer the AA 4000 array. Connection can be done using either a local area network or a modem. After installing the Marathon Manager and establishing the remote connection, the administrator can use Marathon Manager features and options to administer an AA 4000 array.
Page 56: Msm - Main Screen
Administration Window – A graphical representation of the array • Device Status Window – A list of all the components and their status • Last Mirror Copy Status Window – Detailed information on the progress or completion of disk mirroring activities Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 57: Control And Display
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools Control and Display From the tools menu is the Control and Display window that acts as a command initiator window. This screen is also available by double clicking on a component in the Administration menu. The window displays the commands, options, and parameters that allow for array management and the displaying of detailed component status and configuration information.
Page 58: Control And Display Options
Allows for the disabling of an active component that does not have an active redundant counterpart. This extra step helps prevent accidental disabling of components. Apply Executes the selected command Close Closes the window and returns to the Administration window Help Opens Marathon Manager online help Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 59: Msm Preferences
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools MSM Preferences From the tools menu, select options to get to the preferences screen. This screen configures the monitoring parameters. The time in seconds between updates can be set for the Administration window through polling and the time can be set for refreshes of any windows displayed as a result of the show command.
Page 60: Device Status
The device status screen can be seen as part of the main administration view. It will not be seen as the default when launching the MSM. To view the status screen as a separate window, check the appropriate box in the preferences (options) screen. 3-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 61 Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools The following is a color legend to help interpret the status of each component: Color Component Indicates Blue Booting* or Joining* Blue-Green Ready Dark Green Ethernet Adapters Standby Interconnects Online SCSI Disks Destination disk of a mirror Keyboard / mouse Online, but in arbitration...
Page 62: Last Mirror Copy Status
IOP, it is possible for the IOPs to return last mirror copy status reports that appear slightly different. Any IOP that is actively serving the CEs (it is online) will provide complete and current mirror copy status reports. 3-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 63: Utilities
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools Utilities From the Tools menu, the administrator can access commonly used Windows NT utilities. The NT utilities available are: • Control Panel • Disk Administrator • Event Viewer • Explorer • File Manager •...
Page 64: Display Software Revisions
Marathon Kit number. The Revision Levels header shows the version number and a two- letter identifier for the type of revision. The abbreviations are as follows: • RL: Release • HF: Hot Fix • SP: Service Pack 3-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 65: Hp Toptools Remote Control Card
Ch 3: AA 4000 and HP management Tools HP TopTools Remote Control Card HP NetServer AA Solutions have powerful and intelligent management tools. HP TopTools Remote Control Card, which comes standard in enterprise-class HP NetServers and as an option for most other HP NetServers, conducts efficient remote management and transmits basic device information to HP TopTools, through Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Page 67: Chapter Four ~Networking Explained
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds Chapter Four ~ Networking Explained Given the fact that the HPAA system provides application services to the network, it is very important to install and configure the network components correctly. There are three different network types at work when using the HPAA system.
Page 68: Network Planning
PCI slots for networking: PCI Slot 1 Backup/Management LAN for IOP PCI Slot 2 Public Rail #1 PCI Slot 3 Public Rail #2 PCI Slot 4 Public Rail #3 PCI Slot 5 Public Rail #4 PCI Slot 6 IOP “Private”Link Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 69: Windows Nt Bus Numbering
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds Windows NT Bus Numbering Network services, protocols, and bindings will have to be configured as part of the software installation. Working with multiple network cards and configuring software parameters can sometimes be confusing when mapping the physical slots to what the operating system displays.
Page 70: Gathering Networking Information
CEs and IOPs. This provides a mechanism for CEs to see resources exclusively provided by the IOPs and vice-versa. The network is “virtual” because it does not consist of network interface cards. The traffic is carried out by the MICs. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 71: The Private Network (Iop Link)
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds The Private Network (IOP link) As mentioned earlier, the IOP Link is a private network for the IOPs to monitor each other and transport data for mirror copies. The network is essentially a two-node Ethernet network directly connected by a CAT5 UTP crossover cable, or connected via a hub or switch in SplitSite configuration.
Page 72 Windows NT. There is only one network card in each IOP with these bindings, the cards do not support Adapter Fault Tolerance, and they are NOT “redirected” devices to be configured in the Marathon Configuration Utility. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 73: The Public Network (Ethernet Rails)
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds The Public Network (Ethernet Rails) A pair of network cards, one in each IOP, in the same PCI slot numbers constitutes a “public rail.” There are several different terminologies used for essentially the same network type. For the network cards that the IOPs use to intercept client traffic on the network, these cards may be referred to as the public network, a public rail, or an Ethernet rail.
Page 74: Public Rail Configuration (Iop)
(spoofed) by the surviving IOP in online mode. NOTE There is no MAC address conflict when one IOP is booted into offline mode since the offline server does not have any active protocols bound to the NIC. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 75: Iop Public Rail Bindings
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds IOP Public Rail Bindings Each pair of network cards on the IOP will have the same bindings. Each physical network card will NOT be bound to a traditional protocol. Instead, each network card will only have the Marathon Datagram Service and the Marathon Ethernet Provider as its only enabled bindings.
Page 76: Ce Bindings
NICs in the IOP are cabled. If one pair of NICs is cabled to LAN segment A via a switch, and another pair of NICs is cabled to LAN 4-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 77: Public Network To Iop To Ce And Back
Ch 4: Networking Explaineds segment B via a different path, then the MTCETHRs need to reflect that in their addressing. The bindings to each MTCETHR consist of the appropriate traditional network protocol. Public Network to IOP to CE and Back. Now that all of the protocols and bindings are in place, a “trace”...
Page 78: The Virtual Network
The easiest choice is NetBEUI, but TCP/IP may be used also. Just be aware that there is not necessarily any value to using TCP/IP as this traffic is never routed to another network or to a network client. 4-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 79 Ch 4: Networking Explaineds The remaining Marathon services are disabled for the virtual adapters. There is no need for the Marathon Datagram Service, the Marathon Ethernet Provider, and the MtcEtx driver. The virtual adapters themselves are slightly different between the CEs and the IOPs.
Page 80: Adding A Public Rail
Server reboots of the CE operating system results in the HPAA system being unavailable; plan accordingly. • When trying to place the HPAA system on the network for clients to access, it is the CE network properties that must be changed, not the IOPs. 4-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 81 Ch 4: Networking Explaineds • The IOPs have the actual HP 10/100 TX driver installed and it is listed in the network properties in Winodws NT on the IOP even if the network cards are being redirected. Through the protocol “Marathon Ethernet Provider”...
Page 83: Chapter Five ~System Upgrades
Ch 5: System Upgrades Chapter Five ~ System Upgrades This chapter contains information on system upgrades for the HP AA system based on the Endurance 4000 software from Marathon Technologies. Topics to be covered include: • Adding hard disk space •...
Page 84: Before Upgrading The Hp Aa System
IL and what adapters are public rail adapters. • The disk structure, including the location of IOP and CE boot disks. • What devices on the IOP are redirected. • What devices are mirrored. • What RAID structure is used. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 85: System Documentation
Ch 5: System Upgrades System Documentation The Endurance 4000 Installation Guide contains system documentation tables designed to assist in the accumulation of data necessary for installation and maintenance of the array. This information is a good starting place when seeking to become familiar with the array.
Page 86: Adding Additional Storage To The Array
If the IOP is a HP LPr and is only using the internal SCSI drives, the onboard Symbios controller is used and no software is required for RAID configuration. Document the present storage configuration Before adding storage the current storage environment should be documented. The following information was required during the Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 87: Install The Additional Storage
Ch 5: System Upgrades installation of the Marathon array and should still be available. If not, take the time to document it now: • How many physical drives are present in the LH3 or LH4. • What are the RAID set configurations for the drives? •...
Page 88: Determine The 4 Digit Scsi Identifier
Determine the 4 digit SCSI Identifier Marathon mirrored devices are mirrored according to the 4 digit SCSI identifier. This identifier is located in the Registry. The location in the Registry is: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HARDWARE DEVICE MAP SCSI See the figure below: Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 89: Modify The Marathon Configuration On Iop1 And Iop2
Ch 5: System Upgrades This is the point where previous documentation comes in handy. By comparing the previous 4 digit SCSI IDs with the IDs displayed in the Registry it should be easy to pick out the new ID. Record the new ID for future use. Make sure the other IOP has the same 4 digit SCSI for the new device.
Page 90 HP NetServer AA Before adding the additional storage After adding the storage. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 91: Reboot The Array
Ch 5: System Upgrades The best method for modifying the Marathon configuration is to make the modifications on one IOP, save it and copy to the other IOP. Reboot the array At this point everything is ready. A final reboot of the entire array is necessary for the disks to be redirected to the CEs.
Page 92 Or SCSI HBA (2) Slot 1 Slot 3,4 NIC Public (1) Slot 2 Slot 3,4 NIC Public (2) Slot 3 NIC Public (3) Slot 4 Slot 3 if only 1 NIC IOP Link Slot 5 public NIC Slot 6 5-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 93: Upgrading The Marathon Software
Ch 5: System Upgrades Upgrading the Marathon Software If the Marathon software needs to be upgraded or “patched”, there are several considerations. Before upgrading Marathon software, make sure that: • The Marathon CD that contains the new version of software is available •...
Page 94: Upgrading Marathon Software On The Ce Operating System
Use the Marathon Manger to shutdown IOPs. • Launch the Marathon setup.exe from the Marathon CDROM. • Follow the instructions displayed on the screen, configure the Endurance 4000 for your environment. During installation, make sure that you choose the defaults, including: 5-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 95: Running Mtcflash On Each Ce
Ch 5: System Upgrades • Install Endurance Software • Kit Number • IOP installation • Restore Original Installation Parameters • IOP in TUPLEx (for IOP1, choose TUPLE1; for IOP2, choose TUPLE2) • Destination directory for IOP Maintenance Mode • DoNot Edit Configuration •...
Page 96: Verifying The Upgrade
Verify that the Marathon Datagram Service (MtcDgs) is properly installed and bound. • Verify that the Marathon MtcVnP Virtual Adapter is properly installed. • Make sure that all four MICs have been flashed using the new version of Marathon software. 5-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 97: Upgrading An Installed System To An Smp Iop System
Ch 5: System Upgrades Upgrading an Installed System to an SMP IOP System Having dual processors in the IOP is overkill for the array workload. The IOP is responsible for the I/O activities which are not processor intensive. During installation it is better to install the multi-processor kernel even if a single processor will be used.
Page 98: Updating/Patching Windows Nt With Service Packs
Using the Marathon CD, reinstall Marathon software, selecting the IOP installation option. • When prompted, open the Marathon Configuration Utility. • Open and commit the file that you saved in Step 1 • Use the Marathon Manager to reboot the IOP. 5-16 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 99: Updating Nt Applications
Ch 5: System Upgrades Updating NT Applications The key to upgrading NT Applications is to make sure the upgrade is performed on the proper machine. All array applications run on the CE operating system. Generally, applications are upgraded using a CDROM.
Page 101: Chapter Six ~Backup And Restore
Ch 6: Backp and Restore Chapter Six ~ Backup and Restore Even though the HPAA system provides an unprecendented level of availability for Windows NT, it does eliminate the needs for backups. Even if the HPAA system never went down in two years, it would be nice to have a backup simply for disaster recovery situations in those rare occurances.
Page 102: Backup Topologies And Tradeoffs
Marathon Configuration Utility. Just like the hard drives that are redirected to the CEs, the DLT tape drives will have the same specific SCSI identifer. The identifier is used to update the Marathon Configuration file to redirect the tape drives to the CEs. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 103: Semi-Local Backups
Ch 6: Backp and Restore NOTE "Autoloader" tape devices for local backup are not supported at the time of this writing. Backup software, such as Veritas Backup Exec 7.3 or Computer Associates ArcServe IT 6.61, is installed on the CE and run on the CE.
Page 104: Network Backups
NICs attach to a switch. The switch will be part of a separate LAN for the purposes of performing backups. Though network backup performance is not as good as local performance, having a dedicated backup LAN is the optimum configuration. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 105: Configuration Comparisons
Ch 6: Backp and Restore The IOPs will have one NIC each that is not redirected and will be connected to the same switch for the network backups. In this configuration, the backup software backs up the CE and the two IOPs as three individual systems.
Page 106: Backup Confiurguration Setup Notes
• The Virtual network connection between CE and IOPs must be set up properly. The CE must be configured to see each IOP server through the internal virtual link as in the standard HP AA system set up. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 107 Ch 6: Backp and Restore • An alternative method to backup each IOP is to use a dedicated NIC configured in each IOP for performing a CE controlled network backup over the public CE network connection to the dedicated backup network connection of the IOP. Below is the network backup configuration for setting up a dedicated IOP network connection.
Page 108: Network Backup Configuration
Each IOP must have a separate backup NIC connected to the backup LAN. The back-up network may also serve as the management network. In this case some management tools, such as TopTools, can access IOPs through the management network. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 109 Ch 6: Backp and Restore • The CE and the two IOPs are configured as three individual backup clients. • The dedicated IOP and CE network cards are configured as below. 1. Install the new NIC cards and add the NIC adapter driver. 2.
Page 110 7. Reboot the HP AA system 8. Check that you can ping the each dedicated IOP IP addresses from the CE. Then check that you can ping each of the CE IP addresses from each IOP. 6-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 111: Disaster Recovery Procedures
Ch 6: Backp and Restore Disaster recovery procedures In the event of a disaster or an operator's error, it is possible that the CE OS can be put in an inoperable state. When this occurs it may be possible to recover the system without restoring from backup tapes. Below is a set of procedures to assist system administrators to recover systems with minimum downtime.
Page 112 If necessary it can be used to reverse the copy direction and therefore restore a disk to the state that was most recently saved. There are limitations to this approach, just as there are when depending on Emergency Repair Disks (ERDs). Each time there 6-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 113 Ch 6: Backp and Restore is a significant change to the CE, a new backup copy needs to be made using the MTCCPYNT.EXE. Otherwise, the backup directory created by the utility becomes out of date. A recovery from the saved data should be upgraded with the latest back up (of the system disk).
Page 114 By choosing NO it will not be necessary to reapply the Marathon hotfixes. k. Reboot the IOP(s) in Operational Mode The CE WILL NOW BOOT! m. Consider performing the appropriate series of restore operations (from your most recent backups) to bring the disk up-to-date. 6-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 115: Part Numbers For Backup Configurations
Ch 6: Backp and Restore Part Numbers for Backup Configurations Pure-local backup • C5695A - HP SureStore TapeRack for HP 19” server rack, includes one 0.9m SCSI cable, two 2.5m SCSI cables, and two SCSI terminators (Tape Rack holds 4 tape devices –see below). •...
Page 117: Chapter Seven ~Basic Troubleshooting
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting Chapter Seven ~ Basic Troubleshooting This chapter contains information on proper troubleshooting procedures and tools for the HP AA system based on the Endurance 4000 software from Marathon Technologies. Topics to be covered include: • Checking and interpreting Marathon Errors •...
Page 118: Overview Of Troubleshooting In A Hp Aa Environment
Marathon Event Log: The events displayed in this log are the same as the NT Event viewer. There are two differences, the Marathon Event Log is DOS based, and second it displays only Marathon events as they occur. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 119: Other Mtc Tools
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting NOTE If you are monitoring the HP AA array using the Remote Marathon Manager, you only have access to the Marathon Manager and the Windows NT Event Viewer information. Other MTC Tools Marathon provides other tools with the system which are not necessarily troubleshooting tools, but they can be great for information gathering.
Page 120: Isolating The Faults
Both power lights (one for each power supply) are green. In most cases it is safe to assume if the connection status lights are green then solid connections exist. However, in rare cases the connection indicators can display green while a solid Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 121 Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting connection does not exist. The best assurance of a good connection is the MTCTEST utility running packet transfers between MICs. The two devices participating in the test must be CE and IOP. While the test is being run, these devices cannot be participating members of the array.
Page 122: Analyzing An Event
In many cases, rebooting the IOP and allowing it to rejoin the array will clear the error. In the case of intermittent hardware errors on the IOP other HP tools may need to be used to diagnose the Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 123 Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting hardware problem. Remove the IOP and perform normal troubleshooting procedures. If there is a configuration mismatch between IOPs it will be reported here. If the IOP has insufficient memory, errors may occur here. MtcEthP IOPn.MtcEthP status IOP Ethernet subsystem events that occur between the IOP and the public Ethernet.
Page 124 The type of event, it could be an Error, Warning or Informational. • Description: This sections provides details about the nature of the event and what caused the event. • Related Messages: Other events that may have resulted in this event or that may arise from this event. Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 125: Correcting The Faults
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting • Hardware/Software Devices that may be faulted resulting in the event • Action: This section provides a list of remedies to the event. These actions should be attempted in the order they are displayed. • See Also: Pointers to additional information sources relating to the event.
Page 126: Providing Information To The Hp Call Center
The faulted CE will perform a core dump and attempt to rejoin the array. If the "Blue Screen" persists the CE will be removed from the array and will have to be serviced offline. 7-10 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 127: Basic Marathon Hardware Replacement
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting Basic Marathon Hardware Replacement Replacing the MIC Cable There are a number of components that can be affected by a failed MIC cable. The IOP or CE to which the cable is attached will be in a degraded state.
Page 128: Replacing The Il Cable
(appears dark green). • Make sure that any components affected by this procedure are active or online. • Re-enable any faulted or disabled components. 6. Confirm that the new Ethernet cable operates properly: 7-12 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 129: Replacing A Mic
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting 7. Issue a Marathon Manager Disable IOPy.Ethernet command so that you disable the Ethernet connection that maintained network connectivity while you completed the previous steps. 8. Issue a Marathon Manager Enable IOPy.Ethernet command for the Ethernet connection that was disabled. 9.
Page 130: Replacing An Ssdl
7. On the new SSDL, set the switches on the front panel to match the switch settings on the SSDL that you are replacing. 8. If required, fasten the rackmount brackets and install the new SSDL in the rack. 7-14 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 131: Replacing An Iop
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting 9. Attach the cables to the SSDL. Make sure to attach the correct cables to the correct ports. Refer to the label step mentioned previously. 10. Attach both SSDL power cords to the SSDL and their power source.
Page 132 7. If you installed the IOP boot disk from the IOP that you replaced, continue with the next step. 8. Otherwise, install Windows NT and Marathon software as described in previous chapters. 9. This includes: 7-16 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 133: Replacing A Ce
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting • Installing Windows NT • Installing Marathon software only for this IOP. • Using the Marathon Configuration Utility to make any appropriate changes to the configuration. If the configuration has changes, you must update the configuration on both IOPs.
Page 134: Replacing A Failed Ethernet Adapter
You will install the new adapter into the same slot. WARNING If this adapter was attached to a public network, affix a label to the adapter to prevent it from being reused in another system on the same Ethernet. 7-18 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 135 Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting 7. Replace the adapter with an identical adapter (the same manufacturer and the same model). NOTE If you cannot acquire the proper replacement, you must replace both adapters (one in each IOP). This requires removing the previous adapter (driver) and adding support for the new adapter.
Page 136 Re-enable any faulted or disabled components. 12. Locate any adapter that was previously labeled against re-use on the same Ethernet as this Endurance 4000 server. Completing this procedure removes the previous configuration restriction. In 7-20 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 137: Replacing A Failed Mirrored Disk
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting other words the adapter can now be used on the same network as the Marathon array. 13. Remove the file previously created. The new configuration is fully operational, and the backup file now contains obsolete configuration information. Replacing a Failed Mirrored Disk The following procedure pertains only to drives not protected under NetRAID.
Page 138: Replacing A Failed Netraid Adapter
3. When booting the IOP examine the BIOS and Firmware of the NetRAID Adapter. Confirm they match the redundant adapter in the other IOP. If necessary flash the BIOS and update the firmware. 7-22 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 139: Reenabling Faulted Components
Ch 7: Bsic Troubleshooting 4. When the NetRAID adapter boots a mismatch will occur between the disks and the NVRAM of the NetRAID adapter. When this occurs open the NetRAID Ctrl-M utility and save the disk configuration to NVRAM. Another solution here would be to copy the configuration from the NetRAID Adapter of the other IOP to floppy and restore on to the new NetRAID Adapter.
Page 140: Common Problems
NT copy for the CE. The concept itself is relatively easy to grasp, the problem sometimes surfaces during the implementation particularly when SCSI IDs for redirected disks must match. The installation guide for Marathon has worksheets and detailed steps on acquiring the correct IDs for redirected devices. 7-24 Hewlett-Packard Company...
Page 141 Index INDEX Architecture, 3-2 Licensing, iv, 1-9 Local Backups, v, 6-2, 6-3 Backup topologies, 6-2 Marathon Boot Options, 2-13 Configuration Utility, 1-15 Boot Process, 2-14 Marathon Interface Cards, 1-3, 3-3 MIC, iv, vi, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 1-17, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6, 2-7, 2-12, 3-2, 3-11, 4-2, 4-10, 4-11, 4-13, 5-13, 6-12, 7-3, 7-8, 7-10, 7-11, 7-13, 7-14, 7-16, 7-17, 7-18, 7-25...
Page 142 HP NetServer AA Utilities, 3-13 Tuple, 1-7 Video, 2-16 Virtual Adapters, 4-9 Upgrading, 5-11 Hewlett-Packard Company...

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