Question about "Active VLUN"

[seritlj]

Hi,

I have some VMware hosts connected to to a 3par VLUN

The topology is

hosts with one hba with two ports - two fibre switchens - storserv 7200

In Vmware and "showvlun" show that each hosts have 4 paths to the VLUN, which I assume is correct.

But when going to "Vluns" and "Path Summary" in the GUI it says the same servers has from 6 26paths to the VLUN ?? Can anyone explain med this?

PS anyone have some GOOD documentation on the 3PAR, I find the HP documentation poor in going "in depth" on pretty much everything

[hdtvguy]

The IMC may provide a cleaner view, an Active VLUN is a path from the volume out through each controller to any HBA port it is presented to.

1 vlun = a volume to host HBA port mapping per 3par controller port.

So if you have 1 volume that is exported through both controllers to a single host and it goes to 2 hba ports on the host you will have 2 active VLUNS for that volume.

From your example I assume you have each fibre switch going to both controllers and would zone:



Switch 1 Zone
Host HBA Port A > 7200 Node 0:1:1 and 7200 Node 1:1:1

Switch 2 Zone
Host HBA Port B > 7200 Node 0:1:2 and 7200 Node 1:1:2


That would result in 4 paths and for every volume exported you should have 4 active VLUNs

If you are seeing more that that then you might have a zoning and/or export issue.

[seritlj]

The IMC may provide a cleaner view, an Active VLUN is a path from the volume out through each controller to any HBA port it is presented to.

1 vlun = a volume to host HBA port mapping per 3par controller port.

So if you have 1 volume that is exported through both controllers to a single host and it goes to 2 hba ports on the host you will have 2 active VLUNS for that volume.

From your example I assume you have each fibre switch going to both controllers and would zone:



Switch 1 Zone
Host HBA Port A > 7200 Node 0:1:1 and 7200 Node 1:1:1

Switch 2 Zone
Host HBA Port B > 7200 Node 0:1:2 and 7200 Node 1:1:2


That would result in 4 paths and for every volume exported you should have 4 active VLUNs

If you are seeing more that that then you might have a zoning and/or export issue.

By going throug the CLI everyhing looks OK, it show four paths as expected to the VLUN:

Example
cli% showvlun -host xxx-esx03
Active VLUNs
Lun VVName HostName -Host_WWN/iSCSI_Name- Port Type Status ID
0 FC_R10_VOL01 xxx-esx03 5001438004C200FC 0:1:1 host set active 0
0 FC_R10_VOL01 xxx-esx03 5001438004C200FE 0:1:2 host set active 0
0 FC_R10_VOL01 xxx-esx03 5001438004C200FC 1:1:1 host set active 0
0 FC_R10_VOL01 xxx-esx03 5001438004C200FE 1:1:2 host set active 0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 total

VLUN Templates
Lun VVName HostName -Host_WWN/iSCSI_Name- Port Type
0 FC_R10_VOL01 set:ESXhoster ---------------- --- host set
------------------------------------------------------------------
1 total

showvlun -host xxx-esx03 -pathsum
------ Ports ------- ----- Paths -----
Lun VVname Host Host Inactive InServ Available Healthy Multipathing FailedPathPolicy MonIntervalSecs HostDevName
0 FC_R10_VOL01 xxx-esx03 2 0 4 4 0 Unknown Unknown 0 --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1


But the attached screenshot fetched in the IMC shows 26??

[seritlj]

Ok,

This was strange, think I solved it..

Closed and opened the IMC , and now it shows correct.

[hdtvguy]

What IMC are you using 4.4.1 is current and using very down-level IMC causes weird issue. The IMC itself is junk. It is a very poor java app that is twitchy as hell. We have to restart it all the time. Also other jave apps cause havoc for the IMC, I have had Chrome and GoogleUpdate Service interfere with the IMC.

[seritlj]

What IMC are you using 4.4.1 is current and using very down-level IMC causes weird issue. The IMC itself is junk. It is a very poor java app that is twitchy as hell. We have to restart it all the time. Also other jave apps cause havoc for the IMC, I have had Chrome and GoogleUpdate Service interfere with the IMC.

Im on 4.4.1 as well, but must admit that the console have been up for a day or two..

[hdtvguy]

I am lucky if I can get through a day with the IMC without having to restart it.

[seritlj]

I am lucky if I can get through a day with the IMC without having to restart it.

OK Thanks for the heads up!

Just zoned up the 3PAR today, and was wondering if I had missed something obvious.

[skumflum]

I just finished my first installation of a 4-node 7400.

very helpful people at THIS site

As for documentation i used:

HP Spock
http://h20272.www2.hp.com/

n. 2 HP SAN Reference Guide
http://h20272.www2.hp.com/utility/document.aspx?docurl=Shared%20Documents/dg/san_design/SDG_Sep2013_FullBook_5697-2814.2013_09_06.pdf

VMware 5 Best Practices
http://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=4AA4-3286ENW

http://www.techazine.com/2013/04/22/3par-storserv-7000-series-best-practices-for-vsphere-5-1/

3PAR Best Practices generic:

I used to find this by google "3par best practices" but the link is dead. It's a nice document that list all the best practices in short simple form.

HP! YOUR WEBSITE SUCK!. Try to use the search function on HP.com and you will find absolutely NOTHING. Dead links everywhere going in circles. How hard can it be? Why hide these documents?

[Richard Siemers]

I've found that the best way to find HP 3PAR documentation is with Google.

However for giggles, I just went to www.hp.com/go/3par and was able to navigate all the way through to manuals... thats a pretty big improvement. Now if they would just publish their service manuals, that would be great!