Fibre channel questions

[linux-storage]

Hello

I have DSS working with a point-to-point setup.

QLogic QLE2460 in the client and the same card in DSS server.

I want to get a dual port QLogic QLE2462 card and do 2 x clients point-to-point.

My question is how do I specify which FC target to connect to from each client?
I'm using Linux on the client, has anyone set this up?

Let me explain. I have 2 FC targets on DSS:
lvstorage06 - 250GB
lvstorage07 - 300GB

When I boot my client, it automatically connects to both of the targets:

scsi 8:0:0:0: Direct-Access SCST_FIO G9m9E2YRGmb9Vz3d 096 PQ: 0 ANSI: 4
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] 65488640 4096-byte hardware sectors (268241 MB)
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 6b 00 10 08
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, supports DPO and FUA
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] 65488640 4096-byte hardware sectors (268241 MB)
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 6b 00 10 08
sd 8:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, supports DPO and FUA

sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] 78587392 4096-byte hardware sectors (321894 MB)
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Write Protect is off
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Mode Sense: 6b 00 10 08
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, supports DPO and FUA
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] 78587392 4096-byte hardware sectors (321894 MB)
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Write Protect is off
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Mode Sense: 6b 00 10 08
sd 8:0:0:1: [sdc] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, supports DPO and FUA


I've looked at the SANsurfer CLI manual but I can't find any thing relevant. There is a chapter on Target Persistent Bindings, but this menu does not exist in my SANsurfer tool.

How do I stop the disks automatically connecting?

Another problem I have is that the SANsurfer tool is now missing in DSS. How do I restore it?

Thanks

[jmo]

Hello

I have DSS working with a point-to-point setup.

QLogic QLE2460 in the client and the same card in DSS server.

I want to get a dual port QLogic QLE2462 card and do 2 x clients point-to-point.

My question is how do I specify which FC target to connect to from each client?
I'm using Linux on the client, has anyone set this up?

With QLE2462s at the initiators, too - that was our setup until a few days ago.

To make it short:
The DSS takes the initiator's WWPN to decide to which FC group to connect.

--- quote from DSS docs ---
The Default group is a public group. If a WWN belongs to a group other than public, then this WWN will only have access to its assigned group /- it will not be admitted to the public group.
--- end of quote ---

So if a (initiator's) WWPN is assigned to a DSS's FC group, then it will see the LUNs defined in that group.
If the WWPN is not a member of any group, it will see the LUNs of the "default" group.

Let me explain. I have 2 FC targets on DSS:
[...] When I boot my client, it automatically connects to both of the targets:
[...]
I've looked at the SANsurfer CLI manual but I can't find any thing relevant. There is a chapter on Target Persistent Bindings, but this menu does not exist in my SANsurfer tool.

How do I stop the disks automatically connecting?

This is nothing you do at the initator: Think of your FC adapter as a SCSI adapter - and you plug in devices at the DSS side. The initiator gets to see what you connect at the DSS. (see above for "groups" management.)

And as for any good SCSI adapter it will query the devices connected at boot up, and a modern Linux will automagically detect hot-plugged devices as well.

If you want one disk per initiator only, then use different groups at the DSS side. If you need to switch dynamically between the initiators (ie for roaming Xen VMs), then either live with the disks connected to both initiators simultaneously (and make sure only one server has write access to a disk at a time) or use NPIV - which only works with a FC switch in between atm.

Another problem I have is that the SANsurfer tool is now missing in DSS. How do I restore it?

Thanks

Now that's a question I'd love to have an answer for, too... I've never seen the tool at the DSS in the first place, probably because I never played with the DSS console much. I've been using the FC adapter BIOS for basic configuration, that's it. I'd love to see a SANsurfer remote client on the DSS, so I can remotely connect to the adapters with SANsurfer GUI.

With regards,
Jens

[linux-storage]

Hello Jens

Thank you for the explanation. I have tried this and it works nicely.

Thanks