Using external lus as pool-vols, Notes on using snapshot xp, Switching off the power supply – HP StorageWorks XP Remote Web Console Software User Manual

Page 34: Replacing the microprogram offline

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Although you estimate copied data capacity and set pool capacity according to the information in this

section, if pool capacity exceeds the threshold, implement the measures described in

Troubleshooting

Snapshot XP

.

Using external LUs as pool-VOLs

By using External Storage XP, you can connect multiple arrays to the XP12000/XP10000/SVS200 array.

In that case, the original XP12000/XP10000/SVS200 array is called the local array, and the connected

storage arrays are called external arrays. A volume in an external array is called an external LU. A

volume in the local array is called an internal storage virtualizer LDEV (referred to as an internal LDEV).
If External Storage XP is installed, you can use internal LDEVs and external LUs as pool-VOLs. However,

external LUs are more likely to fail than internal LDEVs. In addition, solutions for external LU failures are

more complicated than those for internal LDEV failures. To minimize the effects of failures, HP recommends

using external LUs as follows:

Specify external LUs of only one external array for one pool

Do not specify both internal LDEVs and external LUs as pool-VOLs in one pool

You can specify the external LUs of several external arrays for one pool, or use both internal LDEVs and

external LUs as pool-VOLs in one pool, but in that case, remember that problems such as volume blockade

can occur more easily. For example, if a problem occurs and the external LUs being used as a pool-VOL

are blocked, the pool becomes blocked as well. For more information, see

Recovering blocked pools

.

For more information about external arrays and solutions for errors related to external LUs, see the

HP StorageWorks External Storage XP user guide.

Notes on using Snapshot XP

This section describes switching off the power supply and replacing the microprogram offline while

Snapshot XP is in use.

Switching off the power supply

Before switching off the power supply while Snapshot XP is running, stop host I/O operations. When

switching on the power supply, Snapshot XP behaves differently depending on whether information in

shared memory remains before and after switching off the power supply.

If information in shared memory remains before and after switching off the power supply
You can usually use the pools and Snapshot XP pairs you used before switching off the power.

However, since the array checks the status of pools and pool volumes, if pool volumes are blocked

at that time, the pool is blocked and the status of Snapshot XP pairs changes to PSUE. When this

occurs, you must recover the pools after switching on the power. For more information, see

Recovering

blocked pools

.

If information in shared memory is lost after switching off the power supply
The array has a battery to maintain information in shared memory. However, when a certain time

period elapses after the breaker is turned off, the battery dies and information in shared memory

is lost. If information in shared memory is lost after switching off the power supply, information

about pools and Snapshot XP pairs is erased. Therefore, you must create pools and pairs again

after switching on the power.
For more information about the amount of time before information in shared memory is lost when the

breaker is turned off, contact your HP account support representative.

Replacing the microprogram offline

Replacing the microprogram is usually performed online, but in some cases, such as when the shared

memory configuration must be changed, replacing the microprogram is performed offline. If you replace

34

Using Snapshot XP

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