RA8000/ESA12000 FC-AL High Availability Configurations for Hewlett-Packard HP-UX

This application note provides a comprehensive guide to setting up high-availability configurations for Compaq StorageWorks RAID Array 8000 (RA8000 FC) and Enterprise Storage Array 12000 (ESA12000 FC) Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) storage systems with Hewlett-Packard HP-UX servers. The document details how to achieve various levels of storage protection, from RAID controller failover to complete independent path and server failover, utilizing both hardware and software components such as MC/ServiceGuard and the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) PV Links.

The RA8000 and ESA12000 FC systems are presented as scalable, high-performance SAN solutions offering centralized management, multiple RAID levels, and features like read-ahead and mirrored write-back caches, managed by the StorageWorks Command Console (SWCC). The core of high availability is built upon dual HSG80 array controllers configured in Transparent Failover or Multibus_Failover Mode.

Two primary high-availability configurations are detailed:

1. One Server, PV Links, Dual Controller Multibus_Failover Mode: A basic setup for a single server, leveraging HP-UX PV Links and dual controllers for path failover.
2. Two Servers, HP-UX, MC/ServiceGuard, Dual Controller Multibus_Failover Mode: The most robust setup, combining MC/ServiceGuard clustering with PV Links and dual controllers to provide both server and path redundancy for maximum uptime.

The document also includes general configuration guidelines, maximums for cable length and storage capacity, and specific instructions for using the "mkvglinks" utility to manage volume groups and link physical volumes, along with guidance on logical volume creation and recovery. A list of related documentation is provided for further reference.