Enabling Legacy Storage

mikerault

What is this storage?
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:frusty: I am using RedHat 4.0 ES on two JNCS 32 bit servers to build an Oracle11g test cluster. I am using a Nexstor RC 8F fibre channel disk array as the shared storage (it has dual fibre channel adapters, makes it easy to hook to two systems). The Nexstor uses HSSDC to DS9 type fibre-copper connectors.

When I place 4 drives in the 8-drive array it works just fine, both servers can see all four drives. The problem comes when I try to add more than four disk drives, as soon as I place the fifth drive into the array it errors with a failed connection light even thoug the POST shows no problems with the array. The JNCS HBAs will startup but can't see any of the disks in the array. Once I remove the additional drive(s) back down to the original 4 the problem goes away.

There are two 8 place dip switches on the Intelligent cabinet controller card, as far as I can tell they are the only accessible settings other than through the LCD display. The are currently set with the two right most switches on on the first switch (labeled R10 and R9) and the third switch from the left side on (labeled R16) the second switch on.

If anyone has any experience with the NexStor RC 8F and is famiiar with the needed switch settings I would sure appreciate the help. If anyone has the manual in PDF format (not the NexStor 8L series or FL, I have that manual and it is useless for this model) that would be great. As far as I can tell the nearest thing to this is the NexStor 18F in that it has the same fibre channel setup, but looking at its switch settings I cannot find this one so I assume they are different.

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Mike Ault
 

Handruin

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I've done multiple HBA FC stuff over optical, but never with smaller arrays like the NexStor. Is there some type of on-board cache that needs to be reconfigured when more capacity is added to the array? Have you tried contacting NexStor? This sounds like a configuration issue with their array.
 

mikerault

What is this storage?
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Aug 1, 2007
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Location
Johns Creek, Georgia
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www.scubamage.com
The cabinet controller card has 2 sets of 8 place dip switches, that is the only settings available. I need the manual to find out the settings. NexStor was bought and the new cmpany no longer supports the equipment and will not answer emails. I agree it is a configuration issue, but without the manual there is no way to determine the settings.

Mike
 

mubs

Storage? I am Storage!
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Even the God with all the answers, Google, draws a blank, as you must be aware. How about one of those "Ask the expert" type sites where you pay for the answer?
 

mikerault

What is this storage?
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
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Location
Johns Creek, Georgia
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www.scubamage.com
Sorry for the typo, that manual is the one, but it is rather sparse. It has the switch settings but I am not sure that is going to help. Right now it shows the switches to be set so that the two first drives are drives 3 and 4 instead of 0 and 1. How that will make a difference I am not sure but I will try to reset them to 0 and 1.

Thanks everyone!

Mike
 

mikerault

What is this storage?
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Aug 1, 2007
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Location
Johns Creek, Georgia
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www.scubamage.com
Turns out I need to specify them as addresses 6 and 7 (devices 7 and 8 ) to end the bus if I am only attaching one cabinet. Now I can see all of the drives but I am still gettting an alarm on the channel. Unfortunately the new drives turn out to be EMC Clarrion pulls so I'll have to do a base format (EMC formats at 520 bytes per block verses the normal 512 BPB) oh well, I have several hours to spare I guess. Funny, I specifically told the vendor on Ebay I couldn't use these if they were from EMC...he assured me they weren't...
 
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