SN5428-K9 to HP SanSwitch 2/8-EL and MSA1000

[sorvarit]

Hi!

This case is similar to the post on this forum earlier about Brocade 2800 and SN5428 (the error message is excactly the same).

Well,

I have four Compaq/HP Proliant servers connected to MSA1000 through a HP Storageworks San Switch 2/8EL. That configuration works like a dream.

Im now trying to connect a new Cisco SN5428 iScsi router to the switch, but thats not easy. The FCgbics have links, but on the SN5428 one green light (log) is flashing. In enable mode it´s repeated a message that says it´s trying to connect to a switch in non-interoperability mode. When i Telnet to the HP San switch it says somthing like its not licensed for Wan...

Can this be the problem or is theese components just not compatible?

Tried to seek on the web about upgrade licenses for the HP switch, but i can´t figure out if some of them is the right one.

I Found:

324505-B21 EXTENDED FABRIC FOR SAN SWITCH 2/8-EL

324506-B21 ISL TRUNKING FOR SAN SWITCH 2/8-EL

Nothing is mentioned about a scenario with a iScsi router. This is odd sice HP has the Sr2122 (OEM Cisco SN5420) and i have descriptions for connecting this router to HP MSA1000 and SanSwitch.

The domain id is the same on the router and the switch. The SN5424 is not configured for transparent iScsi routing. Maybe it should?

After hours of search on the web and the vendors sites im feeling like walking on untouched soil in the field of iScsi (at least in Norway, since it took almost 10 weeks to get it, and nobydy at Cisco had a clue about this technology exept then touted about it in the press).

Hope anybode can give me some hints.

Thanks in advance

Orjan Jerijervi

[mrfrase]

The 8 port Brocade Switch that is the StorageWorks Switch does not do SW-2 ISL connectivity mode. When connecting a SN5428 Fibre Channel Port to a StorageWorks switch Fibre Channel port it must connect in SW-2 standards mode and not Brocade Mode. The SN5428 is a Fibre Channel Switch , different from the SN5420 which is not. I do not believe the HP StrorageWorks Switch is sold with the SW-2 feature leaving your only way to connect the StorageWorks switch is to another Brocade switch if you purchase the ISL Trunking license maybe!

[sorvarit]

Thanks for your reply!

I had done one mistake about the domain id. The HP switch had id1 so i now gave the SN5428 id2, but still same error. BUT, then i maually configured the FC port to type E_port instead of Auto. No error then.

If this works for iScsi routing to the SAN is another question. Its no crisis for the moment so i use the try end failure method.

Orjan

[mrfrase]

Are you able to place the HP switch into Interop mode (FC-SW-2) if not the SN5428 will not work with the HP switch. The SN5428 will only talk in standards mode to other FC switches. I did not think the Storageworks switch can be placed in interop mode. As for your questions about iSCSI. There are many Cisco Storage SE's and other Storage Networking professionals across Europe, so there should be plenty of iSCSI and Fibre Channel SAN people the local Cisco SE's and AM's can locate. We have connected up many MSA1000 arrays to the SN5428 and use them to serve up iSCSI targets to iSCSI initiators. HP has worked very close with Cisco on all qualifications. I know of no issues using the MSA1000 connected to the SN5428 and then used for iSCSI connections. If the StorageWorks switch could connect to the SN5428 via standard ISL(E_Port) the SN5428 can also serve up iSCSI targets. We connect Brocade, McData, Qlogic, MDS9000, and any other interop capable switch to the SN5428 to do just that.

[sorvarit]

Will ty to find how to set the HP switch in interop mode (the manuals for the switch did not say much). I wonder, if the SN5428 also is a switch, could i maybe kick out the HP switch and use only the SN5428 directly to the MSA1000 instead?

Since this has been done before. Is there any places i could get some papers/documentation about it? Search on Cisco and HP websites give no hits.

The dream had to by a step by step guide:) HP had a good guide for connecting their Sr2212 to MSA1000 but i bellieve it would help me so much.

Orjan

[mrfrase · Accepted solution]

The SN5428 has a 8 Port FC Switch in it(qlogic). I would simplify your setup adn connect MSA1000 direct to SN5428. Also look at upgrading SN5428 to latest code 3.4.1. Configuration guide is good for this product, have you read it yet. If you can't get to guide let me know and I will email it to you. http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/products/hw/ps4159/ps2160/products_configuration_guide_book09186a00801c3c63.html

[sorvarit]

OK

I will try this later. I have the configuration guide.

When talking about the switching function the HP switch didnt need any configuration. First put in FC-adapters in servers, then connect to switch and at last connect MSA1000 to the switch. All configuration were done from the Array Configuration Utility on the servers and was wery simple (just like creating ordinary raid volumes). Knowledge about FC wasnt neccesary at all.

Hope this could work also for the SN5428 for the "ordinary" FC switching part. Of course iScsi would be a trickier part to implement.

Orjan

[mrfrase]

The SR5422 HP unit does not have the 8 port FC switch funtion in it.

[sorvarit]

Your idea worked! I shut down the hole system and pulled out fc-gbics and cables from the HP SanSwitch 2/8EL. Plugged them in the Cisco SN5428 and fired up one server after another. Everything work just like before:) The HP switch is now for sale:O

It´s a irritating we bought the HP-switch in the first place, but HP in Norway said it couldnt be done without it. Wonder why..$$$ Anywhay nice to have it for spare i think.

The code on my SN5428 is 3.2.2. What is changed fixed in the new code?

Thanx a lot mrfrase!

Orjan

[mrfrase]

Your on the last release of the 3.2 code 3.3 brought the switch up to iSCSI Protocol Standards(draft 20) You can read the release notes for 3.3.1 to see What's New and for 3.4.1 What's New and make a decision. You will want 3.4 for iSNS if you are wishing to use the Microsoft iSCSI driver. Other then that I do not recall any major bug fixes for a MSA1000 and Cisco iSCSI drivers.

[sorvarit]

One last question (i hope).

Should i configure the SN5428 for transparent or non-transparetnt iScsi routing?

In the instuctions it´s recomended to use transparent iScsi routing if it´s connected to an "intelligent" SAN. Im not sure what to think about MSA1000. Configuration takes place in HPs Array configuration utility now from the connected servers. I have never accesed the MSA1000 to do anything. What do you recomend?

Now the SN5428 is configured for non-transparent routing.

Orjan

[mrfrase]

Transparent means that the Storage Array(MSA1000) can control all access of the LUN's to the iSCSI Initiators via the HP Array Config tool. The access control to the storage target on the MSA1000 is completely controlled in the array and no scsirouters or control of LUN mapping or target assignment is done in the SN5428. Transparent mode is setup at initial start-up script, so if you are in scsirouter mode now you will need to clear config and reload and select transparent mode and can select Static or Dynamic. The SN5428 will only be able to accept 64 targets from your array in transparent mode. There is little config in the SN5428 for transparent mode. If you leave the SN5428 in scsirouter mode you can configure the MSA1000 to give all storage to the SN5428 and let it control what iSCSI initiator gets what storage. This is what I do in my lab, I configured the MSA1000 either via console connection to the front controller or use the Array config tool on a HP HBA attached host to expose all luns to the fabric and control the mapping and access in the SN5428, I then need not to have a HP Host connected on the fabric for the Array Config. But then again you may want the dedicated HP HBA attached host for other monitoring of the array i.e power, controller failover monitor....other things tool does. Of course you can run the SN5428 in scsirouter mode and do both config on the MSA and on the SN5428, giving the SN5428 some storage and config access of storage to other HBA attached initiators also with the HP Tool.