EMC® VNX™ Series

Release 7.1

Configuring Standbys on VNX™

P/N 300-013-817 Rev 01

EMC Corporation
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2 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Contents

Preface.....................................................................................................5

Chapter 1: Introduction...........................................................................7
System requirements...............................................................................................8
Restrictions...............................................................................................................8
VNX restrictions............................................................................................8
Limitations......................................................................................................9
Cautions and warnings.........................................................................................10
User interface choices...........................................................................................10
Related information..............................................................................................11

Chapter 2: Concepts.............................................................................13
Data Mover failover..............................................................................................14
Data Mover failure detection...............................................................................14
Control Station failover considerations..............................................................15
Standby operations................................................................................................16
Choose standby Data Movers..............................................................................17
Failover policies...........................................................................................17
Failover example.........................................................................................17
Testing standby relationships....................................................................18
Standby Data Mover rules.........................................................................19
Uses of the server_standby command................................................................19

Chapter 3: Configuring.........................................................................21
Configure a standby Data Mover........................................................................22

Chapter 4: Managing............................................................................23

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 3

Contents

Activate a standby Data Mover...........................................................................24

Restore a primary Data Mover............................................................................25
Convert a standby Data Mover to a primary Data Mover..............................26
Delete the standby relationship...........................................................................26
Change the Data Mover type to primary...........................................................27
Verify standby Data Mover readiness................................................................28
Use the standby Control Station.........................................................................28
Failover from a standby Control Station............................................................28
Failover from a primary Control Station...........................................................29

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting..................................................................31
EMC E-Lab Interoperability Navigator..............................................................32
VNX user customized documentation...............................................................32
Troubleshoot a failover that has failed...............................................................32
Error messages.......................................................................................................32
EMC Training and Professional Services...........................................................33

Chapter 6: Standby Data Mover Example..........................................35

Standby Data Mover example.............................................................................36

Glossary..................................................................................................41

Index.......................................................................................................43

4 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Preface

As part of an effort to improve and enhance the performance and capabilities of its product lines,
EMC periodically releases revisions of its hardware and software. Therefore, some functions described
in this document may not be supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use.
For the most up-to-date information on product features, refer to your product release notes.
If a product does not function properly or does not function as described in this document, please
contact your EMC representative.

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 5

 Preface

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6 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 1

Introduction

EMC VNX for File/Unified can be configured with one or multiple Data
Movers and one or two Control Stations. The standby Data Mover or
Control Station assumes operation from the failed component. The VNX
Installation Assistant also supports the initialization of dual Control Station
systems.
Each Data Mover is a completely autonomous file server with its own
operating system image. During normal operations, the clients interact
directly with the Data Mover, not only for NFS or CIFS access but also for
control operations such as mounting and unmounting file systems. Data
Mover failover can protect the system against hardware or software failure.
The primary role of the Control Station is to monitor a Data Mover and to
affect administrative changes in a Data Mover’s configuration.
This document is part of the VNX documentation set and is intended for
the system administrators responsible for managing high availability for
Data Movers and Control Stations in a system.
Topics included are:
◆ System requirements on page 8
◆ Restrictions on page 8
◆ Cautions and warnings on page 10
◆ User interface choices on page 10
◆ Related information on page 11

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 7

Introduction

System requirements
Table 1 on page 8 describes the EMC® VNX™ software, hardware, network, and storage
configurations required for configuring standbys as described in this document.

Table 1. System requirements

Software VNX version 7.0

Hardware A primary Control Station and Data Mover with standby
Control Station and Data Mover respectively. The standby
Data Mover must be identical in hardware configuration to
the primary Data Mover.
Network The standby Data Mover must be connected to the network
to support failover operations. The standby Control Station
must be assigned an IP address and connected to the inter-
nal and external network.
Storage No specific storage requirements.

Restrictions
When configuring standby Data Movers, you cannot:
◆ Create a standby Data Mover for a standby
◆ Use a primary Data Mover as a standby
◆ Create a new interface for a Data Mover while it is failed over to its standby
Data Mover failover is supported for physical Data Movers only. Virtual Data Movers
(VDMs) associated with a physical Data Mover fail over with the physical Data Mover.

VNX restrictions
VNX for File/Unified can be configured with one or multiple Data Movers and one or two
Control Stations. Table 2 on page 8 lists the Data Movers and Control Station combinations
for the VNX series.

Table 2. Control Station and Data Mover combinations for VNX Series

Type of VNX Number of Data Movers Number of Control Stations

VNX for File/Unified
VNX5300 1 or 2 1 or 2
VNX5500 1 or 2 or 3 1 or 2

8 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Introduction

Table 2. Control Station and Data Mover combinations for VNX Series (continued)

Type of VNX Number of Data Movers Number of Control Stations

VNX5700 2 or 3 or 4 1 or 2
VNX7500 2 to 8 1 or 2
VNX Gateways
VNX VG2 1 or 2 1 or 2
VNX VG8 2 to 8 1 or 2

Limitations
More information on limitations in using EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF®)
with redundant Control Stations is available in Using SRDF/S with VNX for Disaster Recovery.

Restrictions 9
Introduction

Cautions and warnings

If any of this information is unclear, contact your EMC Customer Support Representative
for assistance:
◆ If the Control Station is not running, Data Mover failover cannot occur. When the Control
Station returns to service, it recognizes the Data Mover failure and initiates the appropriate
action depending on the failover policy of automatic, retry, or manual.
◆ If you update the primary or standby Data Mover configuration, you must update all
Data Movers to the same configuration by using the command server_devconfig ALL.
Otherwise, when the primary Data Mover fails over to the standby, some file systems
might be unavailable.

User interface choices

The VNX system offers flexibility in managing networked storage based on the support
environment and interface preferences. This document describes how to configure standbys
by using the VNX command line interface (CLI). You can also perform some of these tasks
by using one of these management applications:
◆ EMC Unisphere™
◆ Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins
◆ Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) extensions
For additional information about managing your VNX:
◆ Learning about EMC VNX
◆ EMC Unisphere online help
◆ Application’s online help system on the EMC VNX for File Documentation on the EMC
Online Support website
Installing Management Applications on VNX for File includes instructions on launching
Unisphere, and on installing the MMC snap-ins and the ADUC extensions.

Limitations
You cannot use the Unisphere to configure the following actions:

◆ Set up a manual failover policy

◆ Manually fail over a Data Mover to a standby
◆ Initiate a Control Station failover or takeover
VNX for File Release Notes offer additional, late-breaking information about VNX
management applications.

10 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Introduction

Related information
Specific information related to the features and functionality described in this document are
included in:

◆ VNX Glossary
◆ EMC VNX Command Line Interface Reference for File
◆ VNX for File man pages
◆ Parameters Guide for VNX
◆ VNX System Operations
◆ Using SRDF/S with VNX for Disaster Recovery
◆ Using SRDF/A with VNX
◆ Configuring and Managing Networking on VNX
◆ Celerra Network Server Error Messages Guide
◆ VNX for File Release Notes
◆ Problem Resolution Roadmap for VNX

EMC VNX documentation on the EMC Online Support website

The complete set of EMC VNX series customer publications is available on the EMC
Online Support website. To search for technical documentation, go to
http://Support.EMC.com. After logging in to the website, click the VNX Support by
Product page to locate information for the specific feature required.

VNX wizards
Unisphere software provides wizards for performing setup and configuration tasks. The
Unisphere online help provides more details on the wizards.

Related information 11
Introduction

12 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 2

Concepts

Failover occurs when a standby component takes over for a failed primary
component by immediately routing data to an alternate data path or device
to avoid interrupting services during a failure. Data Movers and Control
Stations support failover.
Topics included are:
◆ Data Mover failover on page 14
◆ Data Mover failure detection on page 14
◆ Control Station failover considerations on page 15
◆ Standby operations on page 16
◆ Choose standby Data Movers on page 17
◆ Uses of the server_standby command on page 19

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 13

Concepts

Data Mover failover

Creating a standby Data Mover ensures continuous access to file systems. When a primary
Data Mover fails over to a standby, the standby Data Mover assumes the identity and
functions of the failed Data Mover.
To act as a standby server, a Data Mover must first be configured as a standby for one or
more primary Data Movers. For example, you can have one standby Data Mover acting as
a standby for three other active Data Movers. If one of the primary Data Movers fails over,
the standby Data Mover assumes the IP and MAC addresses and functions of the failed
Data Mover. The former standby is now a primary and is no longer available in a standby
capacity.
The standby Data Mover must have the same type of network interface cards (NICs) as the
Data Mover with which it is associated. Any FTP, archive, or Network Data Management
Protocol (NDMP) sessions that are active when the failure occurs are automatically
disconnected and must be manually restarted.
Figure 1 on page 14 shows a standby relationship.

Figure 1. Primary/standby relationship

Data Mover failure detection

To detect a Data Mover failure, the Control Station monitors the periodic heartbeat of all
Data Movers through the redundant internal networks that connect the Control Station to
each Data Mover. If the Control Station detects a failure, it responds according to the policy
type established when the standby relationship was created.
If the problem persists, and if CallHome or Email Home is configured, the Control Station
calls EMC Customer Service or your service provider with a notification of the event and
diagnostic information.

14 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Concepts

If the Control Station is not running, Data Mover failover cannot occur. When the
Control Station returns to service, it will recognize the Data Mover failure and initiate
the appropriate action depending on the automatic, retry, or manual failover policy.

Table 3 on page 15 summarizes the Data Mover failover.

Table 3. Data Mover failover

Failover occurs under any of these conditions Failover does not occur under
these conditions
◆ Data Mover panic: Any hardware faults or ◆ Manually restarting a Data
software exceptions that may result in a Data Mover
Mover panic. ◆ Removing a Data Mover from
◆ Stale reason code: Any software exceptions its slot
or hardware failures (including sticky memory
errors) that result in a stale reason code for a
Data Mover.
◆ Data Mover hang: Any conditions that lead to
both the internal interfaces down and cause
the Data Mover to hang.
◆ Failover failure: Catastrophic failure during a
failover operation.
◆ Spontaneous Data Mover reset: Any software
or hardware exception that causes a sponta-
neous reset of the Data Mover without causing
a Data Mover panic (for release 5.6.48.x and
later).

Note: If a standby Data Mover is not configured, a Data Mover may panic and restart itself in certain
cases when it detects a software problem, that is, a software panic or an exception. Typically, the restart
takes less than 100 seconds. NFS applications and NFS clients do not see any interruption, but might
see the message "server not responding" during the restart. In similar cases, if the standby Data Mover
is configured, then failover occurs.

Control Station failover considerations

VNX software provides uninterrupted file access to users even when the Control Station is
restarted, upgraded, or unavailable. All VNX for File/Unified systems support configurations
with dual, redundant Control Stations. The Control Station software, used to configure and
manage VNX, operates independently of the file-access operations and services provided
by Data Movers.
With redundant Control Stations, consider the following:
If a Control Station fails:
◆ Individual Data Movers continue to respond to user requests.

Control Station failover considerations 15

Concepts

◆ User access to data is uninterrupted.

If the primary Control Station goes offline for any reason:
◆ The secondary Control Station, if properly configured, automatically takes over all Control
Station functions.
◆ The VNX system uses the CallHome or Email Home utility to notify EMC Customer
Service (or your service provider) of the event.
Under normal circumstances, after the primary Control Station fails over, you continue to
use the secondary Control Station as the primary. After the primary Control Station is
repaired or replaced and Control Stations are restarted, either directly or as a result of a
powerdown and restart cycle, you need to restore the roles of the primary and secondary
Control Station manually by using the cs_standby command.

Standby operations
When any failover condition occurs, you can transfer functionality from the primary to the
standby Data Mover without disrupting the availability of the file system. The standby Data
Mover assumes the following identities from the faulted Data Mover:
◆ Network identity — IP and MAC addresses of all its NICs
◆ Storage identity — File systems controlled by the faulted Data Mover
◆ Service identity — Shares and exports controlled by the faulted Data Mover
The standby Data Mover assumes user file system services (if the policy is set to automatic)
within a few seconds of the failure, transparently, and without requiring users to unmount
and remount the file system.

16 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Concepts

Choose standby Data Movers

To configure a standby Data Mover, you must first designate a standby, link the standby
with the primary Data Mover, and define the failover policy.

Failover policies
The failover policy determines how a standby Data Mover takes over after a primary Data
Mover fails. The Control Station invokes this policy when it detects the failure of the primary
Data Mover. Table 4 on page 17 lists the supported failover policies.

Table 4. Failover standby policies

Policy Action on failure of the primary Data Mover

Auto The Control Station immediately activates the standby Data Mover.
Retry The Control Station first tries to recover the primary Data Mover. If the recovery
fails, the Control Station activates the standby.
Manual (default) The Control Station shuts down the primary Data Mover and takes no other
action. The standby must be activated manually.

Note: The failover policy is associated with the primary Data Mover. Each primary can have only one
policy assigned to it at a time.

Failover example
Figure 2 on page 18 shows how failover works. In this example, server_2 is the primary and
server_7 is the standby. When the standby is activated, the following occurs:
1. The faulted primary is renamed server_2.faulted.server_7.
2. The standby Data Mover assumes the name of the failed primary Data Mover, server_2.
When the primary Data Mover is restored, each Data Mover takes on its original name:
server_2 for the primary Data Mover and server_7 for the standby.

Choose standby Data Movers 17

Concepts

Figure 2. Failover example

If a Data Mover fails, the VNX clients retain normal NFS functions, but FTP, archive,
or NDMP sessions are lost and not restarted. Connections between CIFS clients and
the Data Mover are lost, but the redirector on the client reconnects with the Data
Mover after the failover. However, all data cached by the clients before failover is
lost and data loss can occur. Client applications that use the shares might not recover.

Testing standby relationships

To test a standby Data Mover, you must manually fail it over and then fail it back. Standby
Data Movers are not tested otherwise.

CIFS access after failover

In most cases, during a system restart, CIFS clients can open a new session and reinitialize
their contexts. However, because CIFS is not stateless, this can fail to occur in some cases,
as with any Windows Server. For example, a lock conflict can occur if clients reconnect
out of order. Therefore, any application that accesses file systems on an activated standby
Data Mover might receive an error message.

18 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Concepts

Standby Data Mover rules

To determine whether a Data Mover can be designated as a standby, you must:
◆ Verify that the standby Data Mover is operational.
◆ Ensure that the standby Data Mover’s NIC configuration is equivalent to or greater than
that of the intended primary Data Mover.
◆ Ensure that the standby Data Mover has no mounted file systems and is not running any
application.
After these criteria are met, you can establish the Data Mover as a standby for any primary
Data Mover in the same cabinet.
It is also possible to configure multiple standby Data Movers in VNX. A standby can function
for only one faulty primary Data Mover at a time. You can configure:
◆ Each standby Data Mover as a standby for a group of primary Data Movers.
◆ Multiple standby Data Movers for a primary Data Mover. If a Data Mover has multiple
standbys, it will fail over only once from production to a standby. If the standby fails, it
will not fail over to another standby.
A standby Data Mover is not configured with an IP address. When activated, the standby
Data Mover assumes the IP addresses of primary Data Mover.
After the failover policy is defined for a primary Data Mover that policy remains in effect
until overridden by defining subsequent standby Data Movers for that primary Data Mover.

Note: Using SRDF/S with VNX for Disaster Recovery or Using SRDF/A with VNX provide additional
information on configuring standby Data Movers.

Uses of the server_standby command

Table 5 on page 19 lists two possible uses of the server_standby command.

Table 5. Standby relationship

If the specified Data Mover is The command

A standby Data Mover
Verifies that the Data Mover has the
appropriate hardware configuration to
continue to serve as a standby for the
primary Data Mover.
If the Data Mover serves as a standby
for multiple primary Data Movers, the
system verifies the hardware configura-
tion of the first primary Data Mover.

Choose standby Data Movers 19

Concepts

Table 5. Standby relationship (continued)

If the specified Data Mover is The command

A regular Data Mover configured with
a standby
Verifies that the standby has the appro-
priate hardware configuration to contin-
ue to be a standby for the specified
Data Mover.
If the primary Data Mover has multiple
standbys, the system verifies the hard-
ware configuration of the first standby
Data Mover.

20 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 3

Configuring

The task to configure a standby Data Mover is:

◆ Configure a standby Data Mover on page 22

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 21

Configuring

Configure a standby Data Mover

Use this procedure to configure a standby Data Mover for a primary Data Mover.

Action
To configure a standby Data Mover for a primary Data Mover, use this command syntax:
$ server_standby <movername> -create mover=<source_movername> [-policy <poli
cy_type>]

where:
<movername> = name of the primary Data Mover

<source_movername> = name of the standby Data Mover

<policy_type> = failover policy (auto, retry, or manual). If this option is omitted, the manual policy is used.

Example:
To configure server_5 as a standby for the primary Data Mover server_4 with the automatic failover policy, type:
$ server_standby server_4 -create mover=server_5 -policy auto

Output
server_4 : server_5 is rebooting as standby

After you finish

If the failover policy of a primary Data Mover is set to manual, use the procedure given
above, when that primary Data Mover fails.

22 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 4

Managing

Topics included are:

◆ Activate a standby Data Mover on page 24
◆ Restore a primary Data Mover on page 25
◆ Convert a standby Data Mover to a primary Data Mover on page 26
◆ Delete the standby relationship on page 26
◆ Change the Data Mover type to primary on page 27
◆ Verify standby Data Mover readiness on page 28
◆ Use the standby Control Station on page 28
◆ Failover from a standby Control Station on page 28
◆ Failover from a primary Control Station on page 29

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 23

Managing

Activate a standby Data Mover

Use this procedure to activate a standby Data Mover when the policy type is set to manual
and the primary Data Mover fails. Regardless of its failover policy, you can manually activate
a standby Data Mover.

Before you begin

Investigate the problem by:
◆ Checking error logs
◆ Ruling out external factors, such as network, router, client, or system problems

Procedure

Note:

◆ This process can take some time to complete, depending on the size of the file systems. A message
appears that indicates completion.
◆ The primary Data Mover assumes the name <primary>.faulted.<standby>. The standby Data Mover
assumes the name of the failed primary Data Mover.

Action
To activate the standby Data Mover for a failed primary Data Mover, use this command syntax:
$ server_standby <movername> -activate mover
where:
<movername> = name of the failed primary Data Mover

Example:
To activate the standby Data Mover for server_4, type:
$ server_standby server_4 -activate mover

Output

server_4
server_4 : going offline
server_5 : going active
replace in progress ...done
failover activity complete
commit in progress (not
interruptible)...done

server_4 : renamed as
server_4.faulted.server_5
server_5 : renamed as server_4

24 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Managing

Restore a primary Data Mover

After the problem that caused the failure is corrected, or the failed Data Mover is replaced,
use this procedure to restore the primary and standby Data Movers to their original states.

Use only this procedure to restart and restore a Data Mover. If you manually restart
the faulted Data Mover, it broadcasts the same MAC address as the active standby
Data Mover. This can cause system conflicts and loss of network connections.

Note: The Data Mover names revert to their original settings. To verify the Data Mover type, use the
nas_server -list command.

Action
To restore the primary Data Mover, use this command syntax:
$ server_standby <movername> -restore mover
where:
<movername> = original name of the failed primary Data Mover. Do not use the faulted name.

Example:
To restore a faulted Data Mover as the primary Data Mover (server_4), type:
$ server_standby server_4 -restore mover

Output

server_4 :
server_4 : going standby
server_4.faulted.server_5 : going active
replace in progress ...done
failover activity complete
commit in progress (not interruptible)...done

server_4 : renamed as server_5

server_4.faulted.server_5 : renamed as server_4

Restore a primary Data Mover 25

Managing

Convert a standby Data Mover to a primary Data Mover

Perform the following tasks to convert a standby Data Mover to a separate primary Data
Mover:
1. Delete the standby relationship on page 26
2. Change the Data Mover type to primary on page 27
If you want a standby Data Mover to take over for a failed primary Data Mover, use the
procedure, Activate a standby Data Mover on page 24.

Delete the standby relationship

This task disassociates the standby Data Mover from the primary Data Mover. The former
standby becomes an independent Data Mover.

Action
To delete the relationship between a primary and a standby Data Mover, use this command syntax:
$ server_standby <movername> [-delete mover=<standby_movername>]
where:
<movername> = name of the primary Data Mover

<standby_movername> = name of the standby Data Mover (if the primary has multiple standbys)

Example:
To remove the standby relationship between server_4 and its only standby Data Mover, type:
$ server_standby server_4 -delete mover

Output
server_4 : done

26 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Managing

Change the Data Mover type to primary

Use this procedure to change a former standby Data Mover to a new primary Data Mover.

Action
To change a former standby Data Mover to a primary, use this command syntax:
$ server_setup <movername>-type nas
where:
<movername> = name of the former standby Data Mover

Example:
To make server_5 a primary Data Mover, type:
$ server_setup server_5 -type nas

Output

server_3 : reboot in progress 0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.1.1.3.3.3.3.3.4. done

server_3 : checking root filesystem ... done
server_3 : verifying setup for Unicode fonts ... done
server_3 : updating local system configuration ...operation in progress
(not interruptible)...

id = 0
name = jimmy
owner = 0
device =
channel =
net_path = 10.6.1.148
celerra_id = APM000637012930000
done

After you finish

You must assign a new IP address for the new primary Data Mover. Configuring and Managing
Networking on VNX provides instructions.

Change the Data Mover type to primary 27

Managing

Verify standby Data Mover readiness

Use this procedure after the initial standby configuration when a Data Mover is replaced.

Action
To verify the readiness of a standby, use this command syntax:
$ server_standby <movername> -verify mover
where:
<movername> = name of the Data Mover

Example:
To verify the standby status for server_4, type:
$ server_standby server_4 -verify mover

Output
server_4 : ok

Use the standby Control Station

If a fault is detected on the primary Control Station and there is a secondary Control Station
in the system, the Control Station fails over automatically. The Control Station can also be
failed over manually.

Note: The standby Control Station does not take on the IP address of the faulted Control Station. Each
Control Station is configured with its own IP address. However, you can configure an IP alias that
connects to the active Control Station. VNX System Operations provides more information on IP alias
configuration.

Failover from a standby Control Station on page 28 provides the procedure for changing
the state of the standby to that of the primary (takeover).
Failover from a primary Control Station on page 29 provides the procedure for changing
the state of the primary (failover) to that of standby, and activating the standby to take over
the role of primary.
You must log in as nasadmin and use the su command to become root to perform these
tasks.

Failover from a standby Control Station

The given command can be performed only on the standby Control Station. If you try to
use this command from the primary Control Station, the following error message appears:

The -takeover option is only valid on a standby Control Station.

28 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Managing

Action
To change a standby Control Station to a primary Control Station, from the /nasmcd/sbin directory, type:
#./cs_standby -takeover

Output

Taking over as Primary Control Station

done

Failover from a primary Control Station

During a failover or takeover, EMC TimeFinder®/FS, SRDF, file system extend, and quota
operations might be interrupted.

Action
To change a primary Control Station to a standby Control Station, from the /nas/sbin directory, type:
# ./cs_standby -failover

Output

The system will reboot, do you wish to continue [yes

or no]: y
Failing over from Primary Control Station
Broadcast message from root (pts/0) Fri Apr 11 11:09:21 2003...
The system is going down for reboot NOW!!

Failover from a primary Control Station 29

Managing

30 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 5

Troubleshooting

As part of an effort to continuously improve and enhance the performance

and capabilities of its product lines, EMC periodically releases new versions
of its hardware and software. Therefore, some functions described in this
document may not be supported by all versions of the software or
hardware currently in use. For the most up-to-date information on product
features, refer to your product release notes.
If a product does not function properly or does not function as described
in this document, contact your EMC representative.
Topics included are:
◆ EMC E-Lab Interoperability Navigator on page 32
◆ VNX user customized documentation on page 32
◆ Troubleshoot a failover that has failed on page 32
◆ Error messages on page 32
◆ EMC Training and Professional Services on page 33

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 31

Troubleshooting

EMC E-Lab Interoperability Navigator

The EMC E-Lab™ Interoperability Navigator is a searchable, web-based application that
provides access to EMC interoperability support matrices. It is available on the EMC Online
Support website at http://Support.EMC.com. After logging in, locate the applicable Support
by Product page, find Tools, and click E-Lab Interoperability Navigator.

VNX user customized documentation

EMC provides the ability to create step-by-step planning, installation, and maintenance
instructions tailored to your environment. To create VNX user customized documentation,
go to: https://mydocs.emc.com/VNX.

Troubleshoot a failover that has failed

A failover process that is killed by an external process, Control Station restart, or Control
Station failover causes inconsistent configuration between the Control Station and Data
Mover. This occurs because the failover process fails before the change is committed to the
VNX database on the Control Station. You can resolve the problem by looking at the
/nas/log/sys_log and ensuring that:

◆ The recover_slot event was logged.

◆ The secondary Data Mover restarted.

Error messages
All event, alert, and status messages provide detailed information and recommended actions
to help you troubleshoot the situation.
To view message details, use any of these methods:

◆ Unisphere software:

• Right-click an event, alert, or status message and select to view Event Details, Alert
Details, or Status Details.

◆ CLI:

• Type nas_message -info <MessageID>, where <MessageID> is the message

identification number.

◆ Celerra Error Messages Guide:

32 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Troubleshooting

• Use this guide to locate information about messages that are in the earlier-release
message format.

◆ EMC Online Support website:

• Use the text from the error message's brief description or the message's ID to search
the Knowledgebase on the EMC Online Support website. After logging in to EMC
Online Support, locate the applicable Support by Product page, and search for the
error message.

EMC Training and Professional Services

EMC Customer Education courses help you learn how EMC storage products work together
within your environment to maximize your entire infrastructure investment. EMC Customer
Education features online and hands-on training in state-of-the-art labs conveniently located
throughout the world. EMC customer training courses are developed and delivered by EMC
experts. Go to the EMC Online Support website at http://Support.EMC.com for course and
registration information.
EMC Professional Services can help you implement your system efficiently. Consultants
evaluate your business, IT processes, and technology, and recommend ways that you can
leverage your information for the most benefit. From business plan to implementation, you
get the experience and expertise that you need without straining your IT staff or hiring and
training new personnel. Contact your EMC Customer Support Representative for more
information.

EMC Training and Professional Services 33

Troubleshooting

34 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 6

Standby Data Mover

Example

The example describes the various tasks associated with a standby Data
Mover:
◆ Standby Data Mover example on page 36

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 35

Standby Data Mover Example

Standby Data Mover example

This example shows how to:
◆ Create a standby Data Mover for the primary Data Mover.
◆ Get information about the Data Movers.
◆ Manually fail over to the standby Data Mover.
◆ Restore the original primary Data Mover.
◆ Remove the standby relationship.
◆ Reconfigure the standby Data Mover as a primary Data Mover.
1. List the status of available servers:
$ nas_server -list
Output:

id type acl slot groupID state name

1 1 1432 2 0 server_2
2 4 1432 3 0 server_3
Type 1 indicates that the Data Mover is a primary (in this case, server_2).

2. Create server_3 as a standby for server_2, the primary Data Mover:

$ server_standby server_2 -create mover=server_3
Output:

server_2 : done

Note: If you define multiple standby Data Movers for the same primary Data Mover, the most
recent policy for the primary Data Mover is used if no policy is specified.

3. Review the information for server_2, the primary Data Mover:

$ nas_server -info server_3
Output:

id = 2
name = server_3
acl = 1432,
owner = nasadmin,
ID = 201
type = standby
slot = 3
member_of =
standbyfor = server_2
status :
defined = enabled
actual = online, ready

36 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Standby Data Mover Example

4. Review the information for server_2, the primary Data Mover:

$ nas_server -info server_2
Output:

id = 1
name = server_2
acl = 1432,
owner = nasadmin,
ID = 201
type = nas
slot = 2
member_of =
standby = server_3, policy=manual
status :
defined = enabled
actual = online, active

5. Initiate a manual failover of server_2 to its standby Data Mover:

$ server_standby server_2 -activate mover
Output:

server_2 :
server_2 : going offline
server_3 : going active
replace in progress ...done
failover activity complete
commit in progress
(not interruptible)...done

server_2 : renamed as server_2.faulted.server_3

server_3 : renamed as server_2

6. List the status of the Data Movers:

$ nas_server -list
Output:

id type acl slot groupID state name

1 4 1432 2 2 server_2.faulted.server3
2 1 1432 3 0 server_2
This list shows the new names for the servers.

7. Review the information for server_2 (the new primary):

$ nas_server -info server_2
Output:

Standby Data Mover example 37

Standby Data Mover Example

id = 2
name = server_2
acl = 1432,
owner = nasadmin,
ID=201
type = nas
slot = 3
member_of =
standby = server_2.faulted.server_3, policy=manual
status :
defined = enabled
actual = online, active

Note: After a server fails over to one of its standby servers (in this example, server_3), no other
standby for the faulted server can be used. When the primary Data Mover is restored, all standbys
originally defined for the Data Mover will be available again.

8. Restore the original primary Data Mover:

$ server_standby server_2 -restore mover
Output:

server_2 :
server_2 : going standby
server_2.faulted.server_3 : going active
replace in progress ...done
failover activity complete
commit in progress (not interruptible)...done
server_2 : renamed as server_3
server_2.faulted.server_3 : renamed as server_2
Both servers return to their original names.

9. Remove the standby relationship between the Data Movers:

$ server_standby server_2 -delete mover=server_3
Output:

server_2 : done

10. Verify that server_2 no longer has an associated standby Data Mover:
$ nas_server -info server_2
Output:

38 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Standby Data Mover Example

id = 1
name = server_2
acl = 1432,
owner = nasadmin,
ID=201
type = nas
slot = 2
member_of =
standby =
status :
defined = enabled
actual = online, active

11. Reconfigure server_3 as a primary Data Mover:

$ server_setup server_3 -type nas
Output:

server_3 : reboot in progress 0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.1.1.3.3.3.3.3.4.

done
server_3 : checking root filesystem ... done
server_3 : verifying setup for Unicode fonts ... done server_3 : updating
local system configuration ...operation
in progress (not interruptible)...
id = 0
name = jimmy
owner = 0
device =
channel =
net_path = 10.6.1.148
celerra_id = APM000637012930000
done

Standby Data Mover example 39

Standby Data Mover Example

40 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Glossary

Control Station
Hardware and software component of VNX for file that manages the system and provides the
user interface to all VNX for file components.

Data Mover
In VNX for file, a cabinet component that is running its own operating system that retrieves
data from a storage device and makes it available to a network client. This is also referred to as
a blade.

Data Mover failover

Process started when an active Data Mover fails. The Control Station activates the failing Data
Mover’s standby replacement, if one is configured. The standby Data Mover takes the identity
of the failed Data Mover and continues processing requests. If a Data Mover has multiple
standbys, it will fail over only once from production to a standby. If the standby fails, it will
not fail over to another standby. Multiple active Data Movers can be associated with a single
standby Data Mover.

failover
Process of immediately routing data to an alternate data path or device to avoid interrupting
services in the event of a failure. The impact to service is dependent on the application’s ability
to handle the change gracefully.

standby device
Device held in reserve against a failure of its active partner. When the active device fails, the
standby device takes over.

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 41

Glossary

42 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1

 Index

C example of configuring standby 36

cautions 10
change standby to primary 26 F
concepts 13 failover
configuration tasks 22 troubleshooting failure 32
configuring a standby 22 failover, Control Station 15
Control Station failover, Data Mover 14, 17
fail over from primary 29 conditions 14
failover 15 example 17
failover from a standby 28 policies 17
use standby 28 policy types (table) 17
cs_standby 29 failure detection, Data Mover 14

D I
Data Mover interface choices 10
activate standby 24
change from standby to primary 26, 27
create standby relationship 22 L
failover 14
failover policies 17 limitations 9
failure detection 14
restore primary 25 M
standby relationship 14
verify after upgrade 28 messages, error 32
delete standby relationship 26
documents, related 11
N
E nas_server
view Data Mover list 36, 37
EMC E-Lab Navigator 32
error messages 32
P
primary Control Station

Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1 43

Index

primary Control Station (continued) standby Control Station 28

failover from 29 standby Data Mover
change to primary 26, 27
configuring 22
R delete standby relationship 26
related information 11 operations 16
restrictions 8 verify readiness 28
standby relationship 14
system requirementsrequirements, system 8
S
server_setup U
change from standby to primary 27
server_standby user interface choices 10
create standby 22
delete standby relationship 26 W
uses 19
verify after Data Mover upgrade 28 warnings 10

44 Configuring Standbys on VNX 7.1