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Asset ID: 1-71-1004246.1
Update Date:2010-08-25
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Solution Type  Technical Instruction Sure

Solution  1004246.1 :   Sun StorageTek [TM] 6130/6140/6540 : Change to DMP restore daemon required for an online firmware upgrade  


Related Items
  • Sun Storage 6540 Array
  •  
  • Sun Storage 6130 Array
  •  
  • Sun Storage 6140 Array
  •  
Related Categories
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Storage - Disk>Modular Disk - 6xxx Arrays
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PreviouslyPublishedAs
205870


Description
Sun StorageTek [TM] 6130/6140/6540 arrays perform a controller firmware upgrade by resetting only one controller at a time. This allows for an online firmware upgrade, as long as every host has multipathing configured and operational, because host access to data can be maintained using volume failovers.
However, when using Veritas Volume Manager Dynamic MultiPathing (DMP) as a host's multipathing solution there is a chance that the host could lose access to data during the controller firmware upgrade. This is because DMP uses a restore daemon which only periodically checks to see if a disabled path has become available again, and the default polling interval for this daemon is 300 seconds (5 minutes). If the daemon does not perform a check in the interval between the two controller resets, then the paths to the first controller won't be re-enabled before the paths to the second controller are disabled, resulting in all paths being disabled. Typically, the interval between the controller resets is much less than 5 minutes, e.g. 25 seconds.


Steps to Follow
Before performing a controller firmware upgrade on an Sun StorageTek [TM] 6130/6140/6540 array then the polling interval of the DMP restore daemon should be reduced to 20 seconds on every host which is using DMP for multipathing.

Firstly, check the settings of the restore daemon, and determine it's current polling interval :

# vxdmpadm stat restored 

Next, stop the restore daemon :

# vxdmpadm stop restore

Then, restart the daemon with a polling interval of 20 seconds :

# vxdmpadm start restore interval=20 

Proceed with the firmware upgrade.

When the firmware upgrade has been completed, then the polling interval of the DMP restore daemon should be returned to it's original setting on every host.

Firstly, stop the restore daemon :

# vxdmpadm stop restore

Then, restart the daemon with it's original polling interval, e.g. :

# vxdmpadm start restore interval=300


Product
VERITAS Volume Manager 4.1 Software
VERITAS Volume Manager 4.0 Software
Sun StorageTek 6130 Array
Sun StorageTek 6130 Array (SATA)
Sun StorageTek 6540 Array
Sun StorageTek 6140 Array

Internal Comments
Sun StorageTek [TM] 6130/6140/6540 : Change to DMP restore daemon required for an online firmware upgrade

Based on information in the workaround for the following CR :


Bug ID: 6503902  

Synopsis: Texas Inst. needs a pause upgrading FW in arrays controllers on ST6140. Upgrade pause, upgrade


Also see the following Veritas support document :


"How to modify the DMP restore daemon on Solaris"

http://support.veritas.com/docs/260156


6130, 6140, 6540, SE6130, ST6140, ST6540, firmware, upgrade, online, DMP, path, disable, restore
Previously Published As
88396

Change History
Date: 2007-02-02
User Name: 71396
Action: Approved
Comment: Performed final review of article.
No changes required.
Publishing.
Version: 3
Date: 2007-02-02
User Name: 71396
Action: Accept
Comment:
Version: 0
Date: 2007-02-02
User Name: 38107
Action: Approved
Comment: well written
Version: 0
Date: 2007-01-31
User Name: 38107
Action: Accept
Comment:
Version: 0


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