VMAX

Comparison on DMX4 and VMAX

EMC VMAX : Storage Reclamation using CLI

Consider following example :Symmetrix ID = 1234

Host Name = CORALHOST
Masking View Name = CORALHOST
Inititaor Group Name = CORALHOST_IG
Port Group Name = CORALHOST_PG (Which contains ports 7g:0, 10g:0)
Storage Group Name = CORALHOST_SG
Initiator WWN = 1000000000000111, 1000000000000112
Thin Pool = THIN_SATA
Devices : AAAA:AAAB
FAST Policy Name : FAST_VP
FAST Policy Storage Group : FAST_REGULAR_SG
1). Backup all the Storage Group and Masking View configuraion currently on
Symmetrix Array 1234
symaccess -sid 1234 f MyBackup1234.bak backup
2). Verify Masking View details (Note it down for your future reference)
symaccess -sid 1234 show view CORALHOST

3). Delete Masking View

symaccess -sid 1234 view -name CORALHOST delete
Or
symaccess sid 1234 view -name CORALHOST delete -unmap (Devices will be unmapped
from the Ports)(Recommended)
4). Verify Initiator Group details
symaccess -sid 1234 show CORALHOST_IG -type init
5). Remove Initiators from Initiator Group
symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_IG -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000111
remove
symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_IG -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000112
remove
6). Delete Initiator Group
symaccess -sid 1234 -type initiator -name CORALHOST_IG delete
NOTE: If you have Parent and Child Initiator Groups. Please go through following steps.
Removing Child IG from a Parent IG:symaccess -sid 1234 -type initiator -name PARENT_IG remove -ig CHILD_IG
7). Check the login status of each WWN
symaccess -sid 1234 -wwn 1000000000000111 list logins (Make sure it is not Logged
In)
symaccess -sid 1234 -wwn 1000000000000112 list logins (Make sure it is not Logged
In)
NOTE : If it is showing as Logged In, dont remove the login details as mentioned in the
Step 8. You can check whether the WWN is a member of any other Initiator Group with the
below commands.
symaccess -sid 1234 list -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000111
symaccess -sid 1234 list -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000112
8). Remove the login details
symaccess -sid 1234 -wwn 1000000000000111 -login remove
symaccess -sid 1234 -wwn 1000000000000112 -login remove
9). Verify Port Group details
symaccess -sid 1234 show CORALHOST_PG -type port
(Make sure this Port Group is not a part of any other Masking View)

10). Remove Ports from Port Group

symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_PG -type port -dirport 7g:0,10g:0 remove
11). Delete Port Group
symaccess -sid 1234 -type port -name CORALHOST_PG delete
12). Verify Storage Group details
symaccess -sid 1234 show CORALHOST_SG -type storage
NOTE: In some environments Storage Group itself is associated with FAST Policy, in that
case, proceed with Step 13 else Step 14.
13). Disassociate Storage Group from FAST Policy (if the FAST Policy is associted
to Storage Group)
symsg -sid 1234 show CORALHOST_SG (This will show you the FAST Policy associated with
this Storage Group)
symfast -sid 1234 -fp_name FAST_VP disassociate -sg CORALHOST_SG
14). Make the deives to 'Not_Ready' state
symdev -sid 1234 not_ready AAAA
symdev -sid 1234 not_ready AAAB
15). Remove devices from Storage Group
symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_SG -type storage remove devs AAAA:AAAB
Or
symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_SG -type storage remove devs AAAA:AAAB
-unmap (Devices will be unmapped from the Ports)(Recommended)
Check the device is mapped to any other ports via below commands
symdev -sid 1234 show AAAA | find "FA"
symdev -sid 1234 show AAAB | find "FA"
If it is mapped to some other ports, need to unmap from that also via following command.
Then only we can able to delete the device.
symconfigure -sid
from dir ALL:ALL;
symconfigure -sid
from dir ALL:ALL;
symconfigure -sid
from dir ALL:ALL;

1234 -cmd "unmap dev AAAA from dir ALL:ALL;unmap dev AAAB
" preview
1234 -cmd "unmap dev AAAA from dir ALL:ALL;unmap dev AAAB
" prepare
1234 -cmd "unmap dev AAAA from dir ALL:ALL;unmap dev AAAB
" commit

16). Delete Storage Group

symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_SG -type storage delete

Check the above devices is a part of any other Storage Group (In some environments,
devices are individually added to FAST Policy Storage Group, if that is the case you need to
remove the devices from FAST Policy Storage Group also.)
symaccess -sid 1234 -type storage list -dev AAAA
symaccess -sid 1234 -type storage list -dev AAAB (This will shows the particular
device is part of any other Storage Group)
If the device is part of Fast Policy Storage Group, remove the device from that Storage
Group.
symaccess -sid 1234 -name FAST_REGULAR_SG -type storage remove devs AAAA:AAAB
NOTE: If these devices are in another Storage Group, it is your requirement to remove
those from that Storage Group also.
17). Check in which pool the device is bound
symdev sid 1234 show AAAA | find "Bound
symdev sid 1234 show AAAB | find "Bound
18). Unbind Thin Devices from Pool
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "unbind tdev AAAA from pool THIN_SATA; unbind tdev
AAAB from pool THIN_SATA;" preview
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "unbind tdev AAAA from pool THIN_SATA; unbind tdev
AAAB from pool THIN_SATA;" prepare
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "unbind tdev AAAA from pool THIN_SATA; unbind tdev
AAAB from pool THIN_SATA;" commit
Check the device is unbound properly via following command
symdev sid 1234 show AAAA | find "Bound
symdev sid 1234 show AAAB | find "Bound
If it is still showing as bound, then execute following command and wait the unbounding to
complete.
symcfg -sid 1234 verify -tdev -unbinding -dev AAAA
symcfg -sid 1234 verify -tdev -unbinding -dev AAAA

-i 10
-i 10

19). Remove devices

symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "delete dev AAAA;delete dev AAAB;" preview
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "delete dev AAAA;delete dev AAAB;" prepare
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "delete dev AAAA;delete dev AAAB;" commit
20). Dissolve meta (If the device is meta, dissolve the meta also)
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "dissolve meta dev AAAA:AAAB;" preview
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "dissolve meta dev AAAA:AAAB;" prepare
symconfigure -sid 1234 -cmd "dissolve meta dev AAAA:AAAB;" commit

EMC VMAX Customer Executable Health Check Tool

VMAX Customer Executable Health Check Tool provides a real-time update on key hardware
system tests. This tool is available to all VMAX customers with Enginuity 5875 code (or
higher) and Unisphere for VMAX version 1.5.1 (or higher).
Health Check Tests

Health check performs the following tests:Vault State Test - Verifies the ability of the system to save data in case of a power
failure.

Spare Drive Test - Verifies that spare drives are available in case of a drive failure.

Memory Test - Verifies that the memory is reporting no errors or disabled banks.

Locks Test - Verifies that there are no software locks present.

Emulations Test - Verifies that all directors are loaded with the same Enginuity
release as that on the service processor.
RDF Test - Verifies that all SRDF links are online.
Environmental Test - Verifies that internal environmental components (power
supplies, fans, batteries, etc.) are reporting no errors.

Battery Test - Verifies that the most-recent battery test reported no errors.

General Tests - Checks for any abnormal conditions in the following areas: volume
status, director status, hung upgrade, code table integrity, directors running same code.

Key Customer Benefits

Gives you the power of EMC technical service experts.

Fast results with clear status updates.

Proactively monitor key hardware checks.

When should you run the health check tool?

Part of your daily routine.

Before and after scheduled configuration changes/storage provisioning.

If you or your customers are experiencing system (storage) issues.

Before and after EMC performs a system upgrade (e.g. microcode or hardware).

Technical Requirements
VMAX Enginuity 5875 or higher

Unisphere for VMAX 1.5.1 or higher

Login to Unisphere as an Administrator or Storage Admin.

(For optimal system functionality, we recommend customers upgrade to the newest releases
of Enginuity code & Unisphere for VMAX.)
Steps to perform a health check on a Symmetrix system

1). Log into Unisphere as Administartor or Storage Admin.

2). Select a Symmetrix system.

3). Select System > Dashboard to open the system Dashboard.

4). Click Health Check.

(The Health Check view opens displaying results of previously run health checks, if any.)
5). Click Run.

6). Determine the health of the Symmetrix system by examining the Status of Last Run and
Log Details fields.

When Health Check Fails (indicated by a red X symbol)

Check Alerts to see if the failed test has a resolution already in progress.
If there are no matching alerts, open a Service Request with EMC Customer Service.
References Links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe255xhqbpk
https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-26454
https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-26473

EMC VMAX Models

EMC VMAX Virtual Provisioning

Consider following examples:Symmetrix ID = 1234
Host Name = CORALHOST
Data Devices = 0A00:0A03
Thin Devices = 0A04:0A05
Thin Pool = THIN_SATA
1). Create a Thin Pool
create pool THIN_SATA type =thin;
2). Create DATA Devices
Create 4 x 2GB Raid-5, DATA Devices.
create dev count=4, config=RAID-5, data_member_count=3,
attribute=datadev, emulation=FBA, size=2GB, disk_group=1;
3). Add DATA Devices to thin pool
0A00:0A03 are DATA devices created in the previous step.
add dev 0A00:0A03 to pool THIN_SATA type=thin
member_state=ENABLE;

4). Create Thin Devices

Create 2 thin devices of size 4GB each.
create dev count=2, config=TDEV, emulation=FBA, size=4GB;
5). Bind Thin Devices to Thin pool
0A04:0A05 are Thin devices created in the previous step.
bind tdev 0A04:0A05 to pool THIN_SATA;
6). Create Storage Group with name CORALHOST_SG and add the
newly created thin devices
symaccess -sid 1234 -type storage -name CORALHOST_SG create devs
0A04:0A05
Now you all set!!!
You can verify your allocations using following commands:symaccess -sid 1234 show CORALHOST_SG -type storage / symsg -sid
1234 show CORALHOST_SG

EMC VMAX: Supported Drive Types

The following size drives types are supported with Symmetrix V-Max Systems at the current
microcode 5874: 146 GB, 200 GB, 300 GB, 400 GB, 450 GB and 1000 GB.

Drive Types

Rotational
Speed

146 GB FC Drive
300 GB FC Drive
400 GB FC Drive
450 GB FC Drive
1000 GB SATA II Drive
200 GB EFD

15K
15K
10K
15K
7.2K
Not Applicable

Open
Systems
Formatted
Capacity
143.53 GB
288.19 GB
393.84 GB
432.29 GB
984.81 GB
196.97 GB

400 GB EFD

Not Applicable

393.84 GB

Mainframe
Formatted
Capacity
139.34
279.77
382.32
419.64
956.02
191.21

GB
GB
GB
GB
GB
GB

382.33 GB

EMC VMAX Storage Provisioning using CLI

Consider following examples:Symmetrix ID = 1234

Host Name = CORALHOST
Devices = AAA:AAB
Initiator WWN = 1000000000000111, 1000000000000112
Ports = 7g:0, 10g:0
Thin Pool = THIN_SATA
1. Create devices
For Normal Devices:create dev count=2, size=18414, data_member_count=3, config=RAID-5,
disk_group=3, emulation=fba, dynamic_capability=dyn_rdf;
For Thin Devices:create dev count=2, size=546133 cyl, emulation=fba, config=tdev, binding to
pool THIN_SATA;
Here, we are going ahead with creating only thin devices. We have created devices AAA:AAB
here.
2. Create Initiator Group

symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_IG -type initiator create

symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_IG -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000111
add
symaccess -sid 1234 -name CORALHOST_IG -type initiator -wwn 1000000000000112
add
3. Create Port Group
symaccess -sid 1234 -type port -name SOBOSAN1234_07G0_10G0 -dirport 7g:0,10g:0
create
4. Create Storage Group
Use the devices that we created above (e.g. AAA:AAB)
symaccess -sid 1234 -type storage -name CORALHOST_SG create devs AAA:AAB
5. Create Masking View
symaccess -sid 1234 create view -name CORALHOST -sg CORALHOST_SG -ig
CORALHOST_IG -pg SOBOSAN1234_07G0_10G0
Now you all set!!!
You can verify your allocations using following commands:symaccess -sid
symaccess -sid
CORALHOST_SG
symaccess -sid
symaccess -sid

1234 show view CORALHOST

1234 show CORALHOST_SG -type storage / symsg -sid 1234 show
1234 show CORALHOST_IG -type initiator
1234 show SOBOSAN1234_07G0_10G0 -type port

EMC VMAX Auto-Provisioning

Auto-provisioning is a new feature which is supported from release of VMAX. Autoprovisioning is used to mask storage. Auto-Provisioning is creating Storage Group, Port
Group and Initiators Group and associate these groups into a Masking View. This will
simplify the process of storage allocation for server on VMAX frames and easy to manage
Storage, Initiators, Ports can be dynamically added or removed from the respective groups.
To use auto provisioning groups on Symmetrix VMAX the ACLX flag must be enabled on the
port.
Auto-Provisioning has below steps:1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Create a Storage Group.

Create a Port Group (follow rule of 17).
Create an Initiator Group.
Associate the groups in a Masking View.
Refresh Masking database.

Storage Group:
Storage group will have the group of devices which needs to be presented to the
host.

Storage group contain Symmetrix devices (Symmetrix Logical Volumes).

The maximum number of storage group allowed per array is 8192.

Each storage group can contain up to 4096 devices.

Each Symmetrix device can belong to more than one storage group.
Command to create storage group and add devices:symaccess sid -type storage name create devs

Port Group:
Port group is the grouping of the frontend ports.

A port can belong to more than one port group.

Ports must have access-logix bit enabled.

May contain any number of valid front end ports

Only Fibre and Gig-E ports on front end directors allowed

A port can belong to multiple port groups. Before a port can be added to a Port group
the ACLX flag must enabled on the port.

Command to create port group and add ports:symaccess sid -type port name create dir:port

Initiator Group:
In Initiator group the server initiators are grouped together.

Contains HBA WWNs

The maximum number of initiator groups allowed per Symmetrix array is 8000.

An initiator group can contain up to 32 initiators Initiator groups.

An initiator can belong to only one group.

256 initiators can be masked to 1 FA port in VMAX.

May contain a Combination of up to 32 Fibre Channel initiators or 8, iSCSI names or

a combination of both.

Once the initiator is in a group, the group can be a member in another initiator
group. It can be grouped within a group. This feature is called cascaded initiator groups, and
is only allowed to a cascaded level of one.
Command to create initiator group and add initiators:symaccess sid -type Initiator name create -WWN
To add Initiator to the existing initiator group:symaccess sid -type Initiator name add -WWN

Masking view:
Masking view is associating Storage Group, Port Group and Initiator Group of the
server.
Device will be mapped automatically to selected port group and masked to selected
initiator groups.
Command to create masking view and associate the respective groups:symaccess sid create view name -sg -pg -ig

Click below for a quick demo regarding Auto-provisioning:http://www.emc.com/collateral/demos/microsites/mediaplayer-video/application-viewprovisioning-storage-vmax.htm