What Is LUN

Issue 01
Date 2019-07-31

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

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What Is LUN Contents

Contents

1 Concepts.......................................................................................................................................... 1
2 How Does a Server Use LUNs? What Is a LUN on a Server?................................................2
3 LUN vs. Volume.............................................................................................................................3
4 LUN Masking vs. LUN Mapping............................................................................................... 4
5 How Do I Create a LUN?..............................................................................................................5
6 How Do I Expand LUN Capacity?..............................................................................................6

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What Is LUN 1 Concepts

1 Concepts

In a storage area network (SAN), a logical unit number (LUN) is used to identify a logical
unit, which is a device addressed by SCSI. A storage system partitions physical disks into
parts with logical addresses and allows hosts to access the parts. Such a partition is called a
LUN. Generally, a LUN is a logical disk created on a SAN storage system.

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 2 How Does a Server Use LUNs? What Is a LUN on a
What Is LUN Server?

2 How Does a Server Use LUNs? What Is a

LUN on a Server?

A storage system can be connected to application servers running various operating systems
(OSs), such as Windows, Linux, Unix (including AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris), and VMware.
Figure 2-1 shows the process for application servers to use storage space.

Figure 2-1 Process for using storage space

Storage system

Host Application
LUN 2 4
1 group 1 server
group 1 3 Mapping

Mapping Network
view 1

Windows/
... Linux/UNIX/
Data read/write
VMware

1. The user creates LUNs on the storage system based on service requirements. For
centralized management of LUNs, a LUN group must also be created and then mapped
to a host group.
2. A host created on the storage system represents an application server. The user creates a
host on the storage system and associates it with the application server. For centralized
management of hosts, a host group must also be created.
3. The user creates a mapping view and adds the LUN group and host group to the mapping
view. In this way, the application server, host group, and LUN group are logically
associated.
4. After the storage system and application server are properly networked, the application
server can scan LUNs to discover allocated storage space and read/write the LUNs.

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What Is LUN 3 LUN vs. Volume

3 LUN vs. Volume

The definitions of LUN and volume vary with vendors. This section is based on a general
definition that considers volume as a server-side concept.
After a LUN is created on a storage system, it is a logical device on the storage system. When
a server is connected to the storage system, it can identify the LUN on the storage system as a
physical disk. The user can create one or more partitions on the physical disk to obtain one or
more volumes. The volumes are logical devices on the server.
The following compares the capacity of volumes, partitions, and LUNs:
Volume = Partition ≤ Disk in the host's device manager = LUN ≤ Total capacity of disks on
the storage device

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What Is LUN 4 LUN Masking vs. LUN Mapping

4 LUN Masking vs. LUN Mapping

What Is LUN Masking?

LUN masking: A LUN is bound to the World Wide Port Name (WWPN) or iSCSI Qualified
Name (IQN) of a host port to set up a one-to-one or many-to-one connection and access
relationship between the LUN and the host port. The host can identify the same LUN
regardless of which port on the storage system the host connects to.

What Is LUN Mapping?

LUN mapping: A LUN is bound to a front-end port of a storage system. Hosts can access
different LUNs when they connect to different front-end ports.

Use of LUN Masking and LUN Mapping on Huawei Storage

After a host group and a LUN group are added to a mapping view, the application server, host
group, and LUN group are logically associated. Adding the host group to the mapping view
implement LUN masking. In addition, you can add a port group to the mapping view to
implement LUN mapping. The LUNs in the LUN group and the hosts in the host group use
the ports in the port group for communication. If LUN mapping is not implemented, the
LUNs and hosts use randomly allocated ports for communication.

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What Is LUN 5 How Do I Create a LUN?

5 How Do I Create a LUN?

For details on how to create LUNs on Huawei storage systems, see the following:
l Creating a LUN on OceanStor V3 Series V300R006
l Creating a LUN on OceanStor V5 Series V500R007
l Creating a LUN on OceanStor Dorado V3 Series V300R002

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What Is LUN 6 How Do I Expand LUN Capacity?

6 How Do I Expand LUN Capacity?

Figure 6-1 shows the expansion process.

Figure 6-1 Capacity expansion process

Start

Perform a pre-expansion
check.

Locate the LUN to be

expanded.

Expand LUN capacity on

the storage system.

Expand storage space

for the application server.

End

Table 6-1 describes each step in detail.

Table 6-1 Steps for expanding LUN capacity

Step Description

Perform a pre-expansion Before expansion, make sure that the storage system meets the
check. expansion requirements. Obtain and record necessary
information, including the IP address of the application server
that uses the LUN, the WWN of the LUN, or the host LUN
ID.

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What Is LUN 6 How Do I Expand LUN Capacity?

Step Description

Locate the LUN to be Before expanding LUN capacity, confirm information about
expanded. the LUN that carries service data to ensure a successful
expansion.

Expand LUN capacity on Expand the LUN online to the required capacity.
the storage system.

Expand storage space for After the expansion, scan for disks on the application server to
the application server. detect and use the expanded LUN.

For details on how to expand LUN capacity on Huawei storage systems, see the following:
l Expanding LUN Capacity on OceanStor V3 Series V300R006
l Expanding LUN Capacity on OceanStor V5 Series V500R007
l Expanding LUN Capacity on OceanStor Dorado V3 Series V300R002

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