8x00 Enterprise Virtual Array release notes (XCS 6.220) (5697-8035, April 2009)

Online controller firmware upgrade note

HP StorageWorks Engineering has determined that Enterprise Virtual Arrays which are configured

with large amounts of mapped virtual disk capacity may exceed 60 seconds when the restart of the

controllers occurs after a firmware upgrade. During this extended restart time, the array is not

processing server data and this may lead to file system timeouts. Mapped virtual disk capacity is the

sum of all virtual disks, snapshots, and mirrorclones on the array. Allocated on-demand snapshots

consume mapping space equal to the size of the source virtual disk. The online controller firmware

upgrade white paper will be updated to better reflect how to determine this restart time. In the interim,

firmware upgrades on arrays with large amounts of mapped virtual disk capacity should be done

with cautious regard to this possible extended period of unavailability. Work is in progress to determine

the cause of this extended restart time. It is expected that future firmware upgrades will benefit from

this work with decreased restart times.

Adding drive enclosures or expansion racks

Adding drive enclosures or expansion racks to an EVA must be performed by HP-authorized service

personnel. Adding an expansion rack must be completed while the array is offline. Contact HP Services

at http://www.hp.com/support for more information.

Supported system configurations

For complete information on supported configurations and operating systems, see the HP StorageWorks

SAN design reference guide which can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.hp.com/support/manuals

Click Storage Networking under Storage, and then select HP StorageWorks SAN under HP

StorageWorks SAN Solutions.

Supported operating system specifications

For complete information on supported configurations and operating systems, see the Single Point of

Connectivity Knowledge (SPOCK) at http://www.hp.com/storage/spock. You must sign up for an

HP Passport to enable access.

SAN support

The 4 Gb EVA4x00/6x00/8x00 with XCS for HSV200 and HSV210 are enabled for 4 Gb/s on

each FC host path, but will also support 1 Gb/s (with restrictions) and 2 Gb/s FC host paths and

components for backwards compatibility.

NOTE:

1 Gb path and components have specific configuration requirements.

For more information on configuration requirements and support for 2 Gb and 4 Gb EVAs, see the

HP StorageWorks SAN design reference guide, which can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.hp.com/support/manuals

HP StorageWorks 4x00/6x00/8x00 Enterprise Virtual Array release notes (XCS 6.220) 5