Hi,
I am pretty new in connecting Solaris servers to Clariion CX using
Emulex or any SAN for it matters.

I wonder if anyone can explain or guide me to docus on my queries

** What is persistent binding means?
** what is WWPN?
** when configuring the lpfc.conf, which is the corect WWPN to use?
the one on the HBA or from the CX's SP?

regards,
ubergoonz
the curious sysadmin

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Comments inline...

ubergoonz wrote:
> Hi,
> I am pretty new in connecting Solaris servers to Clariion CX using
> Emulex or any SAN for it matters.
>
> I wonder if anyone can explain or guide me to docus on my queries
>
> ** What is persistent binding means?

Persistent binding ensures that every time your host comes up and
sees the WWN of your storage array port it will assign the same target
number  to it.  This is helpful in case you should present storage to
the host from more than one storage array.  Otherwise storage array A
may get target 0 this time you boot, but might end up at target 1 the
next time.

> ** what is WWPN?

World Wide Port Name -- The same idea as a MAC address for your ethernet
NIC, except for your fibre channel HBA.

> ** when configuring the lpfc.conf, which is the corect WWPN to use?
> the one on the HBA or from the CX's SP?

Use the WWPN of the port on the CX when configuring persistent binding
in lpfc.conf.  You should be able to find answers to most of this stuff
via installation documents from Emulex or from the Document Library on
EMC's PowerLink.  Have fun.

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thanks for the info. it's very helpful Jon. 

also, I am wondering how am i able to obtain the WWPN on the CX if i do
not have access to navisphere manager?

will the lpfc utility allows hlp me to find out? (that works like ping
/arp ) ?

regards,
ubergoonz

Jon Metzger wrote:
> Comments inline...
>
> ubergoonz wrote: 
>
>    Persistent binding ensures that every time your host comes up and
> sees the WWN of your storage array port it will assign the same
target
> number  to it.  This is helpful in case you should present storage to

> the host from more than one storage array.  Otherwise storage array A

> may get target 0 this time you boot, but might end up at target 1 the

> next time.
> 
>
> World Wide Port Name -- The same idea as a MAC address for your
ethernet
> NIC, except for your fibre channel HBA.
> 
>
> Use the WWPN of the port on the CX when configuring persistent
binding
> in lpfc.conf.  You should be able to find answers to most of this
stuff
> via installation documents from Emulex or from the Document Library
on
> EMC's PowerLink.  Have fun.

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ubergoonz@gmail.com wrote:
> thanks for the info. it's very helpful Jon. 
>
> also, I am wondering how am i able to obtain the WWPN on the CX if i do
> not have access to navisphere manager?
>
> will the lpfc utility allows hlp me to find out? (that works like ping
> /arp ) ?
>

I don't think the lputil utility will help you figure it out.  I
usually grab this information from the switch the array is attached to.
If you're not going through a switch and you don't have Navisphere
Manager, do you at least have NaviCLI?  Running "navicli -h <IP address
of SP> getall" will spew all the information you'll probably ever need.

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ubergoonz@gmail.com writes:

> will the lpfc utility allows hlp me to find out? (that works like ping
> /arp ) ?

No, it just allows you to do stuff with the Emulex card (update
firmware, get status).

--
David Magda <dmagda at ee.ryerson.ca>, http://www.magda.ca/
Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under
the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well
under the new. -- Niccolo Machiavelli, _The Prince_, Chapter VI

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Just managed to obtain a navimgr gui login for read only access. that
will allow me to view the WWPN on the SPs.

I noticed that whole chunk of numbers looks like inclusive of WWN and
WWPN.

need to figure out which part of the numbers will be the correct one to
use.

hope to create a script to automate the configuration of the lpfc.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

ubergoonz wrote:
> Just managed to obtain a navimgr gui login for read only access. that
> will allow me to view the WWPN on the SPs.
>
> I noticed that whole chunk of numbers looks like inclusive of WWN and
> WWPN.
>
> need to figure out which part of the numbers will be the correct one to
> use.
>
> hope to create a script to automate the configuration of the lpfc.
>

One option you've got is to use a single lpfc.conf file across all
your hosts and just modify target numbers in sd.conf depending on which
storage port is presenting LUNs.  Every storage port in your enterprise
ends up with its own unique target number.  (Obviously this doesn't work
once your SAN grows outgrows the number of possible targets.)  We found
that system administrators typing in WWNs left a lot of room for error.
It works out for us to give out an lpfc.conf file and tell the
sysadmins to use particular targets.

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