Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard: Additional Instructions for HP-UX - LVM Logical Logical Drives

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Use the following procedure when creating FlashCopy logical drives on a host running HP-UX 11.0 (or higher) using LVM logical logical drives. Failure to complete the steps listed may result in an inaccurate point-in-time image of the base logical drive.

For a process overview of the FlashCopy logical drive creation process, refer to Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard: Process Overview - Unix with Logical Drive Manager Logical Drives.

FlashCopy logical drives may be reused (for frequent or nightly backups) or may be created for one-time usage (speculative change or upgrade testing). For instructions on how to reuse a disabled FlashCopy logical drive, see Reusing FlashCopy Logical Drives.

How to Create a FlashCopy Logical Drive

1

Start the storage management software.

Result: The Enterprise Management Window is displayed.

2

Launch an Subsystem Management Window, using one of the following methods:

  • Select the storage subsystem in either the Device Tree View or the Device Table, then select the Manage Device toolbar button, or the Tools >> Manage Device pull-down menu option.
  • Right-click the storage subsystem in the Device Tree View or Device Table, then select Manage Device from the right-mouse pop-up menu.
  • Double-click on a storage subsystem node in the Device Table.
  • Select the storage subsystem in either the Device Tree View or the Device Table, then press Enter.

Result: The Subsystem Management Window is opened in a separate window.

Important: Stop the host application accessing the base logical drive and unmount the base logical drive. Unmounting the base logical drive does not apply when the base logical drive is the root disk of the host operating system.

3

When creating a FlashCopy logical drive based on a mounted filesystem, always perform a sync to flush the filesystem cache immediately prior to creating a FlashCopy logical drive.

At the host prompt, type the following, then press Enter:

sync

Result: All unwritten filesystem buffers are flushed.

4

Within the Logical View of the Subsystem Management Window, select a standard logical drive , and create a FlashCopy logical drive using one of the following methods:

  • Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard, accessed using an Subsystem Management Window. For more information, see Creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive Using the FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard.
  • Create a FlashCopy logical drive using either the Script Editor or a command line shell on the host operating system. Type the following command and press Enter:

    create FlashCopyLogicalDrive

    For command reference information on creating a FlashCopy logical drive, refer to "Using the create Command" in the Enterprise Management Window online help.

5

Assign a logical drive-to-LUN mapping between the FlashCopy logical drive and the host that will access the FlashCopy logical drive. Logical Drive-to-LUN mappings can be defined using one of the following methods:

  • Storage Partitioning Wizard. The Storage Partitioning Wizard helps you to quickly define a single storage partition. It guides you through the major steps required to specify which host will access a logical drive, and the associated Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) . For more information, see Using the Storage Partitioning Wizard.
  • Create a logical drive-to-LUN mapping using either the Script Editor or a command line shell on the host operating system. Type the following command and press Enter:

    create mapping logical drive

    For command reference information on creating a logical drive-to-LUN mapping, see "Using the create Command" in the Enterprise Management Window online help.

6

Disable the FlashCopy logical drive using one of the following methods:

  • Select the Logical Drive >> FlashCopy >> Disable pull-down menu option in the Subsystem Management Window. For more information, see Disabling a FlashCopy Logical Drive.
  • Disable a FlashCopy logical drive using either the Script Editor or a command line shell on the host operating system. Type the following command and press Enter:

    disableFlashCopy logical drive

    For command reference information on disabling a FlashCopy logical drive, see "Using the disableFlashCopy Command" in the Enterprise Management Window online help.

7

At the host prompt, type the following, then press Enter:

ioscan -fn

Result: A list of the mapped devices recognized by the host is displayed.

Note: If the required device names are not displayed using the above command, at the host prompt, type the following, then press Enter:

insf

8

Unmount the base logical drive.

9

In the storage management software, re-create the FlashCopy logical drive using one of the following methods:

  • Select the Logical Drive >> FlashCopy >> Re-create pull-down menu option in the Subsystem Management Window. For more information see Re-creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive.
  • Re-create a FlashCopy logical drive using either the Script Editor or a command line shell on the host operating system. Type the following command and press Enter:

    recreateFlashCopy logical drive

    For command reference information on recreating a FlashCopy logical drive, see "Using the recreateFlashCopy Command" in the Enterprise Management Window online help.

10

Remount the base logical drive (to its original host).

Important: If I/O activity to the base logical drive was stopped or data transfer was suspended, resume I/O activity to the base logical drive at this time (or re-enable data transfer).

11

Complete the following steps to import the FlashCopy logical drives into the Logical Logical Drive Manager.

a

Create a new directory for the new array.

Example:

mkdir /dev/vg02

b

Create a group node for the new array.

Example:

mknod /dev/vg02/group c 64 -0x020000

c

Import the FlashCopy logical drive LUNs. At the host prompt, type the following, then press Enter:

vgimport /dev/vg02 FlashCopy-block-node-1 FlashCopy-block-node-2 ...

Example:

vgimport /dev/vg02 /dev/dsk/c66t0d1 /dev/dsk/c69t0d1

Note: The /dev/dsk device files must be verified to be the FlashCopy logical drive and that they exist, using the SMdevices utility or the HP-UX ioscan utility.

A warning is displayed indicating that a backup of the array being imported may not exist on the host. This message is only a warning, and can be ignored. The import will continue and complete successfully.

The backup for this array will be created when it is later exported.

d

Activate the new array.

Example:

vgchange -a y /dev/vg02

12

If a filesystem existed on the base logical drive, then it will also exist on the FlashCopy logical drive. However, before the FlashCopy logical drive can be mounted, a filesystem check should be run on it.

Example:

fsck /dev/vg02/lvol01

Result: A filesystem check is performed to ensure the filesystem is consistent.

13

Mount the FlashCopy logical drive to its intended host.

14

Use the FlashCopy logical drive in conjunction with your backup application, for speculative testing, or with another application.

15

Unmount the FlashCopy logical drive.

16

Once the FlashCopy logical drive is no longer required, disable the FlashCopy logical drive.

If you disable the FlashCopy logical drive instead of deleting it, you can retain the FlashCopy logical drive and its associated FlashCopy repository logical drive. Then, when you need to create a different FlashCopy of the same base logical drive, you can re-create the disabled FlashCopy logical drive. This takes less time than creating a new FlashCopy logical drive, and will stop any reduction in performance that may occur if the FlashCopy logical drive remains available.

For information on disabling or re-creating a FlashCopy, see Disabling a FlashCopy Logical Drive and Re-creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive. For information on deleting a FlashCopy logical drive, see Deleting a Logical Drive.

For command reference information on disabling, re-creating, and deleting a FlashCopy logical drive, refer to the Enterprise Management Window online help.

Reusing FlashCopy Logical Drives

Typically, once a FlashCopy logical drive has been created it would be disabled until a new point-in-time image of the same base logical drive is required. To create a new point-in-time image of the same base logical drive, complete the following steps.

Important: All I/O activity to the base logical drive should be stopped at this point (or data transfer suspended). This will ensure that an accurate point-in-time image of the base logical drive is captured.

1

Unmount the base logical drive.

2

In the storage management software, re-create the FlashCopy logical drive using one of the following methods:

  • Select the Logical Drive >> FlashCopy >> Re-create pull-down menu option in the Subsystem Management Window. For more information see Re-creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive.
  • Re-create a FlashCopy logical drive using either the Script Editor or a command line shell on the host operating system. Type the following command and press Enter:

    recreateFlashCopy logical drive

    For command reference information on re-creating a FlashCopy logical drive, see "Using the recreateFlashCopy Command" in the Enterprise Management Window online help.

3

Remount the base logical drive (to its original host).

Important: If I/O activity to the base logical drive was stopped or data transfer was suspended, resume I/O activity to the base logical drive at this time (or re-enable data transfer).

4

Complete the following steps to import the FlashCopy logical drives into the Logical Logical Drive Manager.

a

Create a new directory for the new array.

Example:

mkdir /dev/vg02

b

Create a group node for the new array.

Example:

mknod /dev/vg02/group c 64 -0x020000

c

Import the FlashCopy logical drive LUNs. At the host prompt, type the following, then press Enter:

vgimport /dev/vg02 FlashCopy-block-node-1 FlashCopy-block-node-2 ...

Example:

vgimport /dev/vg02 /dev/dsk/c66t0d1 /dev/dsk/c69t0d1

Note: The /dev/dsk device files must be verified to be the FlashCopy logical drive and that they exist, using the SMdevices utility or the HP-UX ioscan utility.

A warning is displayed indicating that a backup of the array being imported may not exist on the host. This message is only a warning, and can be ignored. The import will continue and complete successfully.

The backup for this array will be created when it is later exported.

d

Activate the new array.

Example:

vgchange -a y /dev/vg02

5

If a filesystem existed on the base logical drive, then it will also exist on the FlashCopy logical drive. However, before the FlashCopy logical drive can be mounted, a filesystem check should be run on it.

Example:

fsck /dev/vg02/lvol01

Result: A filesystem check is performed to ensure the filesystem is consistent.

6

Mount the FlashCopy logical drive to its intended host.

7

Use the FlashCopy logical drive in conjunction with your backup application (or other application).

8

Unmount the FlashCopy logical drive.

9

Once the FlashCopy logical drive is no longer required, disable the FlashCopy logical drive.

If you disable the FlashCopy logical drive instead of deleting it, you can retain the FlashCopy logical drive and its associated FlashCopy repository logical drive. Then, when you need to create a different FlashCopy of the same base logical drive, you can re-create the disabled FlashCopy logical drive. This takes less time than creating a new FlashCopy logical drive, and will stop any reduction in performance that may occur if the FlashCopy logical drive remains available.

For more information, see Disabling a FlashCopy Logical Drive and Re-creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive. For command reference information on disabling and re-creating a FlashCopy logical drive, refer to the Enterprise Management Window online help.

Related Topics

Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard: Additional Instructions

Learn About Creating FlashCopy Logical Drives

Creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive Using the FlashCopy Wizard