FCSCAN is a new utility introduced in MPE/iX Release 7.5 to
scan and print Fibre Channel Devices connected to the HPe3000 system.
This utility can be used by MPE/iX System Administrators to know
what FC devices are available in the system for configuring through
SYSGEN.
FCSCAN utility is present in the system as FCSCAN.PUB.SYS and can be invoked from the MPE/iX CI prompt as:
The complete usage format of the utility with its allowed
options is shown below.
Usage:
default: Show FC devices available for configuration -n: Show only FC N-Ports -h: Do a hardware scan and show configurable FC devices |
The utility can be invoked by default without any options.
It can also be invoked with "-n" option or with "-h" option
or specifying both options together as "-nh".
Depending on the option used, the output format of the utility varies.
These are covered in detail in the following sections.
FCSCAN
Default Output |
 |
The default output format of FCSCAN when invoked without any
options is to print the list of FC adapter cards and devices present
in the system, which can be configured in SYSGEN. The hardware path
formats printed can be directly used in SYSGEN to configure the
corresponding device.
FCSCAN has found the following Fibre Channel I/O Adapter Cards and Devices on this system. |
SYSGEN PATH DESCRIPTION BOOT MENU PATH============= ============= ================0/2/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/8/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/8/0/0.0 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.0.0 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.0.0.0.00/8/0/0.0.1 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.0.0.0.10/8/0/0.0.105 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.0.0.13.10/8/0/0.24 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.24.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.8.00/8/0/0.25 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.25.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.9.00/8/0/0.26 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.26.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.10.00/8/0/0.27 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.27.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.11.0 |
The output from FCSCAN utility shows the following information:
SYSGEN PATH:
Hardware
path of the FC adapter card or device. This is the path used in
SYSGEN to configure the card or device in the system.
DESCRIPTION:
Description
about whether the path specifies an FC card or device. If device,
it also specifies the model and type of the device.
BOOT MENU PATH:
Path
value for an FC device to be used in the system Boot Command Handler
or firmware Main Menu to set that particular device as the primary
path. The boot menu path is a detailed long format path unlike the
simplified SYSGEN path. It is necessary to use this long path in
boot menu because the system firmware can understand only this format
to access devices. So typically to install on or boot from a FC
disk, the primary path will be set to this long path for that disk
as printed by FCSCAN.
The above sample output shows that there are two Fibre Channel
Adapter cards in the system with paths 0/2/0/0 and 0/8/0/0. There
are no FC devices shown for card 0/2/0/0, which implies that the
card is not connected to any at present. There are some devices
shown under card 0/8/0/0.
Path 0/8/0/0.0 shows an FC N_Port (Node Port) which indicates
the fibre channel port of a device connected to the card. FC N_port
is required to be configured in SYSGEN while configuring devices.
The output also shows three disks of type HP OPEN-3 shown with paths
0/8/0/0.0.0, 0/8/0/0.0.1 and 0/8/0/0.0.105. The last components
of these paths refer to the LUN number of these disks. The type
HP OPEN-3 usually refers to an XP512 device disk. Since the hardware
paths of these three disks come under Nport 0/8/0/0.0, they all
fall under the same Nport in the XP512 device.
A typical configuration of the FC card and disks in SYSGEN
is shown below:
PATH: 0/8/0/0 LDEV: ID: A6795A TYPE: DAPMGR: FC_DAM PMGRPRI: 6LMGR: MAXIOS: 0 |
PATH: 0/8/0/0.0 LDEV: ID: FC_NPORT TYPE: DAPMGR: FCP_NM PMGRPRI: 6LMGR: MAXIOS: 0 |
PATH: 0/8/0/0.0.0 LDEV: 60 ID: HPDARRAY TYPE: DISCPMGR: SCSI_DISK_AND_ARRAY_DM PMGRPRI: 8LMGR: LOGICAL_DEVICE_MANAGER MAXIOS: 0 io> lp 0/8/0/0.0.1 |
PATH: 0/8/0/0.0.1 LDEV: 60 ID: HPDARRAY TYPE: DISCPMGR: SCSI_DISK_AND_ARRAY_DM PMGRPRI: 8LMGR: LOGICAL_DEVICE_MANAGER MAXIOS: 0 io> lp 0/8/0/0.0.105 |
PATH: 0/8/0/0.0.105 LDEV: 60 ID: HPDARRAY TYPE: DISCPMGR: SCSI_DISK_AND_ARRAY_DM PMGRPRI: 8LMGR: LOGICAL_DEVICE_MANAGER MAXIOS: 0 |
FCSCAN
Output with "-n" Option |
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The option "-n" specifies FCSCAN to print
only the FC adapter cards and FC device N_Ports on the system. It does
not print individual LUNs under the FC devices. This is a shorter
version to easily know what FC devices are connected to each FC
adapter card.
FCSCAN has found the following Fibre Channel I/O Adapter Cards and N-Ports on this system. |
SYSGEN PATH DESCRIPTION============= =============0/2/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/8/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/8/0/0.0 XP512 controller0/8/0/0.24 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk0/8/0/0.25 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk0/8/0/0.26 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk0/8/0/0.27 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk0/8/0/0.34 HP A5236A controller |
The above output indicates that there are two FC cards in
the system at hardware paths 0/2/0/0 and 0/8/0/0. There is no device
connected under card 0/2/0/0. Under card 0/8/0/0, there are some
FC device N_Ports available. The description column in the output
specifies what kind of device each N_Port belongs to. Note that
this option prints only the N_Port paths and not the paths of individual
LUNs under the N_Ports. By looking at this simplified output format,
the System Administrator can quickly identify what FC devices are connected
to the FC cards in the system.
FCSCAN
Output with "-h" Option |
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FCSCAN normally uses the internal I/O subsystem data structures
of MPE/iX Operating System to get the list of FC cards and devices
on the system. So this information reflects only what is currently
known to the OS and may or may not actually match with the FC devices
currently connected to the card. This is because FC physical interface
allows devices to be connected while the interface is online. For
example, when the system is up and running, it is possible to connect
a new FC device to the system.
The option "-h" specifies FCSCAN to actually
perform a hardware scan of the current state of devices connected
to the FC cards, before printing out the list. Using the "-h" option
guarantees that the list of devices printed more accurately matches
what is currently connected on the system. This option is helpful
for the case where the System Administrator connects a new FC device
while the system is up and wants to know the hardware path of the
device for configuring it.
Since the "-h" option involves an actual
hardware scan of the FC devices, FCSCAN utility will take some extra time
to print the output when this option is used.
Scanning for Fibre Channel devices. Please wait ...FCSCAN has found the following Fibre Channel I/O Adapter Cards and Devices on this system. SYSGEN PATH DESCRIPTION BOOT MENU PATH============= ============= ================0/2/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/2/0/0.95 Fibre Channel N_Port0/2/0/0.95.1 HP A6188A disk 0/2/0/0.8.0.95.0.0.10/2/0/0.95.5 HP A6188A disk 0/2/0/0.8.0.95.0.0.50/2/0/0.95.10 HP A6188A disk 0/2/0/0.8.0.95.0.1.20/8/0/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/8/0/0.24 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.24.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.8.00/8/0/0.25 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.25.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.9.00/8/0/0.26 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.26.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.10.00/8/0/0.27 Fibre Channel N-Port0/8/0/0.27.0 SEAGATE ST39103FC disk 0/8/0/0.8.0.255.1.11.0 |
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The output shown above is after an actual hardware scan of
the FC devices currently connected. Comparing this with the earlier
default output (without any options), we can see that now a new
FC device N_Port 95 is being shown under the FC card 0/2/0/0. This
N_Port has three disk LUNs 1, 5 and 10 under it, referred to as HP
A6188A disk. It is possible that the device was connected after
the system booted up. So when FCSCAN was run with hardware scan
option, it actually probed the FC devices and recognized that the
new device has been connected. Thus by looking at this output, the
System Administrator can get the hardware paths of LUNs under N_Port
95 and use them to configure these disks in SYSGEN.
Note that now under card 0/8/0/0, the N_Port 0 is missing.
It is possible that the device got disconnected. Running FCSCAN
with the "-h" option helps to view the current
state of the FC devices and find out which devices have been added
to or removed from the system.
The "-h" option is particularly useful when
the System Administrator wants to connect a new FC device to a running
system and configure the device online through IOCONFIG utility.
After physically connecting the device to the FC adapter card, the
Administrator can run FCSCAN with "-h" option,
find out the hardware paths of the N_Ports/LUNs under this device
and then use these hardware paths to configure them online through
IOCONFIG utility.
The output of FCSCAN with "-nh" option is
the same as that of "-n" option, except that the
list of N_Ports is printed after an actual hardware scan is performed.
FCSCAN
Output in Fabric Topology |
|
A sample output of FCSCAN utility with the FC adapter card
in fabric topology is shown below:
FCSCAN has found the following Fibre Channel I/O Adapter Cards
and Devices on this system.
SYSGEN PATH DESCRIPTION BOOT MENU PATH============= ============= ================0/6/2/0 Fibre Channel Adapter0/6/2/0.70383 Fibre Channel N-Port0/6/2/0.70383.2 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/6/2/0.1.18.239.0.0.20/6/2/0.70383.12 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/6/2/0.1.18.239.0.1.40/6/2/0.70383.53 HP OPEN-3 disk 0/6/2/0.1.18.239.0.6.5 |
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In the fabric topology output printed by FCSCAN, the path
component corresponding to FC N_Port represents the 24-bit N_Port
ID. This path component value is usually a large number. But in
the case of private loop topology the value actually represents
the Loop ID and is usually a smaller value. This detail is being
mentioned here just as a clarification for FCSCAN users. In spite
of this, there is actually no difference in the procedure for configuring
the FC N_Port or devices in SYSGEN. For both topologies, the hardware
path value of the N_Port and devices as printed by FCSCAN can be
used as such in SYSGEN for configuring them. This implies that irrespective
of the topology currently being used, the System Administrator can
simply run FCSCAN to determine the correct hardware paths and use
the same for configuring in SYSGEN.
Fibre Channel
Topology Changes |
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Whenever there is a topology change to the fibre channel standards,
i.e., from private loop to public loop or fabric to private loop,
the addressing method for FC devices connected will change. This
is because private loop topology uses Loop ID based addressing while
fabric and public loop topologies use N_port ID based addressing.
Since the Loop ID or the N_Port ID is present as a component in
the hardware paths for FC devices, a change in topology causes this
hardware path to change. Since MPE/iX device addressing is based on
hardware paths configured in SYSGEN, a change in hardware path means
that the device will no longer be accessible using the original
path. For this reason, it is not recommended to change the Fibre
Channel topology while the system is up and running.
Any changes to the fibre channel topology in order to add
or delete switches/hubs should be done while the system is not running
MPE/iX. After a topology change, it may be necessary to reconfigure
even existing FC devices in the system because their hardware paths
may have changed. It is always recommended that after a topology
change, the System Administrator should run FCSCAN utility with "-h" option,
find out the new hardware paths for devices and make appropriate
changes in SYSGEN configuration to reflect the changes.
Although online topology change is not recommended, MPE/iX
does support dynamic addition or deletion of fibre channel devices
within the existing topology. This is covered in detail under the
section on FCSCAN output with "-h" option.
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