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Dell OpenManage™ Server Administrator Storage Management User's Guide
Required Conditions
Migrating SCSI Virtual Disks to Another System
Migrating SAS Virtual Disks to Another System
This section describes how to move array and virtual disks from one system to another.
After some planning and preparation, it is possible to migrate array and virtual disks from one controller, enclosure or server to another. You can perform array and virtual disk migration on PERC 3/SC, 3/DCL, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, CERC ATA100/4ch, PERC 5/E controllers as long as the following conditions are met.
- Virtual disks can only be migrated to a controller that is using the same technology. For example, virtual disks on a SCSI controller must be migrated to a SCSI controller and virtual disks on a SAS controller must be migrated to a SAS controller. See "RAID Controller Technology: SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS" for more information.
- When moving an enclosure, both SCSI and SAS controllers require that you power down the enclosure and the server before moving the enclosure.
- PERC 3/SC, 3/DCL, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, and 4e/Di virtual disks cannot be migrated to a PERC 2/SC or PERC 2/DC controller. PERC 2/SC and PERC 2/DC virtual disks can be migrated to a PERC 3/DCL, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, or 4e/Di controller.
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Note: The current version of Storage Management does not support the PERC 2, 2/Si,
2/SC, or 2/DC controllers.
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- A virtual disk cannot be migrated between the PERC 3/Si, PERC 3/Di, CERC SATA1.5/6ch, and CERC SATA1.5/2s controller family and the PERC 3/SC, 3/DCL, 3/DC, 3/QC, 4/SC, 4/DC, 4e/DC, 4/Di, 4e/Si, 4e/Di, and CERC ATA100/4ch controller family.
- On SCSI controllers, a virtual disk cannot be migrated from one controller to another unless the receiving controller's configuration has been cleared.
- When moving the array disks on a SCSI controller from one enclosure to another, the SCSI ID for each disk must remain the same. See "RAID Controller Technology: SCSI, SATA, ATA, and SAS" for more information.
- When moving the arrays disks from one enclosure to another or when moving an external enclosure from one server to another, the enclosure must be connected to the same connector number on the controller as in the original condition.
In the case where a virtual disk consists of array disks on multiple connectors, each
array disk must be migrated to an enclosure that is connected to the same connector
number that the array disk or enclosure was originally connected to.
- On SAS controllers, you can migrate a virtual disk by moving the array disks from one controller to another and then importing the foreign configuration on the receiving controller. See "Import Foreign Configuration" for more information.
- When moving an enclosure on a SAS controller, you can move the enclosure to any connector number and then import the foreign configuration on the receiving controller. See "Import Foreign Configuration" for more information.
The following describes how to migrate virtual disks and volumes from one system to another. Completing the migration requires the following activities:
- Shut down the system that the array disks are being moved from.
- If the receiving controller has a preexisting virtual disk configuration on attached array disks, use the following procedure for clearing the configuration:
- Shut down the receiving server.
- Remove all the array disks from the controller.
- Start up the receiving server and clear the configuration from the controller BIOS. After making the changes, power down the server when it indicates to reboot the system.
- If the receiving controller does not have a preexisting virtual disk configuration, then shut down its server.
- Place the array disks into the new enclosure.
- Start up the system connected to the receiving controller. When the system connected to the new enclosure comes up, use the BIOS access (Ctrl-M) to update the controller configuration with the information saved on the array disks. Exiting the BIOS access will require one more reboot of the system.
The migration is complete. The virtual disk is now manageable through Storage
Management.
- Continue with "Saving the New Controller Configuration".
Use the following procedure to enter the controller BIOS configuration screens to save the new configuration.
- Reboot the PowerEdge™ server.
- Enter the PowerEdge RAID Controller BIOS by pressing Ctrl+M when prompted during the power on self test (POST) of the controller during the bootup sequence.
- Select the Configure menu option and press Enter.
- Select View/Add Configuration and press Enter.
This will read the data on the array disks to restore the RAID controller's proprietary
configuration information. Press Esc and save the new configuration when prompted.
- Press the Esc key and save the new configuration when prompted.
- Reboot the system
The following describes how to migrate virtual disks and volumes from one system to another.
- Shut down the system that the array disks are being moved from.
- If the receiving controller does not have a preexisting virtual disk configuration, then shut down its server.
- Place the array disks into the new enclosure.
- Start up the system connected to the receiving controller.
- Use the "Import Foreign Configuration" task to import the migrated virtual disks on the receiving controller.
The migration is complete. The virtual disk is now manageable through Storage
Management.
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