Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of aleghart
aleghartFlag for United States of America

asked on

HP MSA20 can't delete some logical volumes

HP MSA20 hooked up to GL380 G4 (SmartArray 6i).  Array Configuration Utility shows all 3 logical volumes on the first array.  Only the third volume has "Delete" available as an action.

Unfortunately, I need that one.  I need to kill the first logical volume.

Any ideas why the difference?  Could be a difference whether the volumes were created via bootup BIOS or via the ACU interface?

User generated image
User generated image
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of TechnicallyMaybe
TechnicallyMaybe
Flag of United States of America image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Sorry, you have to blow everything away and start over.  This is a firmware limitation of this particular controller.  
Avatar of aleghart

ASKER

So, I figuratively carved out a slice that can't be used for anything else?

Seems illogical that I can't kill a logical volume.  Sounds like I'd have to build a whole bunch of 2-drive RAID-1 arrays and make single logical drives.  Then I kill arrays to get rid of the volumes.

I've not run into this before, as I've always made one volume per array (small servers where volumes never exceeded 500GB).
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Thanks to all.  I'm seeing the limitations now.

In reconfiguring this box, I have the following limitations:

1. multiple logical volumes per array is not advised...can only alter last volume without having to destroy the array/volumes

2. 2GB limit per logical volume

3. 1.5Gbps max speed on 3Gbps drives

Given those constraints, am I better off making single arrays, like RAID-10 for data with only 4 drives.  Then RAID-1 for my D2D backup volume?

I have found no way with the existing hardware to overcome the 2GB limit, except to make dynamic volumes in Windows...but I don't want to go there.  Easier to stick with smaller volumes and put shares onto them with known space limitations.
Avatar of Member_2_231077
Member_2_231077

4. Sell it on eBay?

Seriously though it's worth more as emergency spare parts to a maintenance company or as a toy of yesteryear to a home user than something you would use in production. Recycling it as a disk staging area in D2D2T backup would be its ideal resting home.
I've been using it in production for many years now.  We're moving data now to faster arrays, but still use this for low-volume / high space files like artwork and video.

I understand that newer is better concept...but I'm being practical.  It's worth more in production where it is, considering that asset acquisition is set to be negative again (reduction, disposal, selloff).
Hey, it is safe, reliable data protected by RAID6.  You admit it has been in production for years.  If you don't want it, I'll take it off your hands :)

My mistake, I think, was in making multiple volumes on the same array many years ago.  Did not realize the limitation, and hey...you never need to re-configure storage, right?  It's all fluid and dynamic.
That limitation is not well documented at all. It's common to see but usually not an isse.
You're right there, I don't think it's properly documented at all; the MSA20 user guide just says refer to the ACU user guide as if it was a JBOD.
Thanks for confirming my problem...nice to know that I'm not completely incompetent.