How to Configure RAID vdisk using Dell Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) CLI

Configuring RAID vdisk using Dell Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) CLI

1. Install the omsa on a dell system:

>wget -q -O - http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/bootstrap.cgi | bash
Downloading GPG key: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/RPM-GPG-KEY-dell
    Key already exists in RPM, skipping
Downloading GPG key: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/RPM-GPG-KEY-libsmbios
    Key already exists in RPM, skipping
Write repository configuration
Downloading repository RPM
Installing repository rpm: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/platform_independent/rh50_64/prereq/dell
-omsa-repository-2-5.noarch.rpm
Installing yum plugins for system id
Loaded plugins: dellsysid, security
dell-omsa-indep                                                                                               
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-specific                                                                                            
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
Setting up Install Process
Package yum-dellsysid-2.2.26-6.2.el5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do
Loaded plugins: dellsysid, security
-bash-3.2$ cat vdisk.html 










Configuring RAID vdisk 
1. Install the omsa on a dell system:

>wget -q -O - http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/bootstrap.cgi | bash
Downloading GPG key: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/RPM-GPG-KEY-dell
    Key already exists in RPM, skipping
Downloading GPG key: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/RPM-GPG-KEY-libsmbios
    Key already exists in RPM, skipping
Write repository configuration
Downloading repository RPM
Installing repository rpm: http://linux.dell.com/repo/hardware/latest/platform_independent/rh50_64/prereq/dell
-omsa-repository-2-5.noarch.rpm
Installing yum plugins for system id
Loaded plugins: dellsysid, security
dell-omsa-indep                                                                                               
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-specific                                                                                            
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
Setting up Install Process
Package yum-dellsysid-2.2.26-6.2.el5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do
Loaded plugins: dellsysid, security
No plugin match for: rhnplugin
Cleaning up Everything
Done!

bash-3.2# yum install srvadmin-all
Loaded plugins: dellsysid, security
dag                                                                                                           
                   |  951 B     00:00     
dag/primary                                                                                                   
                   | 284 kB     00:00     
dag                                                                                                           
                                  717/717
dag-noarch                                                                                                    
                   |  951 B     00:00     
dag-noarch/primary                                                                                            
                   | 186 kB     00:00     
dag-noarch                                                                                                    
                                  447/447
dell-omsa-indep                                                                                               
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-indep/primary                                                                                       
                   |  96 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-indep                                                                                               
                                  719/719
dell-omsa-specific                                                                                            
                   | 1.9 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-specific/primary                                                                                    
                   | 1.0 kB     00:00     
dell-omsa-specific                                                                                            
                                      2/2
openafs-1.4.12                                                                                                
                   |  951 B     00:00     
openafs-1.4.12/primary                                                                                        
                   |  11 kB     00:00     
openafs-1.4.12                                                                                                
                                    73/73
stanford                                                                                                      
                   |  951 B     00:00     
stanford/primary                                                                                              
                   |  25 kB     00:00     
stanford                                                                                                      
                                    98/98
stanford-noarch                                                                                               
                   |  951 B     00:00     
stanford-noarch/primary                                                                                       
                   |  44 kB     00:00     
stanford-noarch                                                                                               
                                  155/155
stanford-rhel                                                                                                 
                   | 1.1 kB     00:00     
stanford-rhel/primary                                                                                         
                   | 1.2 MB     00:00     
stanford-rhel                                                                                                 
                                3316/3316
stanford-rhel-supplementary                                                                                   
                   |  951 B     00:00     
stanford-rhel-supplementary/primary                                                                           
                   |  46 kB     00:00     
stanford-rhel-supplementary                                                                                   
                                  119/119
stanford-rhel-vt                                                                                              
                   | 1.1 kB     00:00     
stanford-rhel-vt/primary                                                                                      
                   |  24 kB     00:00     
stanford-rhel-vt                                                                                              
                                    76/76
Setting up Install Process
Package srvadmin-all-6.5.0-1.1.1.el5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do

 2 Modify the srvadmin-services.sh script to run only the appropriate services
 (particularly excluding the service that starts the daemon process listening on TCP port 1311)

# list of services start
arrayStart=(racsvc instsvcdrv dataeng dsm_om_shrsvc dsm_om_connsvc racser racvnc racsrvc)
arrayStart=(racsvc instsvcdrv dataeng) <---------CHANGE TO THIS!
# list of services to stop
arrayStop=(racsvc dsm_om_shrsvc dsm_om_connsvc racser racvnc racsrvc dataeng instsvcdrv)
arrayStop=(racsvc instsvcdrv dataeng)<---------CHANGE TO THIS!


3. Look at the commands here are some references:
for commands go to /opt/dell/srvadmin/bin  om bun
websites for command support:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/svradmin/1.9/en/stormgmt/cli.html#1092658
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/svradmin/2.1/en/cli/cli_cc1b.htmo
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pvaul/en/perc-technical-guidebook.pdf
PERC 
4. To  create vdisk run:
omconfig storage controller action=createvdisk controller=0 raid= adisk= [stripesize=< 2kb to 128kb>]
[cachepolicy=] [readpolicy=] [writepolicy=] [name=] [sp
anlength=]

Listed are the flags descriptions:

RAID -0 = concatenated disks fast read writes no redundancy
RAID 0 = striping across all disks, no redundancy no rebuild
RAID 1 = mirroring, needs double the disks. redundancy slow writes.
RAID 5 = striping and parity info on all disks slow writes redundant
RAID 6 = striping and dual parity can survive two disk failures. slow W fast-r
RAID 50 = concatenated parity across 2 3pair disks. high redundancy
RAID 10 = mirrored, striped drives, no parity, good writes best redundancy
RAID - parity is in liu of mirrored disks.

for size- pick a size needed for each vdisk. or for RAID 50 size=max
for the adisk = include the channel per disk, adisk=0:0,0:1,0:2,0:3,0:4 etc
for striping = stripesize=16kb can do any size depends on whats needed.
for cachepolicy default is direct I/Os writes to contr cache and host
for readpolicy I like ara it adjusts its reading depending on the history.
for write policy I would say go with the wt option. Means it writes through cache beter data security. write-b
ack can cause data loss. caches before writing to disk. not available on controllers without batteries.

to build a RAID 50 with all drives on controller 0 connector 0 12 drives:
omconfig storage controller action=createvdisk controller=0 raid=r50 size=max adisk=0:0,0:1,0:2,0:3,0:4,0:5,0:
5,0:7,0:8,0:9,0:10,0:11 stripesize=128kb cachepolicy=d readpolicy=ara writepolicy=wt name=BigVdisk spanlength=
4
#--ACTUAL SUCCESSFUL COMMAND for raid50 12 disks 128 stripe spanlength 4 
-bash-3.2$ sudo /opt/dell/srvadmin/sbin/omconfig storage controller action=createvdisk controller=0 raid=r50 s
ize=max adisk=0:0:0,0:0:1,0:0:2,0:0:3,0:0:4,0:0:5,0:0:6,0:0:7,0:0:8,0:0:9,0:0:10,0:0:11 stripesize=128kb name=
BigVdisk spanlength=4
Command successful!
## -- the SAS controller we have does not have cachepolicy options nor do we have the spanlength option it is 
only by default. if you do a raid 10 or 50 the size option can only be max.
## 6.4 command docs here: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/svradmin/6.4/en/CLI/PDF/CLIUG.pdf

## -- ACTUAL COMMAND for first vidsk0:
-bash-3.2$ sudo omconfig storage controller action=createvdisk controller=0 raid=r6 size=max pdisk=0:0:0,0:0:1
,0:0:2,0:0:3,0:0:5 stripesize=64kb readpolicy=ara writepolicy=wt diskcachepolicy=enabled name=Vdisk0
Command successful!
##- disk 0:0:4 dedicated to vidisk0 hotspare

##---ACTUAL COMMAND for vdisk1:
-bash-3.2$ sudo omconfig storage controller action=createvdisk controller=0 raid=r6 size=max pdisk=0:0:6,0:0:7
,0:0:8,0:0:9,0:0:10,0:0:11 stripesize=64kb readpolicy=ara writepolicy=wt diskcachepolicy=enabled name=Vdisk1
Command successful!
## -- pdisk 0:0:6 dedicated to vidisk1 hotspare

#-- To remove a vdisk
sudo omconfig storage vdisk action=deletevdisk controller=0 vdisk=0 force=yes
##--ACTUAL DELETE COMMAND--##
-bash-3.2$ sudo omconfig storage vdisk action=deletevdisk controller=0 vdisk=0 force=yes
Command successful!
##--RECONFIGURE--### can't be done at this raid level(r6)
-bash-3.2$ sudo omconfig storage vdisk action=reconfigure controller=0 vdisk=1 raid=r6 pdisk=0:0:5,0:0:6,0:0:7
,0:0:8,0:0:9,0:0:10,0:0:11
Cannot reconfigure to the given RAID level<---------#########
####
-bash-3.2$ omreport storage vdisk controller=0
List of Virtual Disks on Controller PERC H800 Adapter (Slot 1)

Controller PERC H800 Adapter (Slot 1)
ID                  : 0
Status              : Ok
Name                : BigVdisk
State               : Background Initialization
Encrypted           : No
Progress            : 0% complete
Layout              : RAID-50
Size                : 16,762.50 GB (17998597324800 bytes)
Device Name         : /dev/sdb
Bus Protocol        : SAS
Media               : HDD
Read Policy         : No Read Ahead
Write Policy        : Write Back
Cache Policy        : Not Applicable
Stripe Element Size : 128 KB
Disk Cache Policy   : Disabled

## for dedicated hotspare for one vdisk 
omconfig storage vdisk action=assigndedicatedhotspare controller=0 vdisk=0 pdisk=0:0:4 assign=yes  #for vdisk0

## for global hotspare which can work for more than one vdisk.
-bash-3.2$ sudo omconfig storage pdisk action=assignglobalhotspare controller=0 pdisk=0:0:4 assign=yes
[sudo] password for admin: 
Command successful!

## - to reconfigure the vdisk
omconfig storage vdisk action=reconfigure 
controller=id vdisk=id raid= pdisk= [size= 
vdcapacityexpansion=yes sizeinpercent=<1 to 100>]
-bash-3.2$ 

#--this initialized the vdisk
sudo omconfig storage vdisk action=fastinit controller=0 vdisk=0
sudo omconfig storage vdisk action=fastinit controller=0 vdisk=1

ran the fdisk and built the following with 17 terrabytes
Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda2             15872636   5962476   9090848  40% /
/dev/sda4            211802204    191832 200677740   1% /data
/dev/sda1               101086     18015     77852  19% /boot
tmpfs                  4082004         0   4082004   0% /dev/shm
/dev/sdb1            234860444     60564 222869612   1% /vdisk1
/dev/sdb2            234860476     60564 222869644   1% /vdisk2
/dev/sdb3            234860476     60564 222869644   1% /vdisk3
/dev/sdb5            234860444     60564 222869612   1% /vdisk5
/dev/sdb6            234860444     60564 222869612   1% /vdisk6
/dev/sdb7            234860444     60564 222869612   1% /vdisk7
/dev/sdb8            704615296     70656 668752224   1% /BigVdisk8

cluster-enabled RAID Controllers
CERC