Create Host Affinity

Overview

This function creates a new host affinity configuration.

The following two methods are available for configuring host affinity depending on the connection target.

  • "Host Group - CA Port Group"

  • "Host - CA Port"

When host affinity is configured, the volumes that are referenced by hosts or CA ports can be specified.

The number of hosts that can be allocated to the CA port using this function is determined based on the total number of hosts described below. Note that the maximum number of hosts is 256 (32 for the ETERNUS DX60 S5).

  • The number of member hosts in each host group that is associated with the CA port

  • The number of hosts that do not belong to the host group that is associated with the CA port

Caution

  • A host can be a member of multiple host groups. In addition, a CA port can be a member of multiple CA port groups. However, only one LUN group can be allocated to host and port combinations when configuring host affinity.

Note

  • If a host group has been specified in the "Host Group" field of host affinity, all the member ports of the assigned "CA Port Group" have the affinity mode configured "ON".

  • If "All (any hosts)" has been specified in the "Host Group" field of host affinity, all the member ports of the assigned "CA Port Group" have the affinity mode configured "OFF".

  • When one CA port is registered in multiple CA port groups, and the affinity setting has been configured on one of the CA port groups including the corresponding port, the affinity setting is configured on all the CA port groups, which include the corresponding port, and also on the member ports.

  • CA port groups or CA ports without the host affinity setting can be used for creating a host affinity regardless of whether the affinity mode is enabled (ON) or disabled (OFF).

  • To change the settings of the host affinities, use the [Modify Host Affinity] function.

  • FC host groups can be used to configure host affinity with CA port groups whose CA type is "FC".

User Privileges

Availability of Executions in the Default Role

Default role Availability of executions
Monitor  
Admin
StorageAdmin
AccountAdmin  
SecurityAdmin  
Maintainer

Refer to "User Roles and Policies" for details on the policies and roles.

Settings

Target Connection Setting

In this screen, select the connection target. The host affinity creation screen that is to be displayed depends on the selected connection target.

Item Description Setting values

Target Connection

Select the connection target from "Host Group - CA Port Group" or "Host - CA Port".

Host Group - CA Port Group

Host - CA Port

Host Group - CA Port Group - LUN Group Setting

In this screen, specify a "Host Group", a "CA Port Group", and a "LUN Group", and creates a new host affinity.

Item Description Setting values

Host Group

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a host group to configure a host affinity on the [Select Host Group] Screen.

Select "All" when assigning CA port groups to any host instead of a specific host. If "All" is specified, a host response for the CA port group must be selected. In this case, "All" is displayed in the "All (host response name)" format.

Host group name

All (host response name)

CA Port Group

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a CA port group to configure host affinity on the [Select CA Port Group] Screen.

CA port group name

LUN Group

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a LUN group to configure a host affinity on the [Select LUN Group] Screen.

LUN group name

Host - CA Port Connection

If "Host Group" is specified, all of the hosts in the "Host Group" are displayed. If "CA Port Group" is also specified, the paths to all of the member ports for each host are displayed.

Item Description

Host

All of the member hosts of the specified host group are displayed.

If "All" has been selected for "Host Group", "All (host response name)"is displayed.

CA Port

By default, all the location information of member ports for the specified CA port group is displayed.

Click the [Edit] button to display the [Select CA Port] Screen. Edit the path between a host and a CA port on the [Select CA Port] Screen. The "CA Port" field is updated after editing.

For the ETERNUS DX900 S5 or the ETERNUS DX8900 S4

CE#x CM#y CA#z Port#w

For the other models

CM#y CA#z Port#w

x: CE number

y: CM number

z: CA number

w: Port number

[Select Host Group] Screen

In this screen, select a host group to configure a host affinity.

Target Connection Setting

Item Description Setting values

Target Connection

Select the connection target from "Host Group" (specific host group) or "All" (any hosts). The [Select Host Group] screen that is to be displayed depends on the selected item. Refer to Select Host Group or Select "All" for detailed information on each screen.

Note that "All" can be selected only when all of the following conditions are satisfied.

  • LUNs are not specified from LUN#512 onward in the selected LUN group

  • The selected CA port group is in any of the following conditions.

    • The CA port group is not being used

    • Member ports in the CA port group do not belong to other CA port groups

Host Group

All

Select Host Group

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a host group

Select the radio button for the host group to configure a host affinity.

Host Group

The host group name is displayed.

Type

The interface type of the host group is displayed.

FC

iSCSI

SAS

Host Response

The host response which has been assigned to a host group is displayed.

Default

Solaris MPxIO

HP-UX

AIX

AIX VxVM

VS850/SVC

BS2000

Host responses registered in the storage system

Select "All"

"All" can be selected only when the required conditions are satisfied.

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a host response

Select a radio button for the host response that is assigned to any hosts ("All") as the host affinity.

Host Response

The host responses that have been registered in the storage system are displayed.

Default

Solaris MPxIO

HP-UX

AIX

AIX VxVM

VS850/SVC

BS2000

Host responses registered in the storage system

[Select CA Port Group] Screen

In this screen, select a CA port group to configure a host affinity.

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a CA port group

Select the radio button for the CA port group to configure a host affinity.

Note

  • If a specific host group has been selected in the "Host Group" field, CA port groups for which the affinity mode is "OFF" are not displayed.

  • If "All" has been selected in the "Host Group" field, CA port groups with any of the following conditions are not displayed:

    • The affinity mode is "ON"

    • Member CA ports that are being used in another CA port group

    • The CA port group is used by another host affinity

CA Port Group

The CA port group name is displayed.

Type

The CA type of a CA port group is displayed.

FC

iSCSI

SAS

Member

The location information of member ports of a CA port group are displayed.

For the ETERNUS DX900 S5 or the ETERNUS DX8900 S4

CE#x CM#y CA#z Port#w

For the other models

CM#y CA#z Port#w

x: CE number

y: CM number

z: CA number

w: Port number

Affinity Mode

The affinity mode of a CA port group is displayed.

If the affinity mode is neither "ON" nor "OFF", the field is blank.

[Select LUN Group] Screen

In this screen, select a LUN group to configure a host affinity.

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a LUN group

Select the radio button for the LUN group to configure a host affinity.

Caution

  • The LUN range that can be referenced from a host depends on the "LUN Addressing" and "LUN Expand Mode (Peripheral Device Addressing)" settings of the host response that is applied to the selected "Host Group" (specific host group), "Host" (specific host), or "All" (any hosts). Refer to "Host Response and Referable Number of LUNs" for details. LUN groups that use LUNs from LUN#256 onward cannot configure the host affinity with a host group or a host for which the referable LUNs is "256 LUN" host response. When "All" is selected for "Host Group" or "Host", the host affinity setting cannot be configured with LUN groups that use LUNs from LUN#256 onward.

    Host response The number of LUNs that can be referenced from a host (LUN range)
    LUN Addressing

    LUN Expand Mode

    (Peripheral Device Addressing)

    		 When "Host Group" or "Host" is selected When "All" is selected
    PRHL Disabled (Default)

    256 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#255)

    256 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#255)
    PRHL Enabled

    4096 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#4095)

    512 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#511)
    FLAT

    Disabled (Default)

    Enabled

    4096 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#4095)

    512 LUN

    (LUN#0 - LUN#511)

  • If the host response whose "LUN Expand Mode (Peripheral Device Addressing)" is "Enable" or "LUN Addressing" is "Flat space addressing" is used, the maximum number of connectible hosts per CA port is 32 (or four for the ETERNUS DX60 S5).

    Therefore, make sure to connect 32 or less hosts (or four or less hosts for the ETERNUS DX60 S5) to the target CA port. If the number of connected hosts exceeds the limit, the volume may become inaccessible from any of the hosts assigned to the target CA port.

Note

  • When "All" is selected for "Host Group" or "Host", the LUN groups in which LUNs are specified from LUN#512 onward are not displayed.

  • LUN groups including volumes that are used for the Storage Cluster function are not displayed.

Name

The LUN group name is displayed.

Status

Whether the LUN group is applied ("Active") or not ("Inactive") for other Host Affinity settings is displayed.

  • Active

    The LUN group is applied for other Host Affinity settings.

  • Inactive

    The LUN group is not applied for other Host Affinity settings.

Number of LUNs

The number of mappings (1 to 4096) in a LUN group is displayed.

LUN Overlap

Whether the LUN group includes volumes that are allocated to other LUN groups is displayed.

  • Yes

    At least one volume is allocated to other LUN groups.

  • Blank

    Volumes in the LUN group are not allocated to other LUN groups.

Veeam

If the LUN group is used for Veeam Storage Integration, "Yes" is displayed. If the LUN group is not used for Veeam Storage Integration, a "-" (hyphen) is displayed.

This item is displayed only when the Veeam Storage Integration License has been registered.

[Select CA Port] Screen

In this screen, edit the path between the corresponding host and a CA port.

CA Port Group

Item Description

Name

The CA port group name is displayed.
Item Description

Checkbox to select a CA port

By default, checkboxes for all the CA ports are selected.

To delete the path between a host and a CA port, clear the checkbox.

CA Port

The location information of a CA port is displayed.

For the ETERNUS DX900 S5 or the ETERNUS DX8900 S4

CE#x CM#y CA#z Port#w

For the other models

CM#y CA#z Port#w

x: CE number

y: CM number

z: CA number

w: Port number

Host - CA Port - LUN Group Setting

In this screen, specify a "Host", a "CA Port", and a "LUN Group", and creates a new host affinity.

Item Description

Host

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a host to configure a host affinity on the [Select Host] Screen.

Select "All" when assigning CA ports to any host instead of a specific host. If "All" is specified, a host response for the CA port must be selected. In this case, "All" is displayed in the "All (host response name)" format.

CA Port

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a CA port to configure host affinity on the [Select CA Port] Screen.

LUN Group

Click the [Browse...] button, and select a LUN group to configure a host affinity on the [Select LUN Group] Screen.

[Select Host] Screen

In this screen, select a host to configure a host affinity.

Target Connection Setting

Item Description Setting values

Target Connection

Select the connection target from "Host" (specific host) or "All" (any hosts). The [Select Host] screen that is to be displayed depends on the selected item. Refer to Select Host or Select "All" for detailed information on each screen.

Note that "All" can be selected only when all of the following conditions are satisfied.

  • LUNs are not specified from LUN#512 onward in the selected LUN group

  • The selected CA port is in any of the following conditions.

    • The CA port is not a member port of CA port groups

    • The affinity mode of the CA port is not "ON"

Host

All

Select Host

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a host

Select the radio button for the host to configure a host affinity.

Note

  • Hosts that are set for the host affinity of which the Virtual Volume function is enabled are not displayed.

Host

The host name is displayed.

Type

The host interface type is displayed.

FC

iSCSI

SAS

Host Group

The name of the host group to which the host belongs is displayed. If the host does not belong to a host group, the field is blank.

Host Response

The host response, which has been assigned to a host, is displayed.

Default

Solaris MPxIO

HP-UX

AIX

AIX VxVM

VS850/SVC

BS2000

Host responses registered in the storage system

Select "All"

"All" can be selected only when the required conditions are satisfied.

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a host response

Select a radio button for the host response that is assigned to any hosts ("All") as the host affinity.

Host Response

The host responses that have been registered in the storage system are displayed.

Default

Solaris MPxIO

HP-UX

AIX

AIX VxVM

VS850/SVC

BS2000

Host responses registered in the storage system

[Select CA Port] Screen

In this screen, select a CA port to configure a host affinity.

Item Description

Radio buttons to select a CA port

Select the radio button for the CA port to configure a host affinity.

Note

  • If a specific host has been selected in the "Host" field, CA ports for which the affinity mode is "OFF" are not displayed.

  • If "All" has been selected in the "Host" field, CA ports with any of the following conditions are not displayed:

    • The affinity mode is "ON"

    • The CA port is used in the CA port group

    • The CA port is used by another host affinity

  • CA ports that are used for the Storage Cluster function are not displayed.

CA Port

The location information of a CA port is displayed.

For the ETERNUS DX900 S5 or the ETERNUS DX8900 S4

CE#x CM#y CA#z Port#w

For the other models

CM#y CA#z Port#w

x: CE number

y: CM number

z: CA number

w: Port number

Type

The CA port type is displayed.

FC

iSCSI

SAS

Affinity Mode

The affinity mode of the CA port is displayed.

If the affinity mode is neither "ON" nor "OFF", the field is blank.

Function Button

Item Description

[Browse...]

Displays a selection screen for a "Host Group", a "Host", a "CA Port Group", a "CA port", or a "LUN Group".

[Edit]

Edits the path between a host and a CA port.

Operating Procedures

When "Host Group - CA Port Group" is Selected for "Target Connection"

Create a new host affinity.

  1. Click [Create Host Affinity] in [Action].

  2. Click the [Browse...] button for the host group.

    → The [Select Host Group] screen appears.

  3. Select the connection target.

    • When "Host Group" is selected

      Select a host group to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

      → The display returns to the initial screen.

    • When "All" is selected

      Select a host response, and click the [OK] button.

      → The display returns to the initial screen.

  4. Click the [Browse...] button for the CA port group.

    → The [Select CA Port Group] screen appears.

  5. Select a CA port group to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

    → The display returns to the initial screen.

  6. Click the [Browse...] button for the LUN group.

    → The [Select LUN Group] screen appears.

  7. Select a LUN group to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

    → The display returns to the initial screen.

  8. To edit the path between a host and a CA port, click the [Edit] button for the path to be edited.

    → The [Select CA Port] screen appears.

  9. Select whether to enable or disable the path between a host and a CA port, and click the [OK] button.

    To enable the path between a host and a CA port, select the checkbox of the CA port.

    To disable the path between a host and a CA port, clear the checkbox of the CA port.

  10. Confirm the host affinity setting and the path between the host and the CA port, click the [Create] button.

    → A confirmation screen appears.

    Caution
    • An error screen appears in the following conditions:

      • The host interface type of the host group and the CA type of the CA port group do not match

      • The number of host affinities exceeds the maximum number per storage system

      • The number of hosts exceeds the maximum number per CA port

      • Some LUNs cannot be referenced from the host

  11. Click the [OK] button.

    → The host affinity creation starts.

  12. Click the [Done] button to return to the [Connectivity] screen.

When "Host - CA Port" is selected for "Target Connection"

Create a new host affinity.

  1. Click [Create Host Affinity] in [Action].

  2. Click the [Browse...] button for the host.

    → The [Select Host] screen appears.

  3. Select the connection target.

    • When "Host" is selected

      Select a host to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

      → The display returns to the initial screen.

    • When "All" is selected

      Select a host response, and click the [OK] button.

      → The display returns to the initial screen.

  4. Click the [Browse...] button for the CA port.

    → The [Select CA Port] screen appears.

  5. Select a CA port to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

    → The display returns to the initial screen.

  6. Click the [Browse...] button for the LUN group.

    → The [Select LUN Group] screen appears.

  7. Select a LUN group to configure a host affinity, and click the [OK] button.

    → The display returns to the initial screen.

  8. After confirming the host affinity settings, click the [Create] button.

    → A confirmation screen appears.

    Caution
    • An error screen appears in the following conditions:

      • The host interface type of the host and the CA type of the CA port do not match

      • The number of host affinities exceeds the maximum number per storage system

      • The number of hosts exceeds the maximum number per CA port

      • Some LUNs cannot be referenced from the host

  9. Click the [OK] button.

    → The host affinity creation starts.

  10. Click the [Done] button to return to the [Connectivity] screen.