Re: Migrate iTERA to PowerHA

Rob,

As I stated first, there are advantages to SAN disk. I'm going to be buying SAN disk for Agile's data center soon. It still has a downside that needs to be understood at a business level, not a technical one.

Keep paying those maintenance fees, I like it when my IBM stock price goes up..... ;-)

Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects


On 5/22/2013 6:32 AM, rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Jim,

I am hearing both sides of that argument, and the jury is still out. Yes,
every time you mention SAN everyone thinks you have unlimited pockets and
come running to you as if you're the new gold rush. IBM trying to gouge
me an extra $10K for SAN support just to maintain an IBM tape drive
attached to an IBM SAN switch to IBM i on Power, and they were already all
under maintenance, is a classic example.
However, the PC tech here is using Net App (and/or Cisco) SAN disk that is
mirrored from one location to another. I've seen him use flash copy
(which normally takes about two sips of coffee) and I am really impressed.

Setting up a guested lpar may sound complicated to some people. However,
some of the ways that sure eases things is really nice also.
SAN may not be for everyone, but it's not just for the Fortune 100 either.

Rob Berendt
-- IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600 Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive Garrett, IN 46738 Ship to: Dock 108 6928N 400E Kendallville, IN 46755 http://www.dekko.com From: Jim Oberholtzer <midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Date: 05/21/2013 03:18 PM Subject: Re: Migrate iTERA to PowerHA Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx And rich cat -- vs. poor cat. Meaning SAN = expensive (as a general rule as compared to internal disk) SAN disk add quite a bit of flexibility, security, and resilience to the data center. They also add a massive skill set to manage them, software license/maintenace fees to choke even the largest horse, and a fair piece of complexity to the equation. Jim Oberholtzer Chief Technical Architect Agile Technology Architects On 5/21/2013 2:07 PM, Patrick.Bingham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> With geographic mirroring and internal disk you are correct. With

external storage, we have the option of make a flash copy of the iASP
before the upgrade and switch. If the switch and conversion fail and you
have to "go back" to the previous release, we can vary off the iASP,
reverse the flash copy, and then bring it back up on the older release
partition.

>
> Many ways to skin the cat....
>
>
> Patrick Bingham | Principal Power Systems Engineer
> Office: 402.965.2381 | Mobile: 402.212.2944

|Patrick.Bingham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

> Sirius Computer Solutions |www.siriuscom.com
> 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 400, Omaha, NE 68154
> >
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:rob@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:rob@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:09 PM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: Re: Migrate iTERA to PowerHA
>
> <snip>
> I don't think to many folks use PowerHA at V5R4 so the answer to your

question is a bit different.

> </snip>
> I get that. I just tossed those out there as past examples of data

conversions occurring due to an OS upgrade.

>
> The impression I am getting is: If you're running on #1, upgrade OS on

#2. Do your switch and quickly upgrade the OS on #1. Now, if it all goes
to heck on the new OS you could try switching back and hope that any data
conversions don't adversely affect anything.

>
>
> Rob Berendt
> --
> IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600

Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive

> Garrett, IN 46738
> Ship to: Dock 108
> 6928N 400E
> Kendallville, IN 46755
> http://www.dekko.com
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Jim Oberholtzer<midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> Date: 05/21/2013 12:58 PM
> Subject: Re: Migrate iTERA to PowerHA
> Sentby:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> PowerHA has an Administrative Domain that can copy 80% of the *SYSBAS.
> The HA Assist (iCluster) product gets you about another 15% over that.
> There are some objects no one can replicate at an application level.
>
> So the answer to your question is yes, PowerHA gets all the things you
> were thinking of.
>
> Upgrades happen just as with any other upgrade, although once an iASP
> has been taken to V7R1, it cannot be reattached to a V6R1 system.
>
> I don't think to many folks use PowerHA at V5R4 so the answer to your
> question is a bit different.
>
> Jim Oberholtzer
> Chief Technical Architect
> Agile Technology Architects
>
>
> On 5/21/2013 11:29 AM,rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>> > So this doesn't copy stuff like user profiles, object ownership and

that

>> > stuff?
>> >
>> > I guess I can see leaving some of this stuff out of the iasp, like

the

> key

>> > assigned to a vendor package. Stuff we already deal with in Mimix

type

> of

>> > environments.
>> >
>> > What about the object conversions I mentioned earlier: stream file

> type1

>> > to type2, STROBJCVN, etc. Any of that a factor during the upgrade?
>> >
>> >
>> > Rob Berendt
>> > -- IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept
>> > 1600 Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive Garrett, IN 46738 Ship to: Dock 108
>> > 6928N 400E Kendallville, IN 46755http://www.dekko.com From: Jim
>> > Oberholtzer<midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Midrange Systems
>> > Technical Discussion<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Date: 05/21/2013

11:52

>> > AM Subject: Re: Migrate iTERA to PowerHA Sent by:
>> > midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx With PowerHA all the customer data

is

>> > in an iASP leaving *SYSBAS to only the OS and LPP. (and stuff that

has

>> > to be there that the administrative domain or HA Assist replicate)

So

>> > you push the iASP over to the second system in the cluster, vary it

on

>> > and away you go. Now number 1 only has *SYSBAS attached.

Upgrade/Apply

>> > PTFs at your pleasure during working hours. When done bring the
>> > cluster back and repeat with number two. Most folks actually have

two

>> > copies of the iASP in separate locations rather than just doing the
>> > clustering described above. It's all part of clustering. Jim
>> > Oberholtzer Chief Technical Architect Agile Technology Architects On
>> > 5/21/2013 10:29 AM,rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>>>> >> > I think this has been answered before so forgive my

continuing

> doubts.

>>>> >> > But is this setup sort of like:
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > Power 7 #1
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > connected to SAN
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > Power 7 #2
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > You do some magic that says run on #2 now. Both #1 and #2

are using

> the

>>>> >> > same SAN but only one can be 'live' at a time?
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > How does one upgrade the OS? Wouldn't that require some

outage?

>>>> >> > Considering that part of the OS may be a conversion like

changing

> stream

>>>> >> > files from TYPE1 to TYPE2 (remember that?), strobjcvn, all

the

> system

>>>> >> > cross reference files, etc.
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > Rob Berendt
>>>> >> > -- IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group

Dekko Dept

>>>> >> > 1600 Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive Garrett, IN 46738 Ship to:

Dock 108

>>>> >> > 6928N 400E Kendallville, IN 46755http://www.dekko.com
>>>> >> > --

>> > --

> --

--