Servers that boot from SAN disks that require to upgrade the PowerPath version requires some aditional steps as you have to upgrade the software that handles the disk where the OS is running.
Below you can find the pdf oficial document from EMC that explain all the options to perform the upgrade.
Here I show a proved procedure to upgrade the software. To do so, Powerpath provides an script we can use to remove (or configure) the powerpath devices. We will use a mixture of both option, removing the powerpath configuration using the script and upgrading the software by manual tasks.
The package should be already uploaded to the server and easely accesible (do not let the rpm file in unaccesible path), best place is /root folder
run the script, once done, restart the server
root@host1:/root# /etc/opt/emcpower/emcpbfs_linux remove ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHASE 1: VERIFICATION PHASE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Verifying PowerPath ..................... Installed Verifying Boot LUN ...................... ERROR: "dev" value is not valid. Verifying Root LVM LUN(s) ............... Verifying PPME Migrations ............... No migration Verifying /etc/fstab .................... /boot found Verifying /boot space ................... Available Verifying /etc/lvm/lvm.conf ............. Filter found Verifying /boot/grub/menu.lst ........... Validated ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHASE 2: REMOVAL PHASE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Updating /etc/fstab ..................... Done Updating /etc/lvm/lvm.conf .............. Done Creating /boot/initramfs-2.6.32-358.11.1.el6.x86_64.img ..... Done Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ............ Done Moving /etc/init.d/PowerPath ............ Done ----------------------------------------------------------------- INFO: Successfully Completed. Restart the server and then un-install PowerPath. -----------------------------------------------------------------
As per above output, this script automatically:
- update the fstab
- modify the lvm.conf
- create a new initrd with no emcpower reference or modules
- update the grub configu file to reflect the new kernel
- rename the init.d/PowerPath script to disable its autoload on system boot
That will make the server to boot with no emcpower devices, so you will most probably have errors in pvs about duplicated devices.
Before restart the server, edit the fstab file and comment or modify any emcpowerdevice not updated by the script and keep only the required folder to boot the system (i.e. /var, /usr, etc), any application folder can be commented until the upgrade have finished.
Now restart the server
root@server1:/root# init 6
Once the server is back, remove the old EMCPower package and install the new one:
root@server1:/root# rpm -e EMCpower.LINUX root@server1:/root# rpm -ihv EMCPower.LINUX-6.0.0.00.00-158.RHEL6.x86_64.rpm Preparing... ########################################### [100%] 1:EMCpower.LINUX ########################################### [100%] All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. NOTE:License registration is not required to manage the CLARiiON AX series array. *** IMPORTANT *** Please check the following configurations before starting PowerPath: - Add _netdev to /etc/fstab mount options for PowerPath pseudo devices. - Ensure netfs service is started. netfs service is needed to mount devices with _netdev option. - Set LVM filter in /etc/lvm/lvm.conf according to PowerPath recommendation. - Blacklist all devices in /etc/multipath.conf and stop multipathd service. - Install PowerPath license(s) and ensure that policy is not set to BasicFailover. - If no license is available, ensure that only one HBA port is active in the host. PowerPath supports only single-HBA configuration when unlicensed. Refer to PowerPath Installation and Administration Guide for details. root@server1:/root# chkconfig --list | grep -i netfs netfs 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
Check the lvm.conf, it will look as below, as the script has removed any emcpower reference:
lvm.conf: # By default we accept every block device: # filter = [ "a/.*/" ] ###emcpbfs_linux###Tue Aug 9 11:04:39 CEST 2016### # filter = [ "a/emcpower.*/", "r/sd.*/", "r/disk.*/" ] ######### filter = [ "a/.*/" ] #filter = [ "a/sda[1-9]$/", "r/sd.*/","r/disk.*/", "a/emcpower.*/"]
or in multipath in multipath.conf:
blacklist {
devnode "*"
}
Start the PowerPath software
root@server1:/root# /etc/init.d/PowerPath start Starting PowerPath: done
Check on current status of disks
root@server1:/root# pvs PV VG Fmt Attr PSize PFree /dev/emcpowera2 rootvg lvm2 a-- 33.50g 14.50g /dev/emcpowerb datavg lvm2 a-- 67.43g 1.43g
Now modify back the lvm.conf to allow the emcpower devices, it should look as below
# By default we accept every block device: # filter = [ "a/.*/" ] ###emcpbfs_linux###Tue Aug 9 11:04:39 CEST 2016### filter = [ "a/emcpower.*/", "r/sd.*/", "r/disk.*/" ] ######### #filter = [ "a/.*/" ]
Create a new initrd image:
root@server1:/root# /sbin/mkinitrd -v -f /boot/initrd-2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64-EMC.img 2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64 I: Wrote /boot/initrd-2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64-EMC.img I: -rw------- 1 root root 27921136 Aug 9 11:26 /boot/initrd-2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64-EMC.img
check on mkinitrd output the modules are stripped I: Stripping '/tmp/initramfs.DFz94c/lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/emcp.ko' I: Stripping '/tmp/initramfs.DFz94c/lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/emcpgpx.ko' I: Stripping '/tmp/initramfs.DFz94c/lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/emcpdm.ko' I: Stripping '/tmp/initramfs.DFz94c/lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/emcpmpx.ko' I: Stripping '/tmp/initramfs.DFz94c/lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/emcpioc.ko' root@server1:/root# ls -l /lib/modules/2.6.32-573.26.1.el6.x86_64/powerpath/ total 4748 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 525906 Nov 26 2014 emcpdm.ko -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 358644 Nov 26 2014 emcpgpx.ko -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 241190 Nov 26 2014 emcpioc.ko -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1713370 Nov 26 2014 emcp.ko -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2013240 Nov 26 2014 emcpmpx.ko
Check again on pvs output the new naming:
root@server1:/root# pvs PV VG Fmt Attr PSize PFree /dev/emcpowera2 rootvg lvm2 a-- 33.50g 14.50g /dev/emcpowerb datavg lvm2 a-- 67.43g 1.43g
and the version of PowerPath install now:
root@server1:/root# rpm -qa | grep -i emc EMCpower.LINUX-6.0.0.00.00-158.el6.x86_64
Here you have the full document that shows how to upgrade RH5 and RH6 from EMCPower version 5 to 6.
PowerPath-for-Linux-5.7-and-Minor-Releases-Installation-and-Administration-Guide