issue with Two linux Servers showing same IP on Storage Groups

Question

Hello issue with Two linux Servers showing same IP on Storage Groups I saw some primus talking about The following is a Primus(R) eServer solution: ID: emc66921 Domain: EMC1 Solution Class: 3.X Compatibility Goal       What is the difference between the Navisphere HostIdFile.txt and agentID.txt files? Goal       How to prevent duplicate Navisphere entries when a host is cloned Goal       How do I fix duplicate host names in Navisphere if I have already attached a cloned Windows host? Goal       Why can't I add a new host to a Storage Group? Fact       OS: Microsoft Windows Fact       OS: UNIX Fact       OS: NetWare Fact       Product: CLARiiON Fact       EMC SW: Navisphere Manager [NOT] Fact This statement does not apply: OS: VMware ESX Server Cause       A host ID is a unique identifier generated by the operating system that Navisphere uses to identify hosts.  On UNIX, the host ID is stored in the HostIdFile.txt file, which is created by the Navisphere Host Agent. On Windows, the host ID is stored only in the registry. The Windows Navisphere Agent does not create a special file. If a UNIX or Windows or NetWare host is cloned after the first unique Host ID is generated, multiple hosts will have the same ID and Navisphere will assume that they are the same host. Within the HostIdFile.txt there is a single line containing the host IP address and a date/time stamp of when the file was created. Check this file for the correct host IP address. If the IP address is incorrect for the host, you will need to delete this file and start Navisphere Host Agent again to create a correct entry. You may need to make additional changes to the host configuration prior to starting Agent (see below about the first bound NIC). On UNIX hosts Agent will look in the HOST file and use the first entry as the IP address of the host - make sure that the first entry is not the local host address, ie. 127.0.0.1. Note: The location of the HostIdFile.txt is different on different operating systems: The HostIdFile.txt is in /etc/log directory for AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris, in /usr/ssm/etc/log for IRIX, and in /var/log for Linux. On NetWare, the Host ID file is called NavHstId.txt and is in the sys:\etc directory. On Windows, the host ID is a registry entry. For information on host ID in a Windows cluster, see solution emc63224 ('How do I configure Navisphere Agent in a Windows NT or Windows 2000 clustered environment?'). The purpose agentID.txt file is to instruct Host Agent what hostname/IP address to use so that it matches the one that the client uses. When the Navisphere Host Agent is first started it looks for the first 'bound' NIC on the host and uses this to create the HostIdFile entry. If the first bound NIC is not the one that will be used to communicate with the array, then you will need to manually create the agentID.txt file to override the default hostname/IP address (Note: both HostIdFile.txt and agentID.txt are case sensitive). The fully qualified hostname must be on the first line of the file, and the host's dot-notation IP address must be on the second line. Comments are allowed in the file on lines following these two lines only. Lines are only visible if they are properly terminated. Adding a blank line after the first two lines ensures this.  Lines may be empty, in which case the corresponding value defaults to what it would have been in the absence of this file.  One way to get a host's IP address to enter into this file is to 'ping' the hostname from the client computer. The location of the agentID.txt file depends on the host type and the existence (or lack thereof) of an environment variable as follows:  If environment variable EV_AGENTID_DIRECTORY is defined and  is not zero length, its value is used.  Otherwise, for Windows only, if the location of the agent configuration file can be found in the registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EMC\Agent\1.0\ConfigPath), its value will be used. Otherwise, directory ·C:\Program Files\EMC\Navisphere Agent\· is used for Windows, ·/· for UNIX systems, and ·sys:\· for NetWare.   Fix        For Windows hosts   Since Windows Agents do not create missing host IDs, it is best to correct these identifiers before a newly-cloned host is attached to any array. However, if you see duplicate host names (or only one registered host name) because you already attached and attempted to register a cloned host with the array or you can not add a host to a Storage Group, do the following: Unplug the fiber cables from the host whose name doesn't appear as registered with the array. Deregister the initiator records on the CLARiiON array for the problem host. Stop the Navisphere Agent service on that host and delete one of the following registry keys: For 32-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> EMC -> Agent -> 1.0 > HostID For 64-bit Windows:   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> WOW6432Node -> EMC -> Agent -> 1.0 > HostID   Reconnect the fiber cables. Restart the Navisphere Host Agent service. When Navisphere Agent restarts a new unique HostID key should be generated and the host should register with the correct host name/IP address (provided the host name and IP address were already changed with sysprep or some other utility if the host was cloned and that the NIC is the first bound NIC - if not, then you should create the agentID.txt file are outlined above).   Warning! Improperly editing the registry can render your system inoperable.  For UNIX hosts Problems in Navisphere software can arise primarily from the inconsistent use of host ID, IP address, and/or hostname as unique keys for certain objects. The inconsistencies causing the problems can arise under certain circumstances when a client creates or changes an initiator record, or when a host Agent pushes changes to initiator records -- as is usually the case the first time a host Agent writes an initiator record. These problems most often occur when any of the three attributes is changed. However, problems can also arise when all changes being made are correct. Sometimes re-starting Navisphere software (client, SP agent, and/or Management Server) is required. On cloned systems, you must pay special attention to both the HostIdFile.txt (wherever it resides) and the agentID.txt file (again, these are case sensitive).  Preferably, on non-Windows hosts, the HostIdFile.txt and the agentID.txt file should be removed from a cloned image before the image is used, then you can Clone the image. Mount this new image as a regular disk. Stop the agent. Delete the HostIdfile.txt from this cloned image and change the host name and IP address to new ones for this cloned image. If you have the file agentID.txt, make sure it only has the correct host name and IP address of the host (that is, you have to edit that file). This file is not created by the agent. Boot the cloned image. When the Agent starts again, it will create a new HostIdfile.txt. At this point you should be able to connect the cloned host to the SAN. For ESX hosts  ESX hosts cannot be cloned. You must uninstall the cloned ESX Server and re-install it from scratch. You will also need to remove all the existing initiator records from Navisphere for this host before starting the new ESX Server. Then you will be able to add this host in the Storage Group. The reason is that the first original host registered on the array with it's name and IP address, the cloned host when it connects to the array will be seen as the same host. When you try to add this new, cloned host to a Storage Group, you will not see it in the list of Available Hosts as the array believes that this host is already assigned to a Storage Group. Cloning is not a certified way of installation for ESX because ESX creates unique virtual interfaces for management, iSCSI, and VMkernel communications along with certificates, storage HBA's configuration information, and the like that should never be the same between different hosts. Cloning may cause a variety of communication issues including not being able to add the host to a Storage Group. The ESX Administration Guide describes all certified practices to install an ESX Server, but cloning is not one of them. Navisphere Host Agent is only supported on ESX 3.x. ESX 4.x uses a built-in agent from VMware. Note       The spelling for the agentID.txt and HostIdFile.txt is case sensitive. Be careful with Windows 2008 - the default Explorer view is to not see the filename extensions - when creating the agentID.txt make sure you have the Details view enabled - you may be adding an extra .txt to the file name and get agentID.txt.txt Note       Also see solutions: emc53832 - 'Why does a HP-UX host attached to FC4700 array show operating system as ·unknown·?' emc62479 - ·Ensuring Navisphere Agent binds to correct NIC in multi-homed server with multiple NICs· emc70909 - ·How can I change the IP address that Navisphere uses if my AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, or VMware ESX host has more than one IP address?· emc111293 - 'Cloned AIX host showing up in Navisphere as original host from which it was cloned.' emc10285 - 'CLARiiON FC4700 arrays must be managed over Ethernet.' emc73838 - 'Why does Navisphere Manager 6.4 from a Linux host show duplicate entries?' emc234729 - 'Why is the local LAN NIC not registering on the CLARiiON array with the correct IP address when using Windows 2008 Clusters?' emc241869 - 'Where do I  find information about using the Navisphere Host Agent for VMware?' So , I just create that text file called agentID.txt  in root and rename HostIdFile.txt  and then restart agent , restart management server of Clariion and it should show the correct info on the Storage group ?

SamiEMC · Accepted Answer

That was all about agentID.txt it had some 127.0.0.1 entry which I removed typed the FQN IP saved and restarted the navicli and it refreshed and shown on Clariion Nothing to do with HostIdFile.txt  on Linux now all are Ok Thanks all

SamiEMC · Answer

cant make a reboot if i restarted agent , will that disconnect from Clariion till i start agent again ?

AnkitMehta · Answer

First Check on both the servers if agentID.text files exists or not, if it does, open with a notpad and see if the IP address are correct. If not, make the necessary changes, Save the file and Update the Array or Host Information on CLARiiON, it should show the proper IP's, if not you may restart the host agent and the management server.

Ideally, it is not possible that Multiple Host will have the same IP's, if its not assigned manually. I have not tested this but I believe if you give the same IP, it might give a pop up Duplicate IP exists.

If agentID.txt is not created you may delete agent.conf from the clone host and reboot the host, Host Agent Software will or should create a new Information file and send the correct information to the array before creating agentID.txt file.

dynamox · Answer

it will not disconnect storage from that host

dynamox · Answer

AnkitM wrote:No, restarting Navisphere Agent service from services.msc does not disconnect the storage from the Host. services.msc ? We are talking linux here

AnkitMehta · Answer

No, restarting Navisphere Agent service from services.msc does not disconnect the storage from the Host. Host Agent relays configuration and status requests.

SamiEMC · Answer

done that on host for naviagent and restarted management the same

AnkitMehta · Answer

dynamox wrote:

AnkitM wrote:

No, restarting Navisphere Agent service from services.msc does not disconnect the storage from the Host.

services.msc ? We are talking linux here

Sorry Sir, my bad. Actually, I was working on a Windows Host that time and doing the exact same thing! LOL

@SamiEMC:

Try this: Go to Storage System Connectivity > Select the Host > Click on Edit > Check all the WWN/IQN is correct.

If yes, Select Initiator Type CLARiiON Open and appropriate failover mode.

Restart Naviagent service on the host and update the Host in Unisphere.

If this doesn't work, you might need to check agent.config file on the host and edit it with the correct IP address or I believe if we delete that and reboot the host (while Naviagent Service is running) it should create a new agent.config file gather the information about the host and send it to clariion.

Let me know how it goes.

AnkitMehta · Answer

Thank you for sharing the solution.Too bad I accidentally deleted that post which had the same resolution, I reckon!

CLARiiON

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