VMAX luns: Increasing capacity/migration not an option?

I think in SMC under provisioning tasks, there is an option called "Add/Remove meta members" whihc you cna use for expanding your meta device.

Or alternatively you can use SYMCLI to expand the meat device. Use the following in the command file :

add dev to meta   for conacatnetaed meta.

or

add dev to meta , protect_data=TRUE for striped meta.

In SMC, even though I have already created the same-sized devices that already exist in the META device, they do not appear as an option when trying to expand the meta device in SMC. There’s some issue with protected devices, from what I understand, that you cannot just “expand” a thin lun anytime you want on the VMAX (far different than a CX array). Wondering if someone has any insight if this is true or if I have to go full SYMCLI commands to do something like what I’ve mentioned.

I am not sure what you mean by “protected”

Ok, there have been multiple threads in this forum how to expand devices/metas online while preserving data (using symcli)

Do you have the instructions for this somewhere?

But not through SMC?!

Here it is from SMC help pages:

You can add/remove meta members from the meta head level or the Tasks view.

Before you begin

To expand a bound stripped thin metadevice on a Symmetrix array running an Enginuity version earlier than 5875, you must first unbind the device from the pool. This operation is allowed on Symmetrix arrays running Enginuity 5875 or later without having to unbind the device, however, you must select the Protect Data option.

Procedure

To add/remove meta members:

1. From the meta head: Right-click the meta head device and select FBA Meta Device Configuration, Add/Remove Meta Members.

From the Tasks view: In the Operations panel, under Provisioning, click Form FBA Meta to open the Select a Symmetrix and a Meta Device dialog box. Select the Symmetrix array and the Meta Devices on which you want to perform the operation, and click OK.

The Add/Remove Meta Members dialog box opens.

2. For striped metas only: Set Protect Data to Yes or No to indicate whether the original striped meta data needs to be protected.
3. Optional: Filter the Available Unmapped Devices list by clicking the funnel icon . This will display the Device Filter dialog box, from which you can specify the filter criteria.
4. Select one or more members from the Available list and click Add to move them to the Selected list, or click Add All to move all members from the Available list to the Selected list.  
5. Remove members by selecting the devices from the Target list and clicking the <-Remove button to move them to the Available list. Or click <-Remove All to move all the devices to the Available list.
6. Optional: Reserve the devices by selecting Reserve and entering Comments and an Expiration Date.
   
   The default values for Reserve and Comments are set in Symmetrix Preferences for device reservations. If the devices are not automatically reserved you can optionally reserve them here.
7. Click Add to Config Session List, and refer to Executing the task list.

Negative. Local “file share” meta device. 1.2TB currently and need to expand to 2TB. So far, having trouble using SMC to do it and though I can use SYMCLI, it appears EMC doesn’t want you to expand or modify “protected” devices.

What version of SMC are you using?

I am able to expand by R5 protected meta devices using SMC.

I am uing SMC 7.3.2.2

is this device a source for SRDF/Timefinder operations ?

That’s what the devices are. Raid5 protected. I always create the devices as protected devices to keep people from possibly destroying business critical data.

What type of meeta volumes do you have you are adding to stripped or concatenated?  The devices you are trying to add are they just created or have you bound them to a pool?  If they are bound to a pool I dont think they will show in the list of devices you can add to a meta.

Not working. Using SMC 7.3.3 now and I’ve created the same size devices to add to the Meta. However, when I follow the steps and get to Step 4, the same sized devices DO NOT show up as available in SMC. In fact when you click the filter there are no devices available even though CLEARLY I can see them as unallocated devices on the array. It doesn’t matter if I change the protection level to Yes or No, SMC still does not show the additional devices to add to the meta. Same size devices that are unallocated so they technically SHOULD show up but do not.

Correct. Striped META bound to the F/C pool. That’s the major issue. This should be something as simple as Unisphere and telling the lun “Go from 1.2TB to 2.0TB”. I know on the old DMX-3s I could easily expand a Meta lun but it wasn’t “pooled” like the VMAX is. It will not let me change the protection level either and yes, we’re running 5875 microcode, latest version.

Check this primus solution:  emc269273  "Symmetrix VMAX: What are the restrictions on thin meta expansion?"

With Solutions Enabler 7.3 and Enginuity 5875.198.148 (or later), EMC will support the use of a thin BCV meta volume while expanding striped thin meta volumes.

• All existing rules for using regular BCV devices apply to thin BCV (such as size, number of members, member size, etc). 
• A thin BCV device used for data protection must be bound to a thin pool. 
• A thin BCV device used for data protection must be fully allocated with persistent option turned on. 
• A thin BCV device cannot be used while expanding a thick striped meta device. 
• Use of thin RDF BCVs for data protection is not allowed.

Again, prior to Solutions Enabler 7.3, users are not allowed to use thin BCV devices for data protection when expanding thin striped meta volumes (due to an Enginuity limitation).