what is Service Processor

Question

I know each director has four slices/CPU which manages the 8 possible ports with a director

Is the processor/CPU here called as Service Processor? I am not really understanding what a SP does in a SYM where it exactly desides.

Also what is the command to display the full microcode version like 5773.103.77? I know symcfg can help, but not with the third portion(77) which represents the minor release at SP level.

Quincy561 · Accepted Answer

It is a PC that is used to load the code and is used for service activities.  It runs Windows and SymmWin.

jdl09 · Answer

the full version is displayed in Symmwin upper left corner of the main window about 1inch down which is installed on the SP

Allen Ward · Answer

Just to clarify, it is a Windows server dedicated to the array and actually built right in to the System Bay (at least on the DMX series). I believe some of the older arrays had an SP that was a laptop inside the front door of the System Bay, but it has been a long time since I've seen those, and I didn't work extensively with them.

spittman1 · Answer

Since EMC owns VMWARE now, I think it'd be a good idea if they'd turn the service processor into some kind of vm appliance that's built into the array. Maybe even take a step further and do something similiar with a built in appliance that'd have symcli and ecc all ready to go when the array drops in place. The initial bin file can take care of the ip and bam - instant management.

RobertDudley · Answer

On the V-Max you can have SMC running right on it.  If you put the service processor on your network you just IP to it and viola SMC.

Allen Ward · Answer

Hello spittman, and welcome to the Support Forums.

As Robert pointed out, the concept of SYMAPI and SMC being on the service processor is already in place on the V-Max. I think it is possible for the DMX4 as well, but I can't remember for sure.

As for using a VM for the Service Processor, I'm not sure how that would work. You would still need a server to host the VM (e.g. ESX) so there wouldn't be a lot of value in virtualizing a single host on it. I think the model works well today and I'm very happy with the new concept of putting SE and SMC right on the SP.

Ruel1 · Answer

Hi! SMC can run in DMX4. Btw, another term for service processor in DMX3/4 is also know as 'server'.

Allen Ward · Answer

Thanks Ruel, I thought so but I could not remember for certain.

MahendranVijay · Answer

Amigo, folowing is the command to get the entire ucode version, symconfigure -sid xxx -version -v Thanks!

deinhart · Answer

Try = symcfg -SA all [-P #] -v list

Symmetrix

what is Service Processor

Was this post helpful?