How to remove meta members from VCMDB Database

Question

I need some help with the following scenerio. I had some standard devices configured to Host WWN in VCMDB. EMC was called into reconfigure standard devices and convert to META volumes. Prior to converting the standard devices were not removed/cleaned up from VCMDB. The new META contain the members that were once standard devices. I am trying to remove standard devices what now is meta-members from the Host WWN in VCMDB and I'd like to know what is the command and how it impacts the new members in a META that is in use/production containing data. If I delete the meta-members entries (previously standard volumes) will it affect the meta-members in a META device? I hope you understand what I am asking? If someone could provide the syntax and some explanation to this it would be appreciated. Thank you!

dynamox · Accepted Answer

once you verified that you can see both standard hyper id and meta hyper id ...run this command to remove standard hyper id from VCM database.

symmask -sid xxx -wwn 10000000c959151b -dir 8c -p 0 remove devs 45c,45d -force

substitude your host wwn and the port where those devices are mapped to

then run

symmask -sid xxx refresh

this will commit your command to the VCM database.

At this point i would wait and see to make sure nobody is complaining about missing path or anything like that. Just to be on the safe side, then repead the command with the next wwn and port. Once you are done run refresh again to commit changes.

symmask -sid xxx refresh

At the very end you can run

symmaskdb -sid xxx list devs -wwn 10000000c959151b

to make sure that only the META head hyper id's are listed

If you do everything correctly, there should be no impact to production...just make sure you are removing standard hypers and not meta heads ..and do one path wait for 30min (safe side

) and do the second path.

dynamox · Answer

first i would run this to make sure you can see your old standard devices hyper numbers:

symmaskdb -sid xxx list db
(substitute xxx for your SID number)

next to the host WWN you should see the old hyper id's and the new META id ..please verify that's true and will go from there

USShivas · Answer

Before doing anything take a backup of your VCMDB database. Siva

dynamox · Answer

hopefully he does it on scheduled bases ..in case you need the syntax it's:symmaskdb -sid xxx backup -file filename

ss224 · Answer

Hi Dynamox and Siva. Thank you very much for your input. Dynamox, I used your commands ofcourse after a backup(actually I took multiple backup just incase) and the commands you suggested work great. I have a clean VCMDB. Thanks again!

regards,

ss224 · Answer

The answer provided in the thread by Dynamox was absolutely correct. Thank you very much for your reply.

vincent_corona · Answer

Where can I find out more about VCMDB? To be honest, I don't even know what VCMDB does!

Diwakar1 · Answer

Here i am putting in step by step. Hope this will help you/

1. Remove the LUN masking configuration
# symmask -wwn -dir 13a -p 1 remove devs 4A4
# symmask -wwn -dir 4a -p 1 remove devs 4A4
Note: the wwn are the WWPN's of the host HBA's which you obtain from the server.

Update the VCM database
# symmask refresh -nop

2. offline the volume 4A4
# symdev -sid 056 not_ready 4A4 -nop

Check the configuration
# symdev show 4A4

3. Unmap the meta volume from Front-end directors
# cat unmapfile.cmd
unmap dev 4A4 from dir 4b:1;
unmap dev 4A4 from dir 13b:1;

4. Remove the volume from the VCM database
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd preview -nop
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd prepare -nop
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd commit -nop

Check the configuration
# symdev -sa 4b -p 1 -fibre list
# symdev -sa 13a -p 1 -fibre list

dynamox · Answer

take a look at 'Solutions Enabler Symmetrix Array Controls CLI Product Guide' located at Home > Support > Documentation/White Paper Library > Software S > Solutions Enabler > Maintenance/Administration. Look for section called 'Device Masking overview'

Symmetrix

How to remove meta members from VCMDB Database

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