Unisphere for VMAX: Receiving Device State has changed to Offline Alerts during TDEV meta device creation

When using the symconfigure -cmd "configure <nn> devices copying dev <dev>;" command, to create new meta devices, Unisphere for VMAX generated Critical Alerts for some of the new meta members:

Device state has changed to Offline. - Object is: <Array ID>:<Device ID>

During device creation, Enginuity assigns the actual device numbers first and then proceeds to compete the device creation.

During that cycle, it is possible that SYMCLI command "symdev -sid <sid> list" lists the new devices, but a "symdev - <sid> show <dev>" of the device returns the following.

The device name specified cannot be found

If storevntd polls the array during that cycle (storevntd daemon polls every deamon_options file parameter storevntd:symm_poll_interval value) it may report the following for some of the new devices.

Device state has changed to Offline

If any device logs events for "Device state has changed to Offline," it is expected that those same devices logs events for "Device state has changed to Online" during a subsequent storevntd polling interval.

This original issue was found in an environment running Solutions Enabler 8.1.

The recommendation is to upgrade to Solutions Enabler 8.3 which has improvements added for time to completion and device create handling.

As stated above, it is expected with version 8.3, that any device that may event Offline during the creation event Online on a subsequent storevntd polling interval.

If the Online event is not received for a device that previously logged an event as Offline, contact Dell Customer Support, and quote this article.