HPE Storage Users Group

Note, I have many years experience with IT infrastructure but this is my first time supporting a 3PAR device.

I have two 2 Node StoreServe 7400s each with an M6710 Drive Shelf. Right now, I'm only using one StoreServe to support a test environment. I'm wanting to move the unused drive shelf and connect it to my active StoreServe to expand the storage capacity but I'm unsure if I can just power down the array and connect it with the layout specified in the 3PAR documentation or if I need to disassociate it from the other controller before it will be recognized by the new one?

I've read through all that I can seem to find but haven't come across someone else attempting this scenario.

I've yet to call HP on this as I'm sure we have support on the device but given I'm trying to increase my comfort level with this system I'm trying to see what I can do on my own.

You can do it online.
Just unplug the shelve from unused storeserv then cable it in the right way to the other storeserv.
There go to Service Processor, execute "admithw" command line to admit new cage and disks.

Fantastic

Thank you

You may need/want to dismiss the hardware properly first from the old system. Not sure what the new system will think when it discovers a brand new tray of disks, i suspect they they might be marked/protected as foreign data belong to a configuration.

Also, PD license counts may come into play and you may need to get HP to transfer some disk count licenses from one system to the other. Never tried that, so I am not sure how co-operative they are in that arena.

Please let us know how this works out for you.

Usually when you try to admit second hand hardware to another array, during admithw phase, it's only mentionned that PD or cage belongs to anoter array, "[...] do you want to continue despite these [...] press c ton continue [...]".

Properly removing PD and cages from any 3PAR array is quite a pain even more if PDs are NL and quite full ^^

Thanks for the clarification, that is good info!

Is it definitely supported to remove the shelves while the array is up and serving data?

A lot of sans support hot add of shelves, but they don't normally support hot removal of shelves.