About virtual storage machines and virtualized resources

The virtual storage machine is the unit that is used to manage virtualized storage system resources. When you use global storage virtualization functions (global-active device, nondisruptive migration), you create a virtual storage machine within a (physical) storage system to enable the host server to recognize two storage systems as one virtual storage system.

For example, when nondisruptive migration is used to migrate a storage system to a Virtual Storage Platform G200, G400, G600, G800Virtual Storage Platform G1000 and G1500 storage system, a virtual storage machine for the migration source storage system is created in the migration target storage system. For nondisruptive migration, the migration source storage system is the virtualized storage system. When global-active device (GAD) is used to provide nondisruptive host access to volumes that reside on different storage systems, a virtual storage machine for the storage system that contains the primary volumes (P-VOLs) of the GAD pairs is created in the secondary storage system. For GAD, the primary storage system is the virtualized storage system.

The following figure illustrates the relationship between a (physical) storage system and virtual storage machines.

Virtual IDs

For operations involving virtualized resources in a virtual storage machine, physical resources must be linked to virtualized resources. For example, when you perform operations on LDEVs in a virtual storage machine, you must specify physical LDEV IDs (not virtual LDEV IDs) that link to resources in the virtual storage machine. The following table lists the virtual IDs that must be set for resources in the (physical) storage system to enable the host server to recognize two storage systems as one virtual storage system.

Virtual ID	Resource on which the virtual ID is set
Model type of the virtualized storage system Serial number of the virtualized storage system	Resource group
LDEV ID Emulation type CVS LUSE volume number SSID	LDEV

Using virtual storage machines for nondisruptive migration

The nondisruptive migration (NDM) software is used to migrate data nondisruptively from a source storage system to a target storage system. When NDM is used, the program product configuration data is also migrated to enable business operations to continue without interruption.

When NDM migration is performed, a resource group is created in the target storage system, and the model type and serial number of the source storage system are assigned to the resource group to create the virtual storage machine.

You can use NDM to migrate the following storage systems:

• Migration source:
  • Universal Storage Platform V/VM
  • Virtual Storage Platform
  • Unified Storage VM
• Migration target:
  • VSP Gx00 models
  • VSP Fx00 models
  • VSP G1000 and G1500
  • VSP F1500

For details about nondisruptive migration, see the Nondisruptive Migration User Guide.

Using virtual storage machines for global-active device

Global-active device (GAD) enables you to create and maintain synchronous, remote copies of data volumes. Both volumes of a GAD pair can receive the same data from the server.

When you use GAD, a resource group is created in the secondary storage system, and the model type and serial number of the primary storage system are assigned to the resource group to create the virtual storage machine. The server then recognizes both storage systems (the storage systems at the primary and secondary sites) as the same storage system and can synchronously access both volumes of a GAD pair.

Global-active device is supported on the following storage systems.

• VSP Gx00 models
• VSP Fx00 models
• VSP G1000 and G1500
• VSP F1500

For details about global-active device, see the Global-Active Device User Guide.

Enabling the virtualization management setting for LDEVs

Use this procedure to enable the virtualization management setting of volumes using Device Manager - Storage Navigator. When virtualization management is enabled for a volume, you can set the virtual LDEV ID and specify the virtual volume configuration of the volume.

Before you begin

Procedure

1. In the Administration tree, select Resource Groups.

2. Select the resource group that contains the target volume.

3. In the LDEVs tab, select the target volume, and click Edit Virtualization Management Settings.

4. In Virtualization Management Settings, select Enable or Enable (Not Set).

   • Enable: Virtualization management can be used. You can set the virtual LDEV ID and specify the virtual LDEV configuration using Device Manager - Storage Navigator.
   • Enable (Not Set): Virtualization management can be used, but you cannot set the virtual LDEV ID or specify the virtual LDEV configuration using Device Manager - Storage Navigator.
   • Disable: Virtualization management cannot be used for the selected volume.

5. If you selected Enable in Virtualization Management Settings, set the virtual LDEV ID for the selected volume.

   If you selected more than one volume, set the starting virtual LDEV ID in Initial Virtual LDEV ID, and set the interval for the subsequent LDEV IDs in Interval. Virtual LDEV IDs that are not used in the virtual storage machine are assigned sequentially at the specified interval, starting from the specified virtual LDEV ID.
   NoteIf the virtual storage machine is the same as the storage system, assign a virtual LDEV ID that is different from the LDEV ID of the selected LDEV. If the virtual storage machine is the same as the storage system and you need to assign a virtual LDEV ID that is the same as the LDEV ID of the selected LDEV, select Disable in Virtualization Management Settings.
   CautionIf the virtual storage machine is configured in multiple storage systems, a virtual LDEV ID that is already used in another storage system might be assigned. In such a configuration, set the interval so that a virtual LDEV ID that is already used in another storage system is not assigned.

6. If you selected Enable in Virtualization Management Settings, select Virtual Configuration to specify the volume configuration information. For the virtual volume configuration, the specified values are set for all selected LDEVs.

   • If the volume configuration of the virtual LDEV and the LDEV are the same, select Not Set.
   • If the volume configuration of the virtual LDEV and the LDEV are different, select Specify, and then set the following parameters:

   1. In Emulation Type, select the virtual emulation type. For the virtual emulation type, which is similar to the emulation type, set one of the emulation types that exists in the same group of 32 volumes with LDEV IDs.

   2. Select CVS Settings.

   3. If the virtual LDEV is a LUSE volume, in Number of Concatenated LDEVs specify the number of concatenated LDEVs (decimal number from 2 to 36).

      If the virtual LDEV is not a LUSE volume, enter 1.

   4. In SSID, specify the virtual SSID (hexadecimal number from 0004 to FFFE).

      Set a virtual SSID for each virtual LDEV address (64, 128, 256) in the virtual storage machine.

7. Click Finish.

8. Enter the task name in Task Name.

   If you want the Tasks window to open automatically, select Go to tasks window for status.

9. Click Apply to register the task.

   Caution

   If the LDEV virtualization management setting is canceled, Failed is displayed in the Status column of the Task window and Transient is displayed for the Virtual LDEV ID. To resolve the transient status, perform one of the following operations on the LDEVs:

   • Resolve the cause of the failure by addressing the error message in the Task window, and then retry the operation by using the Edit Virtualization Management Settings window.
   • In the Edit Virtualization Management Settings window, set Virtual Management Settings to Disable before applying the setting to the storage system.