CC 5240, Stuck when resizing cache partition.

[EVuser17]

Hello,
I'm trying to configure the cache partition, I did a resize and added 500Gb to it. Now it sees to be stuck nothing happens and it's been 24+ hrs already. Could anyone give me some directions on how to check progress or errors. I'm looking at the "/etc/vx/locks/storage.lock" file and all it says is:

- [Info] Performing sanity check on disks and partitions... (5 mins approx)
- [Info] 'NetBackup CloudCatalyst Cache' partition does not exist. Creating it now...
- [Info] The estimated time to create the 'NetBackup CloudCatalyst Cache' partition can range from 0 hours, 2 minutes to 0 hours, 5 minutes depending on the system load
. The greater the system load the longer it takes to complete the resize operation.
NetBackup diskpool name: (##_###_##############)

It's a CC Appliance 5240 running 3.1.1

Thank in advance.

[davidmoline]

I'm curious as to why you want to resize the cache parition. If this is a 5240 CC appliance, then where are you finding the additional 500GB. The cache will 14TB which is all the RAID6 storage in the applance head. The only remaining storage available is from the RAID1 root and log volumes, and adding that to the cache partition is a very BAD idea. 
If this is the case, the utility is probably hanging attempting to add thte storage which would not be under storage foundation control (VxVol) into the existing volume. 
If you have some different configuration, please describe further what storage you have both in use and available. 
For a normal CC 5240 appliance, you shouldn't be able to do what you are attempting. 
Cheers
David

[EVuser17]

Hello David and thanks for your quick response,

The cache was not configured, the 14TB are available. I was testing with 500GB cause it's the minium to realize the configuration and I thought it would be faster for the system to complete the resize/creation operation.

[davidmoline]

Ok - now I'm even more curious.

What is the current state of the appliance. If you set up the CC from scratch, there is no option to choose what size the cache partition is - it simply uses all avaialable stoage from the RAID6 volume.

If you are attempting to convert an existing appliance media server to a CC, then I think the correct way will be to re-image the appliance and start from scratch. Not sure converting a running appliance from MSDP to CC is supported. 

Cheers

[EVuser17]

We are building it from scratch, however it's not configuring the cache automatically as supposed to. I have taken some pictures from the web appliance.

[davidmoline · Accepted solution]

Hmm - it appears as though you have already configured the appliance as a media server. For a CC it is during this process that you tell the appliance that it should be a CC. 

I have never used the GUI/Web interface to configure a CC (mainly as once built, you lose access to the Web interface). Here's what I suggest you do (refer to the 3.1.1 NetBackup 52xx Appliance Initial Configuration Guide (the section in chapter 2 about performing the initial configuration on a NetBackup 5240 CloudCatalyst Appliance.
1. Reset the appliance keeping the network information intact.
2. Verify that the IP, DNS, timezone and NTP information is correct and updated.
3. Set the appliance hostname
4. Connect to the appliance via a SSH session, then configure the appliance as a media server, then choose to configure the appliance as a cloud catalyst. 

I've attached a run through I catpured some time ago connecting a CC to AWS (installing 3.1.2 - but the same basic steps apply). This only captures the stages of setting the appliance to the media role and not configuring the netowrk and hostname.

Hope this helps

[EVuser17]

Thanks for your time David, pretty much appreciated.