Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance Release Notes
Release 8.1.7

Part Number A88774-05

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Copyright © 2001, Oracle Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance

Release Notes

Release 8.1.7

July 23, 2001

Part No. A88774-05

These release notes contain late-breaking and important information for release 8.1.7 of the Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance.


Note:

You may receive two Oracle Appliance CD Packs, one with your hardware delivery and one sent by Oracle Corporation. These CD Packs contain identical software. 


The following topics are discussed:

Initial Hardware Setup

Before configuring your Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance, you must set up the hardware. Do not power on the appliance at this time.


IMPORTANT:

Because a Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance is preinstalled and preconfigured, do not insert the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD, install and configure SCSI drivers, or change any of the system settings other than the date and time. 


Connect the following network cards to an Ethernet network:

If you received a Dell PowerVault 110T tape backup unit (used for backing up locally), connect it to port B of the external SCSI connector on the back panel of the appliance.

If you received a Dell PowerVault 210S storage system, see "Dell PowerVault 210S".

If you ordered the Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter Storage option, the appliance contains a host bus adapter in PCI slot 6. Do one of the following:

Dell PowerVault 210S

If you received a PowerVault 210S storage system with your appliance, the hard-disk drives inside the storage system were configured at the factory as RAID 10. You must now connect the PowerVault 210S to the appliance.

For detailed information about the PowerVault 210S, see the Dell PowerVault 200S, 201S, 210S, and 211S Storage Systems Installation and Service Guide.

To connect the PowerVault 210S to the appliance:

  1. Route the SCSI cables that were included with the storage system from the appliance to the PowerVault 210S.

  2. Connect the SCSI cables to the SCSI connectors on the storage system's back panel and to the RAID controller in PCI slot 3 or 6 of the appliance:

    • Connect one cable between SCSI connector A, which is on the left side of the storage system's back panel (see Figure 1), and Ch A or Ch 0 of the RAID controller.

    • Connect the other cable between SCSI connector B, which is on the right side of the storage system's back panel (see Figure 1), and Ch B or Ch 1 of the RAID controller.

Figure 1. Back Panel of PowerVault 210S
Text description of pv210s.gif follows.
Text description of the illustration pv210s.gif
1 Redundant cooling fan
2 SCSI connector B
3 Redundant power supply
4 Power supply
5 SCSI connector A
6 Cooling fan(s)
  • Connect the storage system power cable to the power supply and to an electrical outlet.

  • Turn on the PowerVault 210S.

    The PowerVault 210S will not actually start at this time because the appliance is not powered on yet. Do not power on the appliance until instructed to do so in Chapter 2 of the Oracle Appliance Kit Getting Started Guide.

    RAID 10 Configuration

    This section describes how RAID 10 was configured at the factory. You do not need to perform these steps.

    1. Connect the PowerVault 210S to the appliance.

    2. Press Ctrl+M to start the RAID controller's BIOS Configuration Utility.

    3. Configure RAID 10 on the PowerVault 210S disks by creating mirror sets across channels (for example, disks 0 and 8, disks 1 and 9, disks 2 and 10, and so on).

    4. Span these mirror sets to create RAID 10.

    The user's guide for the RAID controller contains detailed information about configuring RAID.

    RAID Controller BIOS

    The BIOS for the RAID controller was disabled at the factory. Do not enable the BIOS.

    Adding Disks

    If you add disks to the Dell PowerVault 210S, use the RAID controller's BIOS Configuration Utility to configure and initialize the new disks.

    The user's guide for the RAID controller describes how to use the BIOS Configuration Utility.


    IMPORTANT:

    If you add disks, do not expand the existing logical drive to include the new disks. If you do this, you will lose data. Instead, use the new disks to create another logical drive. 


    When configuring the new disks, set the Write Policy to Write-back caching.

    Dell PowerVault 650F/630F


    IMPORTANT:

    When using the Appliance Configuration Assistant to create a site-specific parameter file for the appliance, choose the Local Disk Array storage type. Do not choose Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter Storage. 


    If you received a PowerVault 650F/630F storage system with your appliance, the hard-disk drives inside the storage system were configured at the factory as RAID 10. You must now connect the PowerVault 650F/630F to the appliance.

    See Also:

    Dell PowerVault 650F Rackmount Storage System Installation and Service Guide for detailed information about the PowerVault 650F/630F 

    To connect the PowerVault 650F/630F to the appliance:

    1. Connect one end of the copper cable to the QLA2200 host bus adapter in PCI slot 6 of the appliance.

    2. Plug the other end of the copper cable into Port A of Storage Processor A (bottom left) as shown in Figure 2.

    Figure 2. Back Panel of PowerVault 650F
    Text description of pv650f.gif follows.
    Text description of the illustration pv650f.gif
  • If you also received a PowerVault 630F, cable it to the PowerVault 650F as shown in Figure 3:

    1. Plug one end of the copper cable into the PowerVault 650F's LCC A EXP connector (left).

    2. Plug the other end of the copper cable into the PowerVault 630F's LCC A PRI connector (left).

    3. Plug one end of the copper cable into the PowerVault 650F's LCC B EXP connector (right).

    4. Plug the other end of the copper cable into the PowerVault 630F's LCC B PRI connector (right).

    5. Be sure to tighten the screws on all the cable connectors.

    Figure 3. Back Panels of PowerVault 630F and PowerVault 650F
    Text description of pv630f.gif follows.
    Text description of the illustration pv630f.gif
  • Turn on the PowerVault 630F first. After it is fully booted, turn on the PowerVault 650F.

    Do not power on the appliance until instructed to do so in Chapter 2 of the Oracle Appliance Kit Getting Started Guide.

  • Managing the PowerVault 650F/630F

    This section describes how to manage your Fibre Channel storage for use with the appliance. You only need to perform these steps if you want to:

    • Configure RAID 10 for PowerVault 650F/630F storage not ordered with the appliance

    • Add storage by adding PowerVault 630F units

    • Monitor the status of the storage array dynamically

    RAID 10 Configuration

    RAID 10 was configured in the factory for Fibre Channel storage ordered with the appliance.

    The factory configured a LUN for each storage unit. Each LUN has Read/Write caching enabled and auto-assignment disabled. The available memory of Storage Processor A was equally partitioned between the read and write cache. For more information, see the Dell OpenManage Data Supervisor, Event Monitor, and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide.

    If you have existing PowerVault 650F/630F Fibre Channel storage, follow the instructions in "Adding Storage" on this page.

    Adding Storage

    1. Cable the new PowerVault 630F to the existing storage array by following the instructions in the Dell PowerVault 650F Rackmount Storage System Installation and Service Guide.

    2. Follow the instructions in "Setting Up the Fibre Channel Management Station".

    3. Use Dell OpenManage Data Supervisor to configure RAID 10 on the PowerVault 630F. Follow the instructions in these guides:

      • Dell OpenManage Data Agent for Windows NT/2000 and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide

      • Dell OpenManage Data Supervisor, Event Monitor, and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide

    4. After the LUN binding operation is complete, restart the appliance. The appliance automatically recognizes the new volume for additional database storage.

    Monitoring the PowerVault 650F/630F

    To monitor the status of the storage array dynamically:

    1. Follow the instructions in "Setting Up the Fibre Channel Management Station" on this page.

    2. Click Programs > Dell OpenManage PowerVault Manager > Data Supervisor.

    Setting Up the Fibre Channel Management Station

    To manage the PowerVault 650F/630F, you need a computer running one of the following operating systems:

    • Windows 2000 with Service Pack 1

    • Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or later

    This computer must have a QLA2200 host bus adapter to connect to the PowerVault 650F. Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 drivers for the QLA2200 host bus adapter are included on the Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities CD-ROM or Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities Update CD-ROM. You must install the drivers before proceeding.

    Perform the following steps on the Windows computer to manage the PowerVault 650F/630F for use with the appliance:

    1. Install Dell OpenManage Storage Consolidation software from the Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities CD-ROM or Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities Update CD-ROM.

      Dell OpenManage Storage Consolidation prevents the Windows computer from using the virtual disks that are associated with the Fibre Channel storage.


      IMPORTANT:

      After the installation, do not change any of the configuration parameters for Dell OpenManage Storage Consolidation. Doing so may cause accidental data corruption. 


      When prompted, reboot the computer. Shut down the computer prior to cabling it in the next step.

      See the Dell OpenManage Storage Consolidation User's Guide for detailed information.

    2. Connect the Windows computer to Port B of Storage Processor A on the PowerVault 650F. If you also have a PowerVault 630F, attach it to the PowerVault 650F. See the Dell PowerVault 650F Installation and Service Guide for cabling information.

    3. Install Dell OpenManage Data Managed Node software (Data Agent, CLI, and Integrator for Windows NT/2000) from the Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities CD-ROM or Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities Update CD-ROM.

      See the Dell OpenManage Data Agent for Windows NT/2000 and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide for instructions on setting up and starting the agent service.

    4. Install Dell OpenManage Data Management Station (Data Supervisor) from the Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities CD-ROM or Dell PowerVault Fibre Channel Utilities Update CD-ROM.

      See the Installation and Operation Guide for Data Management Station for instructions on setting up RAID and binding LUNs to a Storage Processor in the PowerVault 650F/630F.

    QLA2200 Host Bus Adapter BIOS

    For optimal performance, the QLA2200 host bus adapter BIOS in your appliance was set for the Loop Only connection option in the factory, because the appliance is directly attached to the Fibre Channel storage without using a Fibre Channel switch.

    If you replace the QLA2200 host bus adapter, follow these steps to set the Connection Type:

    1. Reboot the appliance.

    2. When the initialization banner of the QLA2200 host bus adapter appears, press Alt+Q.

    3. Select the adapter and press Enter.

    4. Select the Configuration Settings option and press Enter.

    5. Select the Extended Firmware Settings option and press Enter.

    6. Highlight the Connection Type option and press Enter.

    7. Select Option 0 (Loop Only) and press Enter.

    8. Verify that the option has changed and press the Escape key until prompted to save.

    9. Save the settings.

    10. Reboot the appliance.

    Viewing Physical Storage Information

    The Appliance Management Pack enables you to view statistics about the physical storage of an appliance from the Oracle Enterprise Manager Console. However, in this release you cannot view statistics about the PowerVault 650F/630F.

    BIOS

    This section provides information about various BIOS issues.

    Changing the Default Date and Time

    While configuring your Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance, you can change the default date and time.

    "Task 6: Boot the Appliance for the First Time" in Chapter 2 of the Oracle Appliance Kit Getting Started Guide indicates when to do this.

    To change the default date and time, press F2 as soon as you see the following message:

    Press <F2> for System Setup
    

    This launches the System Setup program.

    Boot Sequence

    Do not change the default boot sequence.

    BIOS Version Changes

    Unless specifically directed by a Dell support representative, do not change the version of the BIOS or firmware. Doing so may affect your warranty. If you have any questions, contact Oracle Support Services or Dell Support.

    The URL for Oracle Support Services is:

    http://www.oracle.com/support
    

    4 GB Memory Limitation

    The maximum amount of memory that the Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance supports is 4 GB.

    Expansion Cards

    Do not move any of the expansion cards to a different slot.

    Network Cards

    Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance contains a PRO/100+ onboard network interface and a PRO/100+ network card in PCI slot 5.

    • The PRO/100+ onboard network interface is the primary network card.

    • The PRO/100+ network card in PCI slot 5 is used for backing up remotely.

    If you ordered the Network Attached Storage option, the appliance also contains a PRO/1000 Gigabit Ethernet network card in PCI slot 4.

    Adding Network Cards

    Adding network cards to the Dell PowerEdge Oracle8i Appliance is not supported.

    Recovering from Network Card Failure

    If the primary network card fails, you cannot access the database or manage the appliance remotely until you replace the card.

    If the backup network card fails, you cannot back up remotely until you replace the card.


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    Copyright © 2001 Oracle Corporation.

    All Rights Reserved.