We have an older EMC CX3-10 array that is currently used for our test systems. Right now it is directly connected to our UCS Fabric Interconnects. We are wanting to move this array to our other datacenter so that we can utilize our UCS cluster over there since right now it is just for disaster recovery. What is the best method of doing this? Can this be done just by removing the test VMs from inventory in their current cluster, moving the array to the new site, registering the HBAs with the new storage, granting the new servers access to the LUNs, adding the VMFS datastores located on those LUNs to the new cluster, and then registering the VMs back into the new cluster?
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Moving old storage array to new datacenter
- Thread starter mct
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Thanks. I am not sure if it is still under any support contract or not. We were talking about keeping support on it about a year ago however I don't know if we ever did. I hope our maintenance department can get it there in one piece. They aren't the most reliable group of people.
I am an EMC Field Engineer. Take a few minutes to contact your EMC District Service Manager and let them know what you are intending to do. They will need to update the location to the proper Site ID. A Field Engineer will be able to be sent to your new site. Is this CX3 currently calling home to EMC? If so you will want to disable call home before you start shutting it down or it may start triggering alerts.
If this CX3 is no longer covered under an EMC support contract, then getting a field engineer involved could be very expensive.
If you have any questions on this process PM ME.
If this CX3 is no longer covered under an EMC support contract, then getting a field engineer involved could be very expensive.
If you have any questions on this process PM ME.
I went through this last year and didn't have much luck getting info from EMC on what was required. The new site had the same physical address, just across campus in a different building, so perhaps it was less of an issue.
To the OP, if you're able, you may want to consider moving the equipment yourself (I did). While maintenance may really be responsible for moving equipment, they aren't the ones that are going to be staying all night trying to get it working again when they break something. Of course, if you break something, you may be wishing you had maintenance move it.
Take photos of all cabling so that you can refer to them should you need to during reconnection.
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Thanks for the info. We will be involved with the move every step of the way. Fortunately the other datacenter is only 2 blocks away so it is not far at all. We have a NS-480 that was moved out to that location about 9 months ago. However that was under a support contract and we hired a 3rd party to move it and had insurance on it.
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We struggled to get our CX4 under contract moved, it was going to cost us 5k or so. we ended up just leaving it where it was for now.
I think it ended up costing us 5k-6k to get our CX4 moved.
just moved a cx4-240..
Label each tray with the Bus / Enc number.
Grab sp collects on it, shutdown all the hosts attached to it, then unplug power from the provided battery backups. Wait 4 minutes, and power off the whole thing. SPA/SPB will detech that that its lost power and force a cache flush to disk and power off.
Unrack it.
Rerack it in new location, making sure to follow your labels and your cable it correctly. Power all the trays on except the SPA/SPB and tray 0_0.. Wait 2 minutes. Then power on tray 0_0 and SPA/SPB. Wait 15 minutes.
It should boot unless you got a few dead drives... At that point pull dead drive out, put it back in. It should come back to life.
cx3s are pretty much end of lifed.. Good luck getting support on it. If you do get support on it, it'll be about the same amount of money as a brand new vnx5300.
best of luck.
Label each tray with the Bus / Enc number.
Grab sp collects on it, shutdown all the hosts attached to it, then unplug power from the provided battery backups. Wait 4 minutes, and power off the whole thing. SPA/SPB will detech that that its lost power and force a cache flush to disk and power off.
Unrack it.
Rerack it in new location, making sure to follow your labels and your cable it correctly. Power all the trays on except the SPA/SPB and tray 0_0.. Wait 2 minutes. Then power on tray 0_0 and SPA/SPB. Wait 15 minutes.
It should boot unless you got a few dead drives... At that point pull dead drive out, put it back in. It should come back to life.
cx3s are pretty much end of lifed.. Good luck getting support on it. If you do get support on it, it'll be about the same amount of money as a brand new vnx5300.
best of luck.