Xsan Help: Tips to avoid unexpected admin or client behavior

Files Created by Mac OS 9 Computers Have the Wrong Creation Date A computer running Mac OS 9 can store files or folders on an Xsan volume that is reshared using the AFP service of Mac OS X Server. However, the creation date reported for those items by the Finder's Get Info command on the Mac OS 9 computer is always Feb 4, 2040. A computer running Mac OS X reports a blank creation date for the same files and folders. In both cases, the correct creation date is displayed in the Modified field. The Maximum Log Size Can't Be Changed Using Xsan Admin There is no control in Xsan Admin for adjusting the maximum size of the Xsan log file, as indicated, for example, on page 32 of the Xsan Getting Started guide or in the online help topic entitled "Xsan Volume Information." Maximum LUN Disk Name Length The maximum length of an Xsan LUN disk name is 242 characters. You assign disk names to LUNs when you label them using the LUNs section of the Setup pane in Xsan Admin. LUNs Can't Be Added to Metadata and Journaling Storage Pools You can't add LUNs to a storage pool that is already being used to store journal data or metadata. This applies to any storage pool set to be used for "Journaling and metadata only" or "Any data." If you try to drag a LUN to a metadata or journaling storage pool, no insertion point appears. To check the data types a storage pool is used for: 1. Open Xsan Admin, select the SAN or controller, and click Setup. 2. Click Storage, then double-click the storage pool in the list. Look next to "Use for" in the storage pool settings sheet to see how the storage pool is used. A Computer's Role Can't Be "None" The entry None in the Role pop-up menu on the computer information sheet is never enabled. To prevent a computer from participating in a SAN: Do one of the following: ? Uninstall the Xsan software on the computer (double-click the Uninstall_Xsan.pkg on the Xsan installer disc). ? Disconnect the computer from the SAN's Fibre Channel and Ethernet networks. ? Don't mount any SAN volumes on that client. Restart Clients After Changing Their IP Addresses If you change the IP address of an Xsan client computer, restart the computer to be sure SAN information is updated. Save Your Controller Setup Before Authenticating Clients To make sure that all controller setup information is saved, click Save on the Computers pane in Xsan Admin after you enter information for each controller. When you are finished saving setup information for each controller, then add and authenticate client computers. Xsan Admin Lists Duplicate LUNs If you are using mismatched versions of Xserve RAID firmware and the RAID Admin application, you might see duplicate LUNs listed in the LUNs pane in Xsan Admin. To remove duplicate LUNs: Open RAID Admin, select the Xserve RAID system that is hosting the LUNs, and choose System > Repair LUN Map. If you don't see the Repair LUN Map command, upgrade to the latest version of RAID Admin (available at www.apple.com/support). To avoid this problem in the future, always use the latest version of RAID Admin and use it to install the latest firmware on your Xserve RAID systems. Store Metadata on First or Second Storage Pool To avoid file system configuration problems, store volume metadata on only the first or second storage pool in a volume (the first two storage pools listed under the volume in the Storage pane of Xsan Admin). Otherwise, your controllers might fail over and you might see messages saying "A server you are using is no longer available" when a controller restarts. To see if a storage pool is used for metadata: 1. Open Xsan Admin, select the SAN or controller, and click Setup. 2. Click Storage, then double-click the storage pool in the list. Look next to "Use for" in the storage pool settings sheet. If either "Any data" or "Journaling and metadata only" is selected, metadata is stored on the storage pool. Don't Use mv Command to Move Files to non-Xsan Volumes If you want to move files from an Xsan volume to a non-Xsan volume using the command line, don't use the mv command. Instead, use the cp command to copy the files and then delete the originals from the Xsan volume. Always Install Xsan Admin Application When you install the Xsan software on a client computer, choose Easy Install to install both the Xsan file system software and the Xsan Admin application, even if you don't expect to use Xsan Admin on that computer. Don't click the Customize button in the installer and deselect Xsan Admin. If you don't install Xsan Admin, the computer might not appear in the Computers list on the computer you use to manage the SAN.