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Status Under review
Created by Guest
Created on Jan 10, 2024

Allow longer names for flash copy related items.

Currently the following limitation for source volume length is in effect when using FCM and SVC:


For IBM Spectrum Protect™ Snapshot to work in combination with dynamic target allocation (SVCDTA) device classes, the name of the SAN Volume Controller production source volumes must not exceed the length of 27 characters.

An IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot backup involving a volume with a longer name fails with the following SVC error message:
CMMVC5738E The argument contains too many characters.

There is no work-around to allow source volume names of length larger than 27 characters.
The sample below shows however that a volume name smaller than 27 characters can be practicable.

Example:
Given the sample input source volume name „esxcet1_vol1“, IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot SVC DTA adapter would generate the following object names in SAN Volume Controller:

Name of the dynamic allocated target volume for the snapshot backup operation:
esxcet1_vol1_A0ITWN5DGH_ITWN6A1F_1
Name of the duplicate target volume used for the mount operation:
esxcet1_vol1_A0ITWN5DGH_ITWN6A1F_1_dup
Name of the FlashCopy mapping:
TSM_A0IO1BN9X6_A0IW39B9GG_IW39J8A6_esxcet1_vol1
Name of the cosistency group
TSM_A0IO1BN9X6_A0IW39B9GG_IW39J8A6

See link https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/551369

However in a large enterprise environment (over 100000 volumes) the 27 character limit for the source volume name is not enough and more characters are needed to have meaningful and unique volume names, especially since the SVC will allow a 64 character volume name.

Please change the SVC code to be able to handle longer:

  • Flashcopy mapping names

  • (Target) Volumes names

  • Consistency Group names

so that source volumes names can be 64 Characters in length as 27 characters is not enough for enterprise customers.

As an alternative use the same logic as already exists in the A9000 and cut the name with a ~ and increasing number at the end.




Idea priority Urgent