IBM System Storage Ideas Portal
Hide about this portal


This portal is to open public enhancement requests against IBM System Storage products. To view all of your ideas submitted to IBM, create and manage groups of Ideas, or create an idea explicitly set to be either visible by all (public) or visible only to you and IBM (private), use the IBM Unified Ideas Portal (https://ideas.ibm.com).


Shape the future of IBM!

We invite you to shape the future of IBM, including product roadmaps, by submitting ideas that matter to you the most. Here's how it works:

Search existing ideas

Start by searching and reviewing ideas and requests to enhance a product or service. Take a look at ideas others have posted, and add a comment, vote, or subscribe to updates on them if they matter to you. If you can't find what you are looking for,

Post your ideas

  1. Post an idea.

  2. Get feedback from the IBM team and other customers to refine your idea.

  3. Follow the idea through the IBM Ideas process.


Specific links you will want to bookmark for future use

Welcome to the IBM Ideas Portal (https://www.ibm.com/ideas) - Use this site to find out additional information and details about the IBM Ideas process and statuses.

IBM Unified Ideas Portal (https://ideas.ibm.com) - Use this site to view all of your ideas, create new ideas for any IBM product, or search for ideas across all of IBM.

ideasibm@us.ibm.com - Use this email to suggest enhancements to the Ideas process or request help from IBM for submitting your Ideas.

Add a new idea Subscribe
Status Needs more information
Workspace IBM Spectrum Virtualize / FlashSystem
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 2, 2025

RELATED IDEAS

Developing a SW Storage Enabler for Windows Failover Clustering module

See this idea on ideas.ibm.com

I believe that part of the laboratory that develops the "Storage Virtualize" code is made up of people who dealt with XiV, at least that's what Stefano Mensa (IBM) told me. For the XiV platform IBM had developed a SW Storage Enabler for Windows Failover Clustering module. The fact that it is rarely cited / used / googled is a sign of the general poor awarness typical of the IT universe. Why did IBM stop developing or never develop a SW Storage Enabler for Windows Failover Clustering (*) module for the SVC / Flash System platform? Referring to today's situation which requires almost daily "downtimes" of unpredictable duration for patching Windows, the short time required to perform a "Move Role" is advantageous, restoring the importance to the Cluster "Shared Storage" technology that it had in the past. The architecture can also be used in "virtualization" environments as long as Cluster-across-Box is managed with Physical Raw Device Mapping. (*) significant for Multisite Campus and Metro scenarios.

 

Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Mar 7, 2025

    Hello Philip.


    It's great to hear from IBM.


    I have a three node Windows Failover Cluster Multisite (ORACLECL) ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]

    ORACLE01 and ORACLE02 are located in Site A.ORACLE03 is located in Site B.Sites are located 200 Km apart.No Quorum Disk: it's a three-node cluster.


    Cluster ORACLECL runs two roles (ORACLEV6 and ORACLEX3)...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    Let's take role ORACLEX3; four LUNs are the "Storage Disk" of this role (E: F: G: H:) ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    X3-Log is E: X3-Index is F: X3-Database is G: X3-Export is H:

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    ORACLE01 and ORACLE02 are zoned to an SVC in Site A and the four LUNs are mapped by the SVC ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    ORACLE03 is zoned to an FS9100 in Site B and the four LUNs are mapped by the FS9100 ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    The four LUNs of Site A are replicated with Global Mirror relationship to the four LUNs of Site B; all four in the same Consistency Group (ORACLEX3) ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    In each Node all four Storage Disks depend on a Service (GetStorageClusterX3) ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    The Windows Service GetStorageClusterX3, managed by WFCS, has been created converting the script MCSWITCH-X3.cmd into service using the NSSM.exe utility ...

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]


    In C:\Windows\system32\ directory there is:

    • nssm.exe utility


    In C:\PuTTY\ directory there are:

    • plink.exe utility

    • v7000-private.ppk private key

    • MCSWITCH-X3.cm script

    • YES.txt answer file

    • InstNSSM.txt help file to automate script-to-service conversion and cluster resource configuration

    [image missing ... find it in the attached file]




    My solution is simple but incomplete:

    • it manages just switchover (not failover) operation

    • it connects just with the Master System

    • it doesn't verify if remote copy is Consistent Synchronized before switching

    • it doesn't parse and verify the answer received by the storage system after issuing the switching command to it

    • NSSM.exe is unable be configured to delay some time (necessary to flush the Journal of the Global Mirror if not empty) before sending the "Is Running" signal to the WFCS engine

    That's all folks.


    Gianluca.

    WFCS-Multisite-...
    WFCS-Multisite-Enabler.docx
     WFCS-Multisite-Enabler.docx
  • Admin
    Philip Clark
    Reply
    |     Mar 7, 2025

    Thank you for submitting this Idea. We are currently evaluating your request.

    Can you describe more about what the issue is that you are trying to solve?

    If the system is configured with Policy-Based HA or Policy-Based Replication, how do you want it to respond? Or what actions do you want to script or automate on the windows failover cluster?

    Thanks,
    FlashSystem Team

    philipclark@ibm.com

By clicking the "Post Comment" or "Submit Idea" button, you are agreeing to the IBM Ideas Portal Terms of Use.
Do not place IBM confidential, company confidential, or personal information into any field.