Urgent! Need to change IP address on EqualLogic PS6210E

Question

Hello, I am not an enterprise storage professional by any stretch of the imagination (I don't know what I'm doing). I urgently need help with what is probably a simple task.

Tomorrow morning I am moving a server, along with a SAN (EqualLogic PS6210E) and SAN switch (N4000 series) from a lab into a datacenter, and as a result, the IP address(es) and subnet will need to be changed. My SAN is very simple, consisting of a single group and containing just a single member. There are 3 volumes, no volume collections , no storage containers, and no pools (I don't even know what those items are).

I can connect to the SAN via the serial port using Putty. But I don't know how I go about changing the IP addresses. I notice that the EqualLogic has two control modules. The top one appears to be the one used for the group, and the bottom control module appears to be the one used for the member. I don't know if that even makes sense. I notice both control modules have their own serial port. Currently, I am connected to the top serial port. I don't know if need to connect to the bottom one too. Both control modules have standard ethernet cables plugged into their management ports. The lights on the top one blink, while the lights on the bottom one do not. Also, the lights on the ethernet ports of the top control module are not even on, while the lights on the ethernet ports of the bottom module blink and show activity. This is what makes me think the top control module is for managing the group, while the bottom module is for the member of the group. I don't know if any of that is relevant.

Once the SAN (EqualLogic PS6210E) and SAN switch (N4000 series) are in their new location, how do I go about changing the IP addresses to their new addresses? In other words, how do I tell my hardware what their new IP addresses are? (I already have the new IP address information, I just need to configure my devices so they know their new addresses).

I would be extremely grateful for any instructions you can provide on how to change the IP addresses. Please remember that I'm not well-versed with this equipment, so I probably need things explained to me in layman's terms.

Thanks!

bealdrid2 · Answer

What you're seeing with the top controllers mgmt ports blinking but iSCSI ports inactive is likely an artifact of the "vertical port failover" feature. Meaning the active controller (top one in your case) can leverage the ports of the bottom controller, even if it's inactive.

But the EQL system is always an active/passive setup.

Having serial connection is definitely the way to go, in case you get locked out or anything.

After you are in via serial you could do something like this to change the group IP (the group IP is basically the iscsi discovery address). Actual iSCSI sessions will be "redirected" to the actual IP addresses of the controllers after a connection is made to the group IP. Following that you'll need to change the iSCSI IPs on the member, then you'll need to change the def-gateway, if you're doing any replication. (general storage traffic should almost never be routed)

eql> grpparams group-ipaddress

Also the member NIC interfaces will have to be corrected as well, query the NICs with this-

eql> member select eth show

Then, change their IP addresses: (typically at least two, check output of above)

eql> member select eth select 0 ipaddress netmask

eql> member select eth select 1 ipaddress netmask

Then you may need to change the gateway, if you are doing replication.

eql> member select def-gateway

Good luck. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. But as long as you have serial connection, at least you don't have to worry about getting locked out.

MadDog Jim · Answer

Bealrid2,

Thank you for your reply! I will try this tomorrow. I did some more poking around to show the details of my group and of the member. It turns out that the group IP address is on the private SAN switch network (a 192.168.x.xxx IP), so that won't need to change. However, the Group-Mgmt-Gateway will need to change to the new gateway IP of the datacenter. Also, the Management-Ipaddress will need to change to the new IP address. So, for the group, it looks like I need to do the following:

grpparams def-mgmt-gateway ipaddress

grpparams management-network ipadress

I also queried the NICs like you suggested, and I found that there are 3 connections, 2 of which are to the private SAN switch network, so they won't change, but 1 connection (on eth2) was to the regular network and will have to change. So I will do this:

member select eth select 2 ipaddress netmask

member select def-gateway

Is there something special I need to do to apply/save the changes I make before logging off of the serial connection?

Thanks again for your help! I really appreciate it very much! Now I have to figure out how to change the IP address on my SAN switch (N4000 series).

bealdrid2 · Answer

Once you enter the commands the configuration should persist; I'm not aware of anything that needs to be done to 'save' it.

dwilliam62 · Answer

Re: Commands. Correct. One you hit enter the configuration is saved in the configuration database.

re: N4000. If you are still on the old IP network or can set a laptop to that old IP address the N4000 has a pretty nice GUI as I recall. Make changing the IP address for the switch pretty easy to ch

Regards,

Don

EqualLogic

Urgent! Need to change IP address on EqualLogic PS6210E

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