EMC Symmetrix: BIN file
EMC Symmetrix BIN file, largely an unknown topic
in the storage industry and practically there is no available information
related to it. This post is just an attempt to shed some light as to what a BIN
file is, how it works, what’s in it and why is it essential with the Enginuity
code.
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Some EMC folks have capitalized on the BIN file as
to the personality it brings to the Symmetrix, while the EMC competition always
uses it against them as it introduces complexities in the storage environment
with management and change control.
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Personally I feel a Symmetrix wouldn’t be a
Symmetrix if the BIN file weren’t there. The personality, characteristics,
robustness, compatibility, flexibility, integration with OS’s, etc wouldn’t be
there if the BIN file didn’t exist.
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With the total number of OS’s, device types,
channel interfaces and flags it supports today, sort of making it one of the
most compatible storage arrays in the market. The configuration and
compatibility on the Symmetrix can be verified using the E-Lab navigator
available on Powerlink.
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So here are some facts about the BIN file
- Only used with Symmetrix systems (Enginuity Code)
. - BIN file stands for BINARY file.
. - BIN file holds all information about the Symmetrix configuration
. - One BIN file per system serial number is required.
. - BIN file was used with Symmetrix Gen 1 in 1990 and is still used in 2010 with
Symmetrix V-Max systems.
. - BIN file holds information on SRDF configurations, total memory,
memory in slots, serial number of the unit, number of directors, type of
directors, director flags, engines, engine ports, front end ports, back
end ports, drives on the loop, drives on the SCSI bus, number of drives
per loop, drive types in the slots, drive speeds, volume addresses, volume
types, meta’s, device flags and many more settings.
. - The setup for host connection if the OS is Open Systems or Mainframe
environments using FICON, ESCON, GbE, FC, RF, etc is all defined in the
BIN file. Also director emulations, drive formats if OSD or CKD, format
types, drive speeds, etc is all defined in the BIN file.
. - BIN file is required to make a system active. It is created based on
customer specifications and installed by EMC during the initial setup.
. - Any ongoing changes in the environment related to hardware upgrades,
defining devices, changing flags, etc is all accomplished using BIN file
changes.
. - BIN file changes can be accomplished 3 ways.
. - BIN file change for hardware upgrades is typically performed by EMC
only.
. - BIN file change for other changes that are device, director, flags,
meta’s, SRDF configurations etc is either performed through the SYMAPI
infrastructure using SymCLI or ECC (Now Ionix) or SMC (Symmetrix
Management Console) by the customer. (Edited based
on the comments: Only some changes now require traditional BIN file
change, typically others are performed using sys calls in enginuity
environment)
. - Solutions enabler is required on the Symcli, ECC, SMC management
stations to enable SYMAPI infrastructure to operate.
. - VCMDB needs to be setup on the Symmetrix for SymCLI, ECC, SMC related
changes to work.
. - Gatekeeper devices need to be setup on the Symmetrix front end ports
for SymCLI, ECC, SMC changes to work
. - For Symmetrix Optimizer to work in your environment, you need DRV devices setup on your Symmetrix.(EDITED based on comments: Only required until DMX platform. Going forward with DMX3/4 & V-Max platforms it uses sys calls to perform these Optimizer changes).
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Back in the day
All and any BIN file changes on the Symmetrix 3.0,
Symmetrix 4.0 used to be performed by EMC from the Service Processor. Over the
years with introduction of SYMAPI and other layered software products, now
seldom is EMC involved in the upgrade process.
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Hardware upgrades
BIN File changes typically have to be initiated
and performed by EMC, again these are the hardware upgrades. If the customer is
looking at adding 32GB’s of Cache to the existing DMX-4 system or adding new
Front End connectivity or upgrading 1200 drive system to 1920 drives, all these
require BIN file changes initiated and performed by EMC. To my understanding
the turn around time is just a few days with these changes, as it requires
change control and other processes within EMC.
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Customer initiated changes
Configuration changes around front end ports,
creating volumes, creating meta’s, volume flags, host connectivity,
configuration flags, SRDF volume configurations, SRDF replication
configurations, etc can all be accomplished through the customer end using the
SYMAPI infrastructure (with SymCLI or ECC or SMC).
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Enginuity upgrade
Upgrading the microcode (Enginuity) on a DMX or a
V-Max is not a BIN file change, but rather is a code upgrade. Back in the days,
many upgrades were performed offline, but in this day and age, all changes are
online and accomplished with minimum pains.
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Today
So EMC has moved quite ahead with the Symmetrix
architecture over the past 20 years, but the underlying BIN file change
requirements haven’t changed over these 8 generations of Symmetrix.
Any and all BIN file changes are recommended to be
done during quite times (less IOPS), at schedule change control times. Again
these would include the ones that EMC is performing from a hardware perspective
or the customer is performing for device/flag changes.
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The process
During the process of a BIN file change, the
configuration file typically ending with the name *.BIN is loaded to all the
frontend directors, backend directors, including the global cache. After the
upload, the system is refreshed with this new file in the global cache and the
process makes the new configuration changes active. This process of refresh is
called IML (Initial Memory Load) and the BIN file is typically called IMPL
(Initial Memory Program Load) file.
A customer initiated BIN file works in a similar
way, where the SYMAPI infrastructure that resides on the service processor
allows the customer to interface with the Symmetrix to perform these changes.
During this process, the scripts verify that the customer configurations are
valid and then perform the changes and make the new configuration active.
To query the Symmetrix system for configuration
details, reference the SymCLI guide. Some standard commands to query your
system would include symcfg, symcli, symdev, symdisk, symdrv, symevent,
symhost, symgate, syminq, symstat commands and will help you navigate and find
all the necessary details related to your Symmetrix. Also similar information
in a GUI can be obtained using ECC and SMC. Both will allow the customer to
initiate SYMAPI changes.
Unless something has changed with the V-Max,
typically to get an excel based representation of your BIN file, ask your EMC
CE.
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Issues
You cannot run two BIN files in a single system,
though at times the system can end up in a state where you can have multiple
BIN files on various directors. This phenomenon typically doesn’t happen to
often, but an automated script when not finished properly can put the system in
this state. At this point the Symmetrix will initiate a call home immediately
and the PSE labs should typically be able to resolve these issues.
Additional software like Symmetrix Optimizer also
uses the underlying BIN file infrastructure to make changes to the storage
array to move hot and cold devices based on the required defined criteria. There
have been quite a few known cases of Symmetrix Optimizer causing the above
phenomenon of multiple BIN files. , Though many critics will disagree with that
statement. (EDITED based on comments: Only required
until DMX platform. Going forward with DMX3/4 & V-Max platforms it uses sys
calls to perform these Optimizer changes).
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NOTE: One piece of advice, never run SYMCLI or ECC scripts for
BIN file changes through a VPN connected desktop or laptop. Always run all
necessary SymCLI / SMC / ECC scripts for changes from a server in your local
environment. Very highly recommend, never attempt to administer your Symmetrix
system with an iPhone or a Blackberry.
Hope in your quest to get more information on BIN
files, this serves as the starting point.
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