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NetApp Mailbox disk

So called "mailbox disk" is used for clustering interconnection and communication between two

cluster "heads".

"Mailbox disk" it's a special area at a two of disk (by default one data and one parity, or one parity

and one dparity disks), and usually resides at a first aggregate.It's consume a very small amount of space (around KB or two)

Actuallly, it's just a flag area, one "head" can raise the flag - "I'm alive! Everything is OK!" for another

one, partner "head", and vice-versa. It looks like e-mailing between heads, it's a reason why they

calling it "mailbox".

To identify the mailbox disk:-

Login to => Priv set advanced => cf monitor all

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netapp1> cf monitor all

cf: Current monitor status (19Jun2013 14:40:29):

partner 'netapp2', VIA Interconnect is up (link 0 up, link 1 up)

state UP, time 49476116655, event CHECK_FSM, elem ChkMbValid (12)

mirrorConsistencyRequired TRUE

takeoverByPartner 0x12000

mirrorEnabled TRUE, lowMemory FALSE, memio UNINIT, killPackets TRUE

degraded FALSE, reservePolicy ALWAYS_AFTER_TAKEOVER, resetDisks TRUE

timeouts:

fast 1000, slow 2500, mailbox 10000, connect 5000

operator 600000, firmware 10000 (recvd 49476116655), dumpcore 60000

booting 300000 (recvd 0)

transit timer enabled TRUE, transit 600000 (last 73383)

mailbox disks:

Disk 0a.17 is a local mailbox disk

Disk 0c.21 is a local mailbox disk

Disk 0a.22 is a local mailbox diskDisk 0c.22 is a local mailbox disk

Disk 0b.17 is a partner mailbox disk

Disk 0d.22 is a partner mailbox disk

Disk 0b.16 is a partner mailbox disk

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Disk 0d.16 is a partner mailbox disk

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Know issue with mailbox disk:-

When we perform disk firmware upgrade for all disk, these disk in most cases would not be

upgraded.

Solution:

Perform single disk upgrade for mailbox disk.

Copy downloaded fw to etc/disk_fw on both,(clustered),monitor console for disk upgrade proces.

any Issues::

raid.background_disk_fw_update.enable off.

Fallback for disk,

disable raid.background_disk_fw_update.enable off

>"disk_fw_update "hba-id.shelf-id.disk-number"

eg:

> disk_fw_update 1d.02.8