Leaving zones in active configurations after removing storage array

[uk03170]

I have 2 fabrics, there is a mix of Windows, Netware & AIX (HACMP), all really old AIX 5.2, W2K etc, the switches are old as well the oldest being a 1G 2800.

This fabric is being decommisioned as the hardware is dropping to bits and is being migrated to newer kit, mainly VMWare. Every time a zoning change is done the AIX servers throw a hissy fit and they need a reboot to stop the errors, so I have been asked to do as little zoning changes as possible. There is one newish disk array that is on the fabric, it was purchased to migrate the AIX HACMP servers but it has been decided to migrate to oracle on the VMWare rather than stay on AIX as it is more expensive so it has not been used.

This disk array has never been used on this fabric, the AIX servers have been zoned to use it and the zone is currently in the active config but no luns have been allocated and the servers seem unaware of the array, I would like to repurpose the array and physically remove it from the fabric but leave the zoning in the active fabric config, anybody any idea if this would cause any issues on a reboot, or cfgmgr or normal running on the AIX client, I suppose it would be a ghost disk array!

No other servers are configured to use the DS3512 

zone.SERVER2_DS3524:SERVER2_fcs0;DS3512_cap2;DS3512_cbp2
zone.SERVER1_DS3524:SERVER1_fcs2;DS3512_cap2;DS3512_cbp2

zone.SERVER2_DS3524:SERVER2_fcs2;DS3512_cap1;DS3512_cbp1
zone.SERVER1_DS3524:SERVER1_fcs0;DS3512_cap1;DS3512_cbp1

Thanks

[dtocci]

Leaving the zones for aix to a disk array which is not present on the SAN fabric should not cause

aix any issues on reboot.    You stated the aix host(s) are not aware of the disk array at this time.

With the disk array removed from the SAN fabric (ie,. no fc connections from disk array), the

fabric nameserver will removed the disk array entries from the nameserver database after

a short period of time (~60 secs).   At that point, the aix zones to the disk array will be of

no consequence because when aix does relogin to the switch (upon reboot, or cfgmgr scan)

the nameserver will report to aix only the fcids of devices logged into the fabric and zoned  to aix.

Given your disk array is removed from the fabric the nameserver will not advise aix of the

disk array fcid because they no longer exist.    Lastly, old AIX operating systems where

notorious for fabric discovery issues (adding/removing targets) while the o/s was up and

running. Cfgmgr would need to be run to pickup the new targets and rmdev required

to remove a target from the ODM.