Configuring an EMC Boot Device

Storage Area Network service/upgrade procedures, such as firmware upgrades or hardware replacements

EMC recommends moving the Windows virtual memory paging file to a local disk when booting from the storage array. Consult your Windows manual for instructions on how to move the paging file.

How to Determine I/O Latency and Load on the Boot LUN

The current restrictions for boot-from-array configurations listed in the EMC Support Matrix represent the maximum configuration that is allowed using typical configurations. There are cases where your applications, host, array, or SAN may already be utilized to a point when these maximum values may not be achieved. Under these conditions, you may wish to reduce the configuration from the maximums listed in the EMC Support Matrix for improved performance and functionality.

Here are some general measurements than can be used to determine if your environment may not support the maximum allowed boot-from-array configurations:

Using the Windows Performance Monitor, capture and analyze the Physical Disk and Paging File counters for your boot LUN. (For Windows NT 4.0, you might have to enable disk performance counters manually; refer to Microsoft support for the description and use of the Windows Performance Monitor.) If response time (sec/operation), or disk queue depth seem to be increasing over time, you should review any additional loading that may be affecting the boot LUN performance (HBA/SAN saturation, failovers, ISL usage, and so forth).

Use available Array Performance Management tools to determine that the array configuration, LUN configuration and access is configured optimally for each host.

Possible ways to reduce the load on the boot LUN include:

Move application data away from the boot LUN.

Reduce the number of LUNs bound to the same physical disks.

Select an improved performance RAID type.

Contact your EMC support representative for additional information.

Introduction

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EMC QLogic manual How to Determine I/O Latency and Load on the Boot LUN

QLogic specifications

EMC QLogic is a leading provider of advanced networking solutions, primarily known for its high-performance storage area network (SAN) technologies. It specializes in Fibre Channel and Ethernet networking products, offering robust solutions that are essential for modern data center environments.

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