Auto-discovering LUNs
Is there a way to discover defined volumes using an automated tool in-band? We are working with a complex environment with hundreds of servers and thousands of logical unit numbers (LUNs) and not much provided in the way of documentation.

Would EMC's Storage Scope solve that problem by auto-discovering the LUNs?

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There are several products that will provide a solution for what you are looking to do. These products require an agent installed on the host that has the LUNs connected on them, or a master with connectivity via IP or FC to the storage target itself. From in-band, there is a variety of information that can be received, including SCSI Inquiry String information, storage space, etc.

Many storage array vendors use proprietary data in the SCSI header to differentiate their arrays and provide information on array type. Any SRM product can give you free space information and device supplier from the SCSI Inquiry String information, but to do anything more requires integration with the proprietary application programming interfaces (APIs) and infrastructure from the array or storage provider.

I know that Veritas has done a lot of work with their Command Central Storage software to integrate with the leading storage arrays and provide detailed LUN and storage information.

I don't know about EMC's Storage Scope, other than the marketing materials that EMC has made available, but it should provide the base information like any other SRM product.

I hope that my response was helpful.

This was first published in March 2005

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