Creating storage volumes

Use the Create Storage Volume wizard to create storage volumes from your storage pools through Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet. You can use the IBM® Flex System Manager management software to create volumes from storage pools that are internal or external to your IBM Flex System chassis. (The management software supports the IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node and external SAN-attached storage.)

About this task

The Create Storage Volume wizard guides you through the steps that are required to create storage volumes, including selecting a storage pool from which the storage volumes are allocated and attached to the selected servers. The wizard also provides the capability to create new zones and zone sets, if the zones or zone sets were not configured previously.

Note: To create new zones or zone sets, the user must belong to a role that has the fabric/zoning permission. (The option to create new zones is presented only when the selected storage pool or additional server has a value of Available in the Zone access column.) Otherwise, before you use the wizard, configure zoning so that the associated storage pools are available for selection. (These storage pools have a value of Zoned in the Zone access column.) Use the native switch control utility (not the IBM Flex System Manager Web interface) to configure hard zoning on any switch that is a member of the fabric.

Prerequisites for using the wizard include discovering and collecting inventory for the server, switches, and storage devices. More information is available in the Create Storage Volume wizard and in the topics in the Creating a storage volume in real-time section.

Note: If you prefer to use a command-line interface or if you must use scripting, use the smcli commands mkstvol, lsstpool, and lsstvol. To detach and remove a SAN volume, use the rmstvol command, a function that is not available by using the IBM Flex System Manager Web interface.

To start the Create Storage Volume wizard, right-click the server for which you want to allocate SAN storage volumes, the select System Configuration > Create Storage Volumes.