EMC CDL

So, our DL700 (CX700 with a VTL engine v2.1) has been dog slow and I've been getting media errors. Several cases later, EMC recommended 6 BCCs, because we have ATA disk so no LCCs, and 2 sets of cables to be changed. Also, since we've been getting ghost single fan fault errors on the disk library, we had 2 power supplies changed as well. All the hardware change went well and the library was back on two hours later with the latest frumon code.

The problem became one of the links wouldn't come back on in the VTL engine. I checked our Netbackup servers, I checked the host HBAs, I even tracked down the switch admins our links were going through and had them reset the ports. No luck at all, after 2 reboots, I call EMC in Australia. One more hour of WebX and sending SP collects, X-Rays, and logs to them later, they send out a new VTL engine. 2 more hours of waiting for the parts to arrive. 30 more minutes of installing it since the VTL wouldn't fit because it had a slightly warped bezel. At that point I was ready to use a hammer and kick it in. There is nothing like being at work for 16 hours working on a problem.

The next day I had EMC on the phone again since everything keeps trespassing to SPA, they found the problem on the VTL paths, they somehow all reset to the same one. Ran a path optimizer script, did nothing, then manually repathed everything. So, we are back at the point where we started, let's see what has been fixed.

Slowness: still slow, same speeds.
Media errors: Netbackup still gets them on the VTL and still freezes tapes.
Ghost Single Fan Fault error: every few hours like clock work.

EMC support had the following to say, our test lab CDL runs about the same speeds (5 disk raid 3 running at 30mb/sec? wow!). You shouldn't get anymore media errors, and we have no idea on the single fan fault, maybe reboot the SPs. I can't afford anymore downtime since our duplications are already days behind. Lesson learned? Buy Hitachi if you can afford it!