3.6.1 HP PolyServe Matrix Server Administration Guide (T5392-96018, August 2008)

Chapter 7: Configure the SAN 65
access the device. Although the identifiers (such as psd2 or psd2p6)
appear on certain PolyServe Management Console windows, they are
generally only needed for internal use by Matrix Server.
Device Identifiers and GPT Disks
When the SCL assigns device identifiers to the partitions on GPT disks, it
skips the first partition because that partition cannot be used by Matrix
Server. Therefore, the first identifier, psdXp1, is assigned to partition 2,
the second identifier, psdXp2, is assigned to partition 3, and so on.
Device Database and Membership Partitions
The SCL stores the device identifier and physical UID for each imported
disk in a device database. When you installed Matrix Server, you
specified a set of SAN partitions to be used for the database and for other
functions related to SAN control. These partitions are called membership
partitions and are automatically imported into the matrix. (For more
information about these partitions, see “Membership Partitions” on page
263.)
Matrix Server creates the device database on one of the membership
partitions and then replicates it to the other partitions. The database must
be present for a matrix to form. To ensure that the database is always
available, the recommended configuration is a three-way mirror.
You can use the utilities described under “Manage Membership
Partitions” on page 267 to fix any problems with the membership
partitions.
Disks Containing More Than 31 Partitions
In Matrix Server 3.6, the maximum number of partitions on a disk or LUN
is limited to 31. Disks or LUNs containing a larger number of partitions
cannot be imported into the matrix. If you upgraded to Matrix Server 3.6
from a release earlier than 3.4, you may currently have imported disks or
LUNs with more than 31 partitions, and may have created dynamic
volumes using those higher-numbered partitions.