Storage configuration for hosts that run the Linux operating system

Each of the attached Lenovo Storage V7000 system LUNs has a special device file in the Linux directory /dev.

Hosts that use Linux 2.4 kernel operating systems have a maximum of 128 disks that are based on the major numbers that are available. The entries for all 128 devices are added by the operating system automatically.

Linux hosts can have as many disks as the number allowed by the Lenovo Storage V7000 system. The following website provides the most current information about maximum configuration for the Lenovo Storage V7000 system:

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/servers/lenovo-storage

The range of devices for each type of kernel follows.

Device range without a subsystem device driver (SDD)

/dev/sda to /dev/sddx

Device range with an SDD

Linux 2.4 kernel operating systems have the following range:
- /dev/vpatha, vpathb...vpathp
- /dev/vpathaa, vpathab...vpathap
- /dev/vpathba, vpathbb...vpathbp...
- /dev/vpathza, vpathzb...vpathzp
- /dev/vpathaaa, vpathaab...vpathaap...
Linux 2.6 kernel operating systems have the following range:
- /dev/vpatha, vpathb...vpathz
- /dev/vpathaa, vpathab...vpathaz
- /dev/vpathba, vpathbb...vpathbz...
- /dev/vpathza, vpathzb...vpathzz
- /dev/vpathaaa, vpathaab...vpathaaz...

Figure 1. Example of range of devices for a host that is running the Linux operating system when not using the SDD

# ls –l /dev/sda
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 8, 0 Aug 24 2005 /dev/sda

Figure 2. Example of range of devices for a host that is running the Linux operating system when using the SDD

# ls –l /dev/vpatha
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 8, 0 Aug 24 2005 /dev/vpatha