Creating parity groups

Parity groups are the basic units of storage capacity. Creating parity groups converts the raw disk capacity in your storage system into usable capacity.

Ops Center Administrator parity group concepts

Ops Center Administrator has a simple one-click method for creating parity groups that is based on best practices applicable to the disks in the storage system.

An advanced method for creating parity groups is also available. You can choose to use the advanced method if there is no need to rely on best practices.

Creating parity groups in Ops Center Administrator also creates LDEVs that can be consumed for pool creation.

Encryption can be enabled during parity group creation if prerequisites are met, including a storage system with an Encryption Disk Board.

The standard practice is to use all available disk capacity when creating parity groups to ensure that all the storage system capacity is usable. There can be exceptions to this practice, for example:

• If the entire capacity of the storage system is not needed.
• If there is a need to create fewer parity groups to reserve more disks as spares.

Viewing parity groups

Access the Parity Groups window by clicking Storage Systems on the dashboard, then clicking a storage system ID link, and then clicking the Parity Groups tile.

A summary of parity groups includes disk type, number of parity groups, capacity, and available spares, all sorted by disk type.

• You can click Manage Spare Disks to open the Disk Management window and set free disks as spare disks, or spares as free disks.
  Note: This feature is not available for the following storage systems:

  • VSP 5000 series
  • VSP G1x00, F1500
• Click any parity group tile to view the details.
• Click the plus sign (+) to open the Create Parity Groups window.

  When you open the Create Parity Groups window, you can choose whether to use the basic method (default) or the advanced method. You can enable encryption using either method.

  • Basic option: Creating a parity group using the basic option needs no input, but you can change the RAID type or the number of parity groups. Ops Center Administrator applies best practices for creating the parity groups.
  • Advanced option: This option enables you to fully configure the RAID layout of the parity group by selecting the specific disks to assign for parity group creation.

Enabling parity group encryption in Storage Navigator

To enable parity group encryption, click Open the Parity Groups window in Storage Navigator.

For more information, see the Storage Navigator online help.