=======================================================
EMC: Serial number translation
=======================================================
:Title:        EMC: Serial number translation
:Author:       Douglas O'Leary <dkoleary@olearycomputers.com>
:Description:  How to read EMC serial numbers
:Date created: 06/2001
:Date updated: 07/2005
:Disclaimer:   Standard: Use the information that follows at your own risk.  If you screw up a system, don't blame it on me...

When running inq or syminq, you'll see a column titled Ser Num. This column 
has quite a bit of information hiding in it.

An example syminq output is below. Your output will differ slightly as I'm 
creating a table from a book to show this; I don't currently have access to 
a system where I can get the actual output just yet.

+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| Device                    |           | Product              | Device             |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| Name            | Type    | Vendor    | ID        | Rev      | Ser_Num  | Cap(KB) |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| /dev/dsk/c1t0d0 | EMC     | SYMMETRIX | 5265      | 73009150 | 459840   |         |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| /dev/dsk/c1t4d0 | BCV     | EMC       | SYMMETRIX | 5265     | 73010150 | 459840  |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| /dev/dsk/c1t5d0 | GK      | EMC       | SYMMETRIX | 5265     | 73019150 | 2880    |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+
| /dev/dsk/c2t6d0 | GK      | EMC       | SYMMETRIX | 5265     | 7301A281 | 2880    |
+-----------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+

Using the first and last serial numbers as examples, the serial number is 
broken out as follows:


+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 73  | Last two digits of the Symmetrix serial number                                    |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 009 | Symmetrix device number                                                           |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 15  | Symmetrix director number. If <= 16, using the A processor                        |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0   | Port number on the director                                                       |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 73  | Last two digits of the Symmetrix serial number                                    |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 01A | Symmetrix device number                                                           |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 28  | Symmetrix director number. If > 16, using the B proccessor on board: (${brd}-16). |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 0   | Port number on the director                                                       |
+-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

So, the first example, device 009 is mapped to director 15, processor A, port 0 
while the second example has device 01A mapped to director 12, processor B, port 0.

.. image:: emc_serial.jpg

Even if you don't buy any of the EMC software, you can get the inq command from 
their web site. Understanding the serial numbers will help you get a better 
understanding of which ports are going to which hosts. Understanding this and 
documenting it will circumvent hours of rapturous cable tracings.