When you install SFCFS, SFCFS configures Powerfail Timeout (PFTO) using tunable parameters. Starting with SFCFS 5.0.1, the Powerfail Timeout (PFTO) has the following default values:

After installation, you can override the defaults, if required. You can explicitly enable or disable PFTO for native multi-pathing devices and DMP devices.

When you upgrade from SFCFS release 5.0 or earlier, SFCFS does not preserve any user-defined PFTO values. After the upgrade, the PFTO default values apply to all devices. If you want to use the device settings from the previous release, you must set the desired value explicitly. For example, in an SFCFS 5.0 installation, you have set the PFTO state to enabled for a native multi-pathing device. After you upgrade from SFCFS 5.0 to SFCFS 5.1SP1, the native device is set to the default value, which is disabled. In order to use PFTO, you must explicitly enable the PFTO on that device.

When you upgrade from SFCFS release 5.0.1 to a higher version, SFCFS preserves the PFTO state for the devices. After the upgrade, the PFTO values are set to the same values that the device had before the upgrade. For example, in an SFCFS 5.0.1 installation, you have set the PFTO state to enabled for a native multi-pathing device. After you upgrade from SFCFS 5.0.1 to SFCFS 5.1SP1, the native device is set to enabled.

For more information about controlling Powerfail Timeout, see the Veritas Volume Manager Administrator's Guide.