iSCSI attached NAS

this guide will be helpful

EMC Host Connectivity Guide for Windows  -- 50

do you have multiple paths to that CX ? If yes did you install PowerPath ?

The disks have to be initialised (either MBR for < 2 TB or GPT for > 2 TB).

Initialisation will put a signature on the disk and assign a GUID to it.

As far as PowerPath is concerned – it is for multipathing on the host side. This can be done either by Microsoft MPIO (Windows 2008) or EMC PowerPath (Windows 2003 and 2008) for more details see the guide Dynamox has specified.

If you have not implemented software for multipathing on the host side you will see multiple entries in Disk Management representing the same disk. You should not attempt to manipulate the alternate entries as separate entities.

Sam Claret

Technical Support Engineer III

Worldwide Technical Support – OSAPI Windows

Office Hours: Rotating shift, 7AM – 4PM GMT

Office #: +353 21 494 5981

I do have multiple paths but I did not install PowerPath.  Do I download it from Powerlink?  This is the first non-ESX host that I have connected to the CX.  I haven't had to use PowerPath when connecting to our VNX.  Does the VNX not utilize it?

THANKS!

Thanks!  It looks like MPIO is going to be the best answer for what I am doing.

I gotta doubt, never worked with MPIO, does it do the load balancing as well?

Yes, Without the multipathing license, PP will utilize only a single port of one adapter. This is known as PowerPath SE or unlicensed PP which one can download from Powerlink.

In this mode, the single active port can be zoned to a maximum of two storage ports. This config. provides storage port failover only and not host-based load balancing or host-based failover.

The configuration is supported, but it is not recommended by EMC.

If one wants true I/O Load balancing at the host as well as HBA failover.

So, intelligent I/O routing and HBA failover can be achieved only when the EMC Powerpath is licensed.

A licensed PP, right Ankit?

No, native multipathing I/O does not provide load balancing feature but for that we have EMC Powerpath, Veritas etc.

Ankit wrote: No, native multipathing I/O does not provide load balancing feature but for that we have EMC Powerpath, Veritas etc.

it does load-balance, not very sophisticated but it still does

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd851699.aspx

All right. I will.

I was being more generic rather than MS Windows. While we are at it could you please, share more on native multipathing, failovers and load balacing for other Host OS's. Perhaps a PM or an email if this is going off topic. I would love to read more all about it!

google it

I had the impression that MPIO is zero when it comes to load balancing, that article helped.

Thanks dynamox