Secusrepath VS MultiPath

[Navaneeda]

What is the difference between the MUlTIPATH SOFTWARE AND SECURE PATH SOFTWARE.
We have supplied Secure path softweare to one of our customer for Windows Platform. But the same way Multipaht is available for FREE in HP web Site.

But why i have to spend for buying secure path from HP. Why not i will use multipaht fro free from HP website???

Also what is SCSI Port driver and Store Port Driver???

Anybody can explain ????

Thnaks in Advance

[Víctor Cespón · Accepted solution]

Multipath software is the one that handles the access to a LUN through several paths. HP Securepath is one of those softwares.
On Windows you can also install MPIO (free), it is based on a Microsoft standard. There are 2 versions, depending in the disk enclosure the server is accessing: MPIO basic and MPIO full featured. For the second one there's also a MPIO manager.

Regarding storport driver, Microsoft in Windows 2003 introduced a new SCSI protocol stack optimized for SAN, to use that you must install the storport driver.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/storage/storport/default.mspx

Make sure you have the latest patch for this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932755/

[Patrick Terlisten]

Hello,

Secure Path is the older, pre-merger Compaq, Software for enviroments with multiple paths. It was used for HSG based storages, MSA1x00 (active / passive) oder EVA3000 and 5000 with < VCS 4.x. For newer storages you have to use MPIO instead. There are two versions of MPIO: Both are free, but only the MPIO Basic Failover can be used with MSA1x00 (active / passive). The MPIO Basic Failover can't do loadbalancin or failback. Only MPIO Full-Featured or Secure Path can do this.

MSA1x00 (A/P): Secure Path or MPIO Basic Failover
EVA with VCS <4.x: Secure Path
MAx000/EMA: Secure Path

MSA1x00 (A/A): MPIO FF
EVA with VCS =4.x or EVA with XCS: MPIO FF
XP: MPIO FF

Hope that helps.

Best regards,
Patrick

[Amar_Joshi]

In short, I can say it's the HP's roadmap to go from paid software to freeware. It's understandable that if Micro$oft is developing the MPIO and distributing free, SecurePath will be criticized and eventually will loose market, so it's an HP move inclined with market trend. This way HP can save $$$ spend on R&D for SecurePath.

I am a "victim" of this trend when I bought the MS-InternetExplorer's initial version and later it was available for free.

My 2 cents worth....

Happy Holidays.....

[Mohamed Zizi_2]

Hello,
SecurePath was mandatory with Disk Arrays in Active/Passive mode. Since new EVAs and MSA have both controllers in active mode, there is no need to have SecurePath. You can use MPIO under MS and vplinks under HP-UX for example.
SecurePath offers additional features than vplinks (11i v2) like dynamic load balancing and manageability which is not the case mith MPIO and vplinks.
Regards,
Mohamed

[Navaneeda]

I have an MSA 1000 Disk Array working in Active/passive Mode. I have installed MPIO for MSA Active/Passive for the Multipath software. But when i try test the Redundancy, i removed one link and after removing the link i am not able to see the storage. Seems its not swtiching ove rto another link. Is my MPIO is working ????

or any other issues????

Thanks
Navaneet

[Patrick Terlisten]

Hello,

do you see any messages on the controller LCD after removing the link? Which link do you remove? From a host or from one MSA FC/IO module? How is you host connected?

Best regards,
Patrick

[Navaneeda]

Hi,

I have not seen any error message from the Controller LCD. I ahve removed the link from the Blade server.
This setup is like a Bl20P G3 server connected to MSA 1000 by Emulex Mezanine cards.

[Víctor Cespón]

Are you sure that the blades have 2 working paths to the MSA? Through 2 different fabrics, and the MSA has 2 controllers and 2 I/O modules, each connected to a fabric too.