EVA 5000, Proliant Servers, and NIC Teaming

[PatrickFrith]

Please forgive me if this is a lame question, I'm still relatively new to the process of tuning my ProLiants for the EVA. Our EVA is connected to six(6) ProLiant servers - even split between ML370-G3 and DL580-G2. The servers connect to the EVA via Emulex HBAs. The second NIC in each server was originally disabled, however, I would like to begin to use HP NIC Teaming software to improve load balancing and/or failover.

Here's the question: Anyone seen any issues for users (or the EVA software on the server - such as Secure Path) when the NIC Teaming functions are utilized?

Thanks!
Patrick

[Uwe Zessin · Accepted solution]

It's a confusing question - to me, at last. Let's see if we can remove the confusion.

The 'Emulex HBA' is a Fibre Channel adapter running Fibre Channel protocol.

NIC is short for 'Network Interface Card' and usually means an 'ethernet adapter'.


In the SAN world, using multiple paths is called, well 'multipath'. Secure Path is a filter driver that loads between the adapter driver and the file system level, because most operating systems do not know how to deal with redundant paths.

Whether you can use Secure Path's load balancing (sending data over both Fibre Channel adapters), depends on the Secure Path version, the operating system and version and how the operating system is configured - e.g. it is not supported on some Windows MicroSoft Cluster Server configurations. There is a table in the Secure Path documentation.

[PatrickFrith]

Sorry for the confusion Uwe and thanks for the reply. I tried to make the question straightforward, but...

I couple of clarifications. First we aren't using clustering of any type with the servers. The current configuration is pretty simple. Each server has two Emulex HBAs to connect to the Brocade switches. The Network cards do not connect to the SAN. I was trying to configure load balancing for the users to the server (and thus its connected VDisk), and I wanted to double check to make sure no one had encountered any problem interactions on a Win2003 Ent server between the LAN Teaming software and any of the software used by the OS to connect to the SAN.

My goal is just to dot every 'i' before I make a change to the current server configuration.

Does that help? Thanks again!

[Steven Clementi]

Patrick:

I think that partly what Uwe is saying is that these 2 devices are totally seperate from each other.

The FCA/HBA and releated software talk to the OS and allow communications to the SAN.

The NIC and releated drivers/software talk to the OS and allow communicationsto the LAN.

The 2 do not really interact (or should not) in a way that would cause one or the other to stop working properly.


So, teaming should not interfere with Secure Path Agent since Secure Path is not, in any way, related to how tour NIC driver is used to communicate to your server nor is your Teaming software related to how the hba talks to the EVA.

On the other hand, it might effect communications when trying to manage Secure Path with SPM (Secure Path Manager) Web Gui, but again... not with SAN communications. SPM uses the NIC to gather reports and status from the SP Agent living on the server.


Steven

[PatrickFrith]

Thanks for the confirmation! Again I just wanted to make sure.

Patrick