MSA2000 host port setup

[RichardJ]

This question applies to VMWare and Windows 2003 server environments. I know all about MPIO and VMWare's embedded multipathing, thats not the issue.

I have heard conflicting arguments about the setup of the MSA2000fc host ports.

do I set the Host port set to loop or Point to Point?
If loop then do I enable host port interconnects?

If point to point, then are there any other settings I should think about.

thanks

[Uwe Zessin]

In a switch environment, you use point-to-point and DO NOT enable the host port interconnect.
I don't think VMware ESX supports a direct connect (implying loop protocol) to the MSA2000fc.

[Gene Laoyan]

I have an MSA2212fc. The fibrs cables I connected are direct from the MSA controller A port 0 to my FC2242SR port 0. VMware ESX 3.5 see's the vDisk LUN's fine.

The problem if you are trying to multipath is thet the second controller on the MSA 2212fc is not presenting the LUN's simultaneously as controller A. In fact, it does not present the LUN's at all. Hence, if you rely on ESX built in miltipathing, you will be dead in the water. I have been trying to get BOTH controllers to present the same lun simultaneously for a few days now.

Try it out if you have two controllers on your MSA2212fc. Connect controller A to your HBA on your server and make sure that controller has been mapped with it's WWN. Now, theoretically if HP's great advertisement found here: http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/disk_storage/msa_diskarrays/san_arrays/msa2000fc/index.html then theoretically controller B should be presenting as well. Now connect Controller B to your fibre HBA. You'll get nothing. Either HP is lying on their web page or they shipped products that don't work as they sell the them to be.

An HP rep is supposed to be here tomorrow morning with what they think will fix it. I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks

[dyno_ace]

Gene,

I have a similar problem with my msa2212fc. We have fully redundant fc cabling with 2 StorageWorks 4/8 switches and 4 DL 360 servers. Each server has dual port Qlogic card with port 0 to switch A, port 1 to switch B.

The MSA is cabled as documented, Ctrl A port 0 and Ctrl B port 1 to switch A, Ctrl A port 1 and Ctrl B port 0 to switch B. This provides a fully redundant path to every DL 360 host running ESX server 3.5.

I created 3 test volumes with global LUNS 0, 1 and 2 on the MSA. Some servers see all the volumes on 1 of the 2 hbas, some see selected volumes on both hbas, but none of the 4 servers sees all 3 volumes on both hbas. It seems almost random, except that it doesn't change with reboots or rescans in Vmware.

The MSA storage manager even indicates the problem in the host volume mapping display screen by showing only 7 of the 8 WWPN numbers and various combinations of "Controller A port 0" or "Controller B port 0" or "Both controller A port 1 and Controller B port 0" for each host WWPN in the table. The way it is cabled, I would expect all hosts to see both controllers.

In addition, some servers see multiple paths under Vmware "manage paths" for some LUNS, but no server sees all volumes and paths. I have tried loop and point to point topologies with no difference. I always leave the MSA host port interconnect disabled as documented for my config.

The cabling has been double checked and all the WWPN numbers for all the devices and ports show up properly when getting port and device status from each of the 4/8 switches, so it seems to be the MSA itself which does not work right. The switches are running the latest v6.1.0d fabric, the vmware is the latest 3.5 update 2.

I would be very interested to see the resolution of your problem, as it sounds quite similar to mine.

John

[RichardJ]

My set up is fully redundant, I have a dual FC2012fc, 2x4/8 SAN Switches interconnecting 3 x DL380G5 VMWare servers.
I have noticed that the VMWare servers only saw 2 paths to the LUNs... is that right?

[Uwe Zessin · Accepted solution]

Yes. The non-owning controller does not present any (not even 'passive')
SCSI LUNs, unlike most other storage arrays on this planet.

[RichardJ]

I will leave this thread open for one more day as I want to see Gene and Dyno's comments.
I think that Ewe has answered everyone's question with his last comment.
My MSA2000 is working 100% if Ewe is correct - which is usually the case...!

[dyno_ace]

Richard,

Thanks for your concern. I am glad your problem is resolved, however, mine persists. I understand from Uwe's explanation that only 1 controller will present a lun to a host in a fully redundant switched configuration. Supposedly, if that controller fails completely, the other controller presents all the luns.

If I accept that this is ok (even though a cable or switch or non-critical controller failure will cause one or more luns to be unavailable to one or more hosts) I still cannot get my setup to function corectly.

All luns are setup as global rw to all hosts in the MSA with controller A owning 2 luns and B owning 1. All 4 of my ESX hosts see at least 1 lun, and but only 2 see all the luns. Some of the hosts see multiple paths available for selected luns, but no host sees all luns and paths.

I guess I can't expect the full multi-paths to show up in vmware since both controllers won't present all the luns. However, I should be able to at least see all the luns on all hosts since they all have connections to both controllers. I can't even get this to work.

I am consulting HP for support now. I won't say that I am shocked and disappointed until I know all the facts, but right now I am very concerned.

John

[RichardJ]

John,

Have you tried using LUN masking (SSP in MSA1500 speak) even though you have no need to so in your case, but you then force the controllers to present the LUN numbers to the desired hosts.

Are you using any Switch zoning? I read today that you should zone from the port and not the node WWN. maybe just disable zoning and see if that helps..?

Rich

[Gene Laoyan]

OK, the HP tech guy came in but couldn't do anything for me. The product was too new and I don't believe storage was his "cup of tea".

Uwe is correct, the controllers only present the LUN's through one controller at a time. This sucks and I have sent an email to our HP rep as well as their hardware support guy about this.

RichardJ, there is NO possible way you are fully redundant if only one controller can present them from the MSA2212fc. Masking may just be a method of fooling yourself. No offense.

The current infrastructure this device was supposed to support is an ESX cluster of two nodes. The design I was targeting was to have the folowing reduncaies...

ESX Node "A" dual port fibre controllers
ESX Node "B" dual port fibre controllers
MSA2212fc dual fibre port controller "A"
MSA2212fc dual fibre port controller "B"

NO FIBRE SWITCH!
Didn't budget for it because it says it supports Active/Active.

This would give complete redundancy from port (from controller) to port (on the HBA of server), in theory.

The way this device is currently designed and I don't want to sound errogant, I do not believe those who say they are "FULLY" redundant. This devices's current config can not give controller redudancy in a true Active/Active" config unless you use a fibre switch. You are probably using the single controller "A" with both connections into your fabric switch and from there you ARE seeing your LUN's. Yes, you will have two LUN's going to the same vDisk/volume but to the same controller. Yes, your LUN will be presented only from one controller at a time. Same goes for controller "B".

Let's take a look at what our plan was. ESX cluster. With such a cluster if a fibre path dies, say one port on the HBA died on the ESX server hosting VM's, the MSA2212fc wil NEVER fail over because it still thinks nothing is wrong because it only cares of it's own hardware, not a valid path. Hell, you can unplug the fibre cables and it still won't failover. The built in multipath in ESX is useless because controller "B" never get's "Ownership" (never presents the LUN) of the vDisk. In this case the entire virtual infrastructure is "DEAD IN THE WATER".

Just try it. Use just one cable. Connect the cable from controller A to your HBA on the server. You get a LUN, unplug the cable and plug it into controller B. NO LUN!

Beatin a dead horse here, I hope you get my point.