MSA2324i: MPIO or no MPIO?

[mzob]

Hi,
we have a win2k8 R2 server with MSA2324i storage. Server has 2 NIC (1GB each) that are dedicated to storage (have different address from the main company network). Storage is connected, we can mount the drive, everything is OK. When we tried to configure MPIO, it works for failover purpose (we start copying a large file, then disconnect one NIC, and the other takes up and continues). But we wanted to add multipath support in order to have 2GB transfer between the storage and server. And I just can't get it to work.
I followed all the procedures I could find, mainly the ones described in "iSCSI user guide", but I can't get the 2GB connection, no way, no how.
What am I doing wrong?

I have a total of 4 addresses on my storage:
A1 10.0.0.83, A2 10.0.0.84, B1 10.0.0.85, B2 10.0.0.86.
A1 & B1 are connected to a GB switch 1, and A2, B2 to a GB switch 2. Also, server's NIC are connected one to each switch.
In iSCSI initiator, when I put "target portal" under "Discovery" tab, I put only one IP (10.0.0.83). When I move to "targets" tab, I see a target. When I click "log on" and "advanced", then select "MS iSCSI initiator" as "local adapter", then one NIC IP as "source IP", under "target portal" I can see all four of storage's IP adresses (all with the same default port). I select one of them, at random, and that works perfectly.
Then, followind the instructions, I select the "details" button, select the (only one) identifier there is, and then "connections". I see a "round robin" as load balance policy, and only one connection assigned to the session. As it should be.
Then, I click on "add" and "advanced", and since the "local adapter" is grayed out (MS iSCSI selected), I can only choose "source IP" (where I can see all my local network connections, and I choose the other NIC", but under "target portal" I don't see all 4 of the storage IP's but just the one I have already set up.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?
thanx a lot!!!

[Martin Smoral · Accepted solution]

Sounds like everything is on one Subnet. I believe you are suppose to use 2 differnt subnets. for example
192.168.1.x/24 Server Nic1, A1 and B2
192.168.2.x/24 Server Nic2, A2 and B1

[mzob]

Seems logical :)
So I did change 2 storage ports to a different subnet, and I also changed one of the NIC on server to that subnet.
Still, under "target" portal I can see only one storage IP, the one that get's set automatically. Other 3 are not visible, although I can ping them.

[mzob]

I can't seem to get it :(
Here's what I did (again), with numbers this time:

MSA-2324i storage; 1 LUN, 2 controllers with 2 iSCSI ports each. Controller A has: A1-10.0.0.83/24, A2-10.0.1.83/24. Controller B has: B1-10.0.0.84/24, B2-10.0.1.84/24.
Server: Win2k8 datacenter. 2 NIC dedicated to storage only: NIC1-10.0.0.30/24; NIC2-10.0.1.30/24.

So I go to iSCSI initiator, add a target (10.0.0.83/default port) and everything connects (target shows up, I click "log on" and turn on the persistent option, and I get the disk E: (storage disk, LUN1). All fine. When I go to "details" and try to add another connection via "connections" button, I can see all my server's NIC in the "source" IP, but in the "target" I can only see the 10.0.0.83 that I've already connected to. And no other.
I can ping all other storage IP's (all 4 of them) but I can't seem to get this MCS thing going.

MPIO works fine, in the way that if I put some copying on, and then go to the server room and disconnect one ethernet cable, the copying continues. So failover works, obviously.

What am I missing?

[Martin Smoral]

Did you follow the setups for adding multiple connections on pages 31-35 of the MS iscsi V2.x user guide ?

[b heimbigner]

I had the same problem, lots of mostly trial and error, but eventually got it to work. I also have MSA2324i, dual controller, 2 nics dedicated to the san on a separate private IP range (for me also in separate vLANs)

Similar to martinS in terms of the connections Except:
Vlan301 Server Nic1, A1 and B1
Vlan302 Server Nic2, A2 and B2

To get started: I opened the iSCSI firewall port. Removed all my 'portals' in the discover tab as well as all entries anywhere in iSCSI initiator. Boot the machine.

I then added to the discovery tab using the 'discover portal' button and matched each SAN port/ip with the appropriate NIC/IP. /discover portal/"san ip address port 1" 3260/advanced/MS iSCSI initiator and the IP of the nic that is in the same vlan as the "san ip address port 1"/click ok/when you click OK a second time it should immediately add the portal if it pauses something is wrong, if it pauses and says something about not able to connect then something is REALLY wrong. Repeat this until you have all 4 sanIPs matching your 2 nics.

Go back to the 'target' tab hit refresh, click Connect, in the dialog box that should popup, click enable multi-path/advanced/ MS iSCSI initiator/ and AGAIN match the initiator and the portal IPs (at least this time you won't have to type them).

Ok one connector is done now you need to manually add three more.

Again on the target tab, click properties, MCS... set it to least queue (or your preference), click ok.
THEN click Add Session/check 'enable multipath'/Advanced MS iSCSI initiator/ and AGAIN choose MS iSCSI initiator and the IP of the nic that is in the same vlan as the san ip address port/ repeat until you have 4 sessions matching each SAN-port/NIC combination.

Click on a session, then 'MCS' Verify you connected each one correctly and that MCS policy is set the same (lease queue depth) for all 4 sessions.

That did it for me. Not only is the system fully redundant but Iâ m getting the mystical 2gig connection with both NICs simultaneously sending/receiving data to the san.

[mzob]

Thanx!!!
This did it!
All the time I was trying to add new connections on the wrong place. Now I can see both NIC on server working simultaneously, sending/receiving data at the same time.
Though I'm not sure about the 2G speed, since I can't get over 118 MB when copying a large file from C: disk to storage...

[b heimbigner]

yes, perhaps I should say mythical rather than mystical. I see similar results. I note that I can keep 2 similar servers (with 2 san dedicated nics per server) sending data both at about 100MB. So why can one server not approach 200 (ie about 2Gbit)? There must be something throttling this down. A little more research is needed.

has anyone out there achieved close to the 2 Gbit on one server?

Thanks