MSA 1000 Linux Multipath Configuration

[jj458]

I am looking for an example setup for SuSE SLES9 Linux to connect to active/passive MSA 1000 storage system.

How are the settings for die MSA 1000 in /etc/multipath.conf ?

What options for qla2xxx in /etc/modprobe.conf.local ?

I get different answers from
- examples in /usr/share/doc/packages/multipath-tools/
- Device Mapper Multipath Configuratin Guide for HP StorageWorks Arrays c00814876.pdf
- setup created by scripts from hp devicedriver for FC1142SR hp_qla2x00-2006-10-11.zip

Has somebody a runnig linux configuration with active/passive MSA 1000 an Qlogic HBA?

Joachim

[Uwe Zessin]

HP does not support active/passive storage arrays with the device mapper. You need to use the Qlogic failover driver. Last time I installed it (December 2006), it defaulted to multipath setup.

> Has somebody a runnig linux configuration with active/passive MSA 1000

You've made me curious, so I just checked the MSA1000 download pages. Of course, there is no active/active firmware for the MSA1000...

[jj458]

Uwe,

does that mean that i do not have to use /etc/multipath.conf ?

Joachim

[Marek Nelec]

Joachim, look at this document "How to setup/use multipathing on SLES":
http://support.novell.com/techcenter/sdb/en/2005/04/sles_multipathing.html

Alternatively, you can use qlogic failover configuration: Install qlremote agent and configure failover with SANsurfer software.

[jj458]

Marek, i follwed the steps in "How to setup/use multipathing on SLES" but with no success.

For a certain time the volumes work, but afterwards i cannot write and get errormessages when i try to mount the volume:
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: scsi0 (0,0,21) : reservation conflict
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: SCSI error : <0 0 0 21> return code = 0x18
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sde, sector 4304
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm-multipath: 8:64 (#4312): IO error - error: -5 - bi_rw: 9 - bi_flags: 18 - bi_error: 01000005
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm-multipath: Failing path 8:64
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm-multipath: 8:64 (#4304): Requeued sector as #1
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: Device sdk not ready.
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev sdk, sector 4304
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm-multipath: 8:160 (#4312): IO error - error: -5 - bi_rw: 9 - bi_flags: 18 - bi_error: 02020400
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm_scsi_err_handler: 4312: Parsing sense 02/04/00
Feb 9 15:40:16 (none) kernel: device-mapper: dm-multipath: Failing path 8:160
Feb 9 15:40:26 (none) kernel: EXT3-fs: unable to read superblock

In this document i do not find the recommendet setup for MSA 1000 in /etc/multipath.conf

Joachim

[WayneHP]

Here is some help.

HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array 5000 with Linux on HP Servers
http://h21007.www2.hp.com/dspp/tech/tech_TechDocumentDetailPage_IDX/1,1701,7248,00.html

Using HPâ s MSA1000 with 2.4-based Linux distributions on HP Servers
http://h21007.www2.hp.com/dspp/ddl/ddl_Download_File_TRX/1,1249,2408,00.pdf

[jj458]

Solution for me is:

- for MSA1000 aktive/passive and Qlogic based HBA the multipath-tools in Linux are not supported
- you have to use the HP HBA driver

this means:
- do not use multipath-tools (SuSE) oder device-mapper-multipath (RedHat)
- do not follow the steps in "How to setup / use multipathing on SLES" from SuSE Knowledgebase
- do not follow the steps in "SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, Installation and Adminstration, Chapter 10: Multipath IO"
- do not follow the steps in "Device Mapper Multipath Configuratin Guide for HP StorageWorks Arrays" c00814876.pdf
- you do not need the Qlogic SANsurfer software
- use the driver hp_qla2x00-2006-10-11.zip

Problems for me were the missing documentation and a misbehaviour of the hp suppplied set_params script. If you have already some setup for the qla2xxx driver in /etc/modprobe.conf.local then you have to delete the corresponding entries before running the script. Otherwise parameters in /etc/modprobe.conf.local will not be set and driver works not in failover mode.

Checking the driver:
# grep version /proc/scsi/qla2xxx/0
Firmware version 4.00.23 [IP] , Driver version 8.01.06-fo
The -fo at lineend means that driver is working in failover mode.

Next steps were:
1. create units on the MSA 1000
2. rescan scsi bus
# hp_rescan -a
3. lookup the volumes
# lssd -l
sda 0,0,0,17 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-92b5418c2e740043
sdb 0,0,0,18 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-7e8eda90d6050044
sdc 0,0,0,19 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-01818c9584e00045
sdd 0,0,0,20 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-6e36459aa56d0046
sde 0,0,0,21 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-14e6769fd0210047
sdf 0,0,0,22 COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 600805f3000ac5c0-457669a4f4ab0048
#
I created six volumes on MSA1000 with unit numbers 16-21. SCSI LUN will be unitno+1. At the right side of lssd output you see the wwid
# lsscsi
[0:0:0:0] storage COMPAQ MSA1000 4.48 -
[0:0:0:17] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sda
[0:0:0:18] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sdb
[0:0:0:19] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sdc
[0:0:0:20] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sdd
[0:0:0:21] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sde
[0:0:0:22] disk COMPAQ MSA1000 VOLUME 4.48 /dev/sdf
[1:0:0:0] storage COMPAQ MSA1000 4.48 -
#
lsscsi shows the path to the logical disks. In this example, the first HBA [0:0:0:0] is active.

4. for each volume, create a partition table, normally with one primary partition
# fdisk /dev/sda
...
5. create a filesystem with a label
# mke2fs -j -L myfilesystem /dev/sda1
6. you can mount the filesystem using the label
# mount LABEL=myfilesystem /mnt
The label gives you a persistant device binding. When adding other volumes to the SAN, the devices sda... may change.


Joachim

[jj458]

(solution see last message)