MPIO question (EVA, MSA) for VMWare VCB Project

[bdworld]

I'm working on a VMWare Virtual Consolidated Backup (VCB)Project where I want to take my Virtual Machine files stored and running on an EVA 6000 (XCS 5110, Command View 6.02)and transfer backup images to an MSA1000 (2 controllers, ver 5.20.B1500) by way of a VCB Proxy Server running Windows Server 2003 R1 Standard SP2 32 bit.

The VCB server currently has 2 HP2214 HBAs running storport 9.1.3.18 and MPIO for MSA ver 1.4 Basic.

I'd prefer not to house my backups on the same diskgroup as my production VMS (EVA) and I don't really have the slots on the EVA/budget money to purchase more EVA diskspace to set up a seperate diskgroup just for VMWare backups which is why I'm trying to utilize an MSA.

I need to present both storage devices to the VCB servers in order for my backups to occur across the SAN.

I'm searching for answers to the following:
Can I present both the EVA/MSA LUNs to the same Windows 2k3 box without any issues? Are there any gotchas?

Can MPIO for EVA and MSA coexist on the same server? gotchas?

If I have to choose only one MPIO (either EVA or MSA) what would be the best one? Best Practices? I don't want my Windows box messing with the failover of the EVA luns used in production for my ESX 3.5 servers. The best case scenario (for me, if possible) would be for the Windows box to have read only access to the EVA Luns.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[bdworld]

I believe I've found at least part of the answer in the HP StorageWorks SAN Design Reference Guide:

http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00403562/c00403562.pdf

Page 185, Table 96 "Microsoft Windows Multipathing Coexistence Support".

Page 194 "Common Server Access".
Common server access
Common server access enables simultaneous connectivity to different storage system types from the
same server. In some cases, connectivity to different storage system types, including disk and tape, is
allowed from the same HBA.
For supported common server access configurations and rules, see the storage solutions documentation.
Common server access to HP storage and third-party storage is supported if you comply with the
following rules:
â ¢ You must use HP-supported HBAs, parameter settings, drivers, and firmware to support HP storage
and third-party storage on the same HP or multi-vendor server.
â ¢ Use different HP-supported HBA vendors if the required parameter settings, drivers, and firmware
are different for HP storage and the third-party storage.

New Questions:
Which MPIO FF DSM (I'm assuming the one for the EVA)?

Thanks,