Re: [suse-sles-e] Does multipath really works in SLES9 SP3?

From: Alexei_Roudnev (Alexei_Roudnev_at_exigengroup.com)
Date: Tue Jan 23 2007 - 03:16:29 CET 

Message-ID: <004601c73e94$7e111880$6f31a8c0@sjc.exigengroup.com>
From: "Alexei_Roudnev" <Alexei_Roudnev@exigengroup.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:16:29 -0800
Subject: Re: [suse-sles-e] Does multipath really works in SLES9 SP3?

RE: [suse-sles-e] Does multipath really works in SLES9 SP3?Thanks for the reference, but I raad it and, now reviewing test configuration, I can see that I did exactly the same things.

I configured MPIO and it worked, aside of the fact that documentation is not up to date,
and that YaST2 multipath module (in RAID module) configure wrong components.

But when I tested it, I found, that system dies, if multipathd restores path, previously disabled because of SAN network failure.

I used a very simple configuration, with a very stable HBA caqrds:
- DELL 1650
- 1.4 Ggz i386 cpu
- 2 x Emuled LP8000 cards

- Brocade 2808 switch (DELL switch but it is brocade inside) with 2 zones
- NetApp FCP target, clustered (FAS 270c) in single image mode (bnoth ports have exactly the same set of LUN';s and share the same node name)

and I was surprised, because this configuration is pretty simple and SHOULD WORK OUT OF THE BOX.

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Shelton, Darren
  To: Alexei_Roudnev ; Peter Van Lone
  Cc: suse-sles-e@suse.com
  Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 12:08 PM
  Subject: RE: [suse-sles-e] Does multipath really works in SLES9 SP3?

  This article is a pretty good description of getting multipathing up and running on sles.
    

  http://support.novell.com/techcenter/sdb/en/2005/04/sles_multipathing.html

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Alexei_Roudnev [mailto:Alexei_Roudnev@exigengroup.com]
  Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 1:53 AM
  To: Peter Van Lone
  Cc: suse-sles-e@suse.com
  Subject: Re: [suse-sles-e] Does multipath really works in SLES9 SP3?

  I don't know:
  - it was a lab system, so it is on partnernet support, not full 8x5 one;
  - I used Emulex LP8000 HBA cards, they worked perfect in Windows (I used them to debug and test Windows NetApp FC multipath kit, with full success), but I am not sure, if they are 100% supported in SLES9;

  - I never find a way to report a bugs without opening full scale trouble-ticket, and alweays had a problems opening such tickets thru the partnernet.

  I will try - at least, documentation is not correct.

  I used SLES9 + LP8000 HBA with another SAN storage, but without multiipath, in production for a long time, and did not experienced any problems.

  When I tested mpio today (I really troubleshout NetAPP problem with Solaris, so I used this SLES9 as a test system to verify, how NetApp and switch works), I was surprised:

    * mpio works, after adjusting configuration to the reality;
    * when link1 failed, it switched over;
    * but when I turn link1 back, and when MPIO daemon try to restore old path, system freeze until I disconnect
       this path.

  I don't expect any problems with LP8000 card and driver, so I suspect mpio software. Anyway, it is weird - this is canonical MPO combination - Emulex card (no matter that it is older lp8000 - drivers are the same in general), canonical MPIO (with the only one exception - I used 1 switch instead of 2, with 2 separate zones), and canonical configuration (aside of the fact, that

  YaST2 have mpio configuration which don't work at all).

> On 1/18/07, Alexei_Roudnev <Alexei_Roudnev@exigengroup.com> wrote:
> > - after all, first failure test with SLES9 SP3, build 2983 i386 smp,
  with 2 Emulex LP8000 cards and NetApp
> > caused system freeze, when I tried to restore failed link.
> >
> > Does anyone ever use this multipath at all (succesfully)? I don't
  believe, that it is usable in this shape. It is a very impoirtant component of the SERVER
> > and it is a very critical one, so it must work perfectly (or it
> > can't be
  used at all).
>
> to me, this is worth opening an incident.
>
> Make support make it work "perfectly" for you, to prove that it will.
> And, then report the results back to us!
>
> :-)
>

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