Re: 2003 Cluster + SAN - do I need multipath software?

I think you are confusing STORport drivers with multipathing software. The
O/S alone will not really help you with multipathing. You will need 3rd
party software to accomplish this. 2003 is "nicer" to the second path to the
storage and will usually not screw up your disk signatures (like 2000 might
have). 2003 realizes that it is a redundant path and warns you with event ID
59s. The O/S alone will not loadbalance, and also would not seemlessly
failover to the 2nd path in the event of a path failure. You will need some
sort of path management software to accomplish this.

FYI, if your driver is listed as Qlogic 9.1.4.15, the same as the storport
driver. You should also make sure you have the latest storport hotfix
qualified by your SAN vendor. Again, this will not help to mask the
secondary path to the storage array. You should contact your storage vendor
about their multipathing solution for your array/hosts.

Regards,
John

Visit my blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/jtoner

"Bruce Lautenschlager" <brucel.spamless@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eI6jxeAGIHA.5752@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yup, two HBAs going to two different SAN switches.

I guess the built in driver from the server OS isn't the same (even though
it reads the same version - 9.1.4.15) as the one on the Qlogic website,
because I see duplicates when I rescanned with Disk Management. I even
went
about updating it using the SAN Surfer Driver Update Wizard, but stopped
because the versions matched.

I'll give that one on the website (which describes itself as a STOR
miniport
driver) a try even though the versions are the same.

Thanks,
Bruce

"Ryan Sokolowski [MVP]" <ryan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23wXf6FAGIHA.5272@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you use 2 HBAs or have 2 SAN Switches or otherwise have 2 or more
paths
to the storage, you should use multipath software (from your SAN vendor)
AND always use a certified STORPort HBA driver.

--
Ryan Sokolowski
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
MCSE, CCNA, CCDA, BCFP


This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
"Bruce Lautenschlager" <brucel.spamless@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eG0Fv$$FIHA.1184@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've created several clusters before, but always using direct attached
storage. Now I'm creating a new Windows Server 2003 cluster for a file
server using 2 nodes, both IBM X346 series servers with two IBM FAStT
FC2-133 HBAs (essentially a rebranded Qlogic QLA2340) in each server
connected to an IBM DS6800 SAN.

I'm reading everything I can about clustering and SANs...

From this link:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/0997f844-730c-47e2-bb2c-41123e8b3bf41033.mspx?mfr=true

I read that I need to install multi-path driver software...but it looks
like that's only for Windows 2000, because inserted in that paragraph
is:

"Windows Server 2003 will detect the fact that the same volume is being
exposed twice. If such a situation arise Windows Server 2003 will not
mount the volumes exposed by controller 2 that have were already
exposed
by the controller 1."

So am I correct to assume that Windows Server 2003 is good to go with 2
HBAs in each node and won't get confused and need the multi-path driver
that a Windows 2000 based cluster would?

Thanks in advance,
Bruce Lautenschlager








.