11.0 HP StoreVirtual DSM for Microsoft MPIO Deployment Guide (AX696-96344, December 2013)

1 Using MPIO
Description of the HP StoreVirtual DSM for Microsoft MPIO
The HP StoreVirtual DSM for Microsoft MPIO provides enhanced MPIO functionality as follows:
• Automatic creation of an I/O path to each storage system in the cluster on which the volume
resides, plus a path for the administrative connection.
• Improved performance architecture over native MPIO solutions:
Read I/Os are always serviced by a storage system that holds a copy of the data being
requested.
◦
◦ Write I/Os are always serviced by a storage system that receives a copy of the data.
Remaining copies (replicas) of the data are forwarded to the appropriate storage system
based on the data protection level of the volume.
• The ability to build a robust, fault-tolerant solution because an I/O path is built to every storage
system in the cluster. For example, in a cluster with five storage systems, DSM for
MPIO-connected volumes have six iSCSI MPIO connections to the SAN, one for each storage
system and one for the administrative connection. Five of the six connections could go offline,
and I/O would still be serviced.
The DSM for MPIO supports connecting multiple NICs in the application server to the SAN.
Configuring with multiple NICs improves fault-tolerant physical network connections in the server.
The DSM for MPIO can be used in a Multi-Site SAN with one or more subnets. In this configuration,
the DSM for MPIO will only build I/O paths to the storage systems that are in the same subnet as
the application server. Alternatively, you can assign an application server to a site. Application
servers assigned to a site connect only to storage systems in the same site. Both of these
configurations permit higher performance and lower network utilization by reducing the amount
of I/Os that traverse the WAN link.
NOTE: Refer to the instructions specific to Multi-Site SAN configurations in the rest of this chapter.
You can also refer to the HP StoreVirtual Storage Multi-Site Configuration Guide, available on the
HP StoreVirtual Management Software .iso or on the HP StoreVirtual 4000 Storage Manuals page
of the HP Business Support Center website:
http://www.hp.com/support/StoreVirtualManuals
Using Microsoft DSM
Beginning with LeftHand OS software Version 9.0, you can use Microsoft DSM on your application
servers. For additional information about the Microsoft DSM, see the MPIO white paper available
from the Microsoft website:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=9787
When setting up the MPIO load balancing policy, use only the Fail Over Only or Round Robin
options. For more information, see “Setting the Microsoft DSM MPIO load balancing policy”
(page 8).
Using VMware ESX Server native MPIO
With VMware ESX, use the native ESX MPIO. For more information, download the following article:
http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=4AA3-0261ENW
Description of the HP StoreVirtual DSM for Microsoft MPIO 3