topic Re: Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection in Data Protection

Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection

Tomislav — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 04:36:11 GMT

Hello!

I have a customer who has Exchange 2013 (Windows Server 2012) on Hyper-V virtual machine and for backups is using Snapmanager for Exchange 7.0.0. Except Snapmanager for Exchange on virtual machine is also installed Snapdrive 6.5. Exchange LUN's are on FAS2240-4 and VM is using iSCSI protocol for connecting to those LUN's. For now there is one iSCSI network adapter in VM and I would like to configure a second one and configure MPIO. On Hyper-V host it will be configured second virtual switch for iSCSI connections for that second iSCSI network adapter of virtual machine.

What would be or procedure for installing and enabling MPIO in OS on such existing production environment?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Regards,

Tomislav

Re: Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection

HONIG2012 — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 17:52:39 GMT

i suggest:

0. create a snapshot of vm (just in case...)

1. install Netapp-Host-Utilities (if not already)

2. enable MPIO within Windows Features

3. enable MPIO support for ISCSI-devices

4. install Netapp-DSM (the MPIO stuff if you want to use it from netapp)

5. reboot system

6. add second NIC to VM and configure it

7. configure ISCSI within VM to use also the 2nd NIC

that's it.. good luck!

-AJ

Re: Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection

Tomislav — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 20:32:28 GMT

@HONIG2012 wrote:
i suggest:

0. create a snapshot of vm (just in case...)
1. install Netapp-Host-Utilities (if not already)
2. enable MPIO within Windows Features
3. enable MPIO support for ISCSI-devices
4. install Netapp-DSM (the MPIO stuff if you want to use it from netapp)
5. reboot system
6. add second NIC to VM and configure it
7. configure ISCSI within VM to use also the 2nd NIC

that's it.. good luck!

-AJ

Thanks for your answer!

Few more questions from me. Is it nessery to install NetApp Host Utilities if now they are not installed but existing single iSCSi connection is working as expected? If I understend correctly I don't need NetApp DSM and I can use native microsoft DSM?

Re: Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection

HONIG2012 — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 12:29:08 GMT

DSM is optional if you're about to use microsoft MPIO but Host Utilities are mandatory - they set timeout values within your OS. these timeouts gives your machine the ability to survive a controller takeover or short network outages

you can install them without losing your existing connections but a reboot is required.

Re: Enabling and configuring MPIO for existing iSCSI connection

Tomislav — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 07:03:36 GMT

Thanks for your answer!