AIX MPIO path configuration problem

stuart_gunnis — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:18:55 GMT

Hi all

Looking for help with a MPIO path problem.

A diagram of the environment and lun stats is attached.

AULA is not in use and optimization was performed using the AIX dotpaths utility.

Some output from the AIX side of things:-

# dotpaths -v
hdisk4 (path 0): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk4 (path 1): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk4 (path 2): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk4 (path 3): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk5 (path 0): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk5 (path 1): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk5 (path 2): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk5 (path 3): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk6 (path 0): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk6 (path 1): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk6 (path 2): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk6 (path 3): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk7 (path 0): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk7 (path 1): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
hdisk7 (path 2): Unoptimized path - Current priority of 1 is correct
hdisk7 (path 3): Optimized path - Current priority of 255 is correct
Path priority set and/or verified for 4 disks, 16 total paths.

# lsdev -Cc disk
hdisk0 Available 07-08-00 SAS Disk Drive
hdisk1 Available 07-08-00 SAS Disk Drive
hdisk2 Available 07-08-00 SAS Disk Drive
hdisk3 Available 07-08-00 SAS Disk Drive
hdisk4 Available 04-00-02 MPIO NetApp FCP Default PCM Disk
hdisk5 Available 04-00-02 MPIO NetApp FCP Default PCM Disk
hdisk6 Available 04-00-02 MPIO NetApp FCP Default PCM Disk
hdisk7 Available 04-00-02 MPIO NetApp FCP Default PCM Disk

# sanlun lun show -p
ONTAP_PATH: PDCSAN04:/vol/pronto/lun1/lun1.lun
LUN: 1
LUN Size: 74.0g (79461089280)
Host Device: hdisk4
LUN State: GOOD
Controller_CF_State: Cluster Enabled
Controller Partner: PDCSAN03
Multipath Provider: AIX Native
Multipathing Algorithm: round_robin

--------- ----------- ------ ------ ----------- ----------
MPIO      Controller AIX           Controller AIX MPIO
path      path        MPIO   host   target HBA path
status    type        path   HBA    port        priority
--------- ----------- ------ ------ ----------- ----------
Enabled     secondary path0 fcs0       0a         1
Enabled       primary path1 fcs0       0a         255
Enabled     secondary path2 fcs1       0b         1
Enabled       primary path3 fcs1       0b         255

ONTAP_PATH: PDCSAN04:/vol/pronto/lun3/lun3.lun
LUN: 3
LUN Size: 74.0g (79461089280)
Host Device: hdisk6
LUN State: GOOD
Controller_CF_State: Cluster Enabled
Controller Partner: PDCSAN03
Multipath Provider: AIX Native
Multipathing Algorithm: round_robin

ONTAP_PATH: PDCSAN04:/vol/pronto/lun4/lun4.lun
LUN: 4
LUN Size: 200g (214748364800)
Host Device: hdisk7
LUN State: GOOD
Controller_CF_State: Cluster Enabled
Controller Partner: PDCSAN03
Multipath Provider: AIX Native
Multipathing Algorithm: round_robin

ONTAP_PATH: PDCSAN04:/vol/pronto/lun2/lun2.lun
LUN: 2
LUN Size: 200g (214748364800)
Host Device: hdisk5
LUN State: GOOD
Controller_CF_State: Cluster Enabled
Controller Partner: PDCSAN03
Multipath Provider: AIX Native
Multipathing Algorithm: round_robin

# clear
# sanlun lun show -p
ONTAP_PATH: PDCSAN04:/vol/pronto/lun1/lun1.lun
LUN: 1
LUN Size: 74.0g (79461089280)
Host Device: hdisk4
LUN State: GOOD
Controller_CF_State: Cluster Enabled
Controller Partner: PDCSAN03
Multipath Provider: AIX Native
Multipathing Algorithm: round_robin

Any and all help appreciated.

Re: AIX MPIO path configuration problem

ogra — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:06:34 GMT

Hi Stuart,

Kindly go through this link at now : https://now.netapp.com/Knowledgebase/solutionarea.asp?id=kb30683

It describes the NetApp Best Practices.

You should be able to fix your error if you follow this KB.

Keep us posted.

Cheers !!!

Re: AIX MPIO path configuration problem

tazinblack — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:25:33 GMT

Using ALUA is working fine unless you have one netapp controller taking over the other one.

At this point it is irrelevant if the takeover happened in consequence of a failure or if you updated ontap the non disruptive way.

After that I always get warnings from the partner controller that mpio is misconfigured.

As I see this is resulting from ALUA is only being used while exploring the disks at boot time and not while your system is running.

So is there a solution how one can find out which of the luns used on this aix box is running the wrong path over the partner and to reconfigure it using the right path?

This would help a lot since I have this problem at every ontap update and I have some netapps which provide luns to aix boxes.

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