multipath driver question

sandytest · ‎2011-05-29

Hi:

Would appreciate it very much if someone could please provide a link for the appropriate multipath driver for a dl385 server running redhat enterprise 4 with qlogic HBA cards of type qla2340.

Thanks

June 22

Thanks for the help people.

1. As far as I can tell we have redhat multipath installed : rpm -qa gives device-mapper-multipath-0.4.5-42.el4

2. I am hampered by the fact that I can't get the IMT to work for my login (perhaps I am lacking permissions) --I just get a blank screen.

3. We have netapp_linux_host_utilities_5_2 installed, and sanlun commands do work and yield results.

4. We also have SMO installed and working (except we can't do a clone, apparently because we have Oracle9 and not oracle10).

5. We cannot do certain things however (add a lun to the linux for example), and the error seems to indicate that we

have a problem with the multipath. For example:

]# snapdrive storage create -fs /db_stndby -lun MCW-RH-NA01:/vol/orat_stby/q/orat_stby -lunsize 70g -nolvm

LUN MCW-RH-NA01:/vol/orat_stby/q/orat_stby ... created

mapping new lun(s) ... done

discovering new lun(s) ... *failed*

Cleaning up ...

LUN MCW-RH-NA01:/vol/orat_stby/q/orat_stby ... deleted

0001-476 Admin error: Unable to discover the device associated with MCW-RH-NA01:/vol/orat_stby/q/orat_stby.

If multipathing in use, there may be a possible multipathing configuration error.

Please verify the configuration and then retry.

I have attached the /etc/multipath.conf which was last edited by our Netapp support linux expert.

shaunjurr · ‎2011-06-10

See the SAN Compatabilty Matrix on the NOW site.

BrendonHiggins · ‎2011-06-20

Hi, welcome to the community

Did you get this sorted as the question is still listed as active?

You need to log into now site then access this link

http://now.netapp.com/matrix/#

Fill in the options on the left the best you can. Remember to select add after each selection and then selct "show results" from the top of the page when you are done. After a quick look it looks like RHEL on HP Proliant is not directly supported. Recommend you call your NetApp SE for advise.

Hope it helps

Bren

sandytest · ‎2011-06-20

Thanks for your help Brendon.

Unfortunately I don't know whether there are problems with the site, or

with my permissions, but I haven't been very successful getting any

information. Just getting a blank screen with "loading" (see attached

jpg file).

I would just like a link to a linux driver for multipath as the one we

are using (from redhat) seems to cause problems with Netapp. I have

downloaded what I could find from qlogic from the netapp link, but it

didn't have multipath from what I could find...

Sandy Test

System Manager Makhteshim

IT

Makhteshim Agan Group

tel:972-8-6296823 fax:972-8-6296043

sandy.test@ma-industries.com

shaunjurr · ‎2011-06-21

Hi,

I'm still a little confused here. Basically, your FC HBA's require a basic driver. I assume that Linux has those kernel drivers and perhaps Qlogic has some proprietary drivers. This alone, however, is not going to make multipathing work. Multipathing requires some sort of a daemon to monitor at least some basic functionality of the "paths" between server and storage, just to know if they are working paths or not.. Now I have no clue on the present status of multipathing in the GNU kernel, but there seems to be some evidence on the net that it works, but has nothing directly to do with NetApp, per se, although you will need to download the FCP Host Utilities for Linux (RedHat) and read the instructions probably, to get it to work. It would seem a quick search on Google would have gotten you this much... Perhaps this will help:

http://thjones2.posterous.com/netapp-as-block-storage-fibrechannel-for-redh

Good luck.

thomas_glodde · ‎2011-06-22

hi,

there is no such thing as "multipathing driver". in Linux it usualy works like this:

- check if your configuration is supported in the interoperability matrix (IMT), this is VERY important!

- IMT will list needed updated packages if required

- you must use the apropriate linux host util kit and follow the contained install instructions on how to setup multipathd (the Linux build-in multipathing)

- if you have the linux host kit, make sure "sanlun lun show" and "sanlun fcp show adapter" works properly

- i recommend using lvm2 btw

- make sure your disks are properly partitioned & aligned!

- if needed, you can setup snapdrive as well, this may require a utility kit from your hba vendor

be aware that all netapp linux tools are 32bit, meaning you might need to install 32bit librarys on your 64bit machine etc.!

Regards,

Thomas

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