TECHNICAL REPORT

PS SERIES DEPLOYMENT –
CONFIGURING AND DEPLOYING THE
DELL EQUALLOGIC MULTIPATH I/O
DEVICE SPECIFIC MODULE

ABSTRACT
This Technical Report describes how
to deploy and configure the Dell
EqualLogic™ MPIO DSM to enable
multipath I/O for high availability
access to a PS Series SAN

TR1036
V2.0
Copyright © 2009 Dell Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
Dell™ EqualLogic™ is a trademark of Dell Inc.
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Possession, use, or copying of the documentation or the software described in this publication is authorized
only under the license agreement specified herein.
Dell, Inc. will not be held liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The
information in this document is subject to change.
June 2009

WWW.DELL.COM/PSseries

ii Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

PREFACE
Thank you for your interest in Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series storage products. We hope you will find the PS Series
products intuitive and simple to configure and manage.
PS Series arrays optimize resources by automating volume and network load balancing. Additionally, PS Series arrays offer
all-inclusive array management software, host software, and free firmware updates. The following value-add features and
products integrate with PS Series arrays and are available at no additional cost:
Note: The highlighted text denotes the focus of this document.
• PS Series Array Software
o Firmware – Installed on each array, this software allows you to manage your storage environment and
provides capabilities such as volume snapshots, clones, and replicas to ensure data hosted on the arrays can be
protected in the event of an error or disaster.
 Group Manager GUI: Provides a graphical user interface for managing your array
 Group Manager CLI: Provides a command line interface for managing your array.
o Manual Transfer Utility (MTU): Runs on Windows and Linux host systems and enables secure transfer of
large amounts of data to a replication partner site when configuring disaster tolerance. You use portable media
to eliminate network congestion, minimize downtime, and quick-start replication.
• Host Software for Windows
o Host Integration Tools
 Remote Setup Wizard (RSW): Initializes new PS Series arrays, configures host connections to PS
Series SANs, and configures and manages multipathing.
 Multipath I/O Device Specific Module (MPIO DSM): Includes a connection awareness-module
that understands PS Series network load balancing and facilitates host connections to PS Series
volumes.
 VSS and VDS Provider Services: Allows 3rd party backup software vendors to perform off-host
backups.
 Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition (ASM/ME): Provides point-in-time SAN protection of
critical application data using PS Series snapshots, clones, and replicas of supported applications
such as SQL Server, Exchange Server, Hyper-V, and NTFS file shares.
o SAN HeadQuarters (SANHQ): Provides centralized monitoring, historical performance trending, and event
reporting for multiple PS Series groups.
• Host Software for VMware
o Storage Adapter for Site Recovery Manager (SRM): Allows SRM to understand and recognize PS Series
replication for full SRM integration.
o Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition (ASM/VE): Integrates with VMware Virtual Center and PS
Series snapshots to allow administrators to enable Smart Copy protection of Virtual Center folders, datastores,
and virtual machines.
o MPIO Plug-In for VMware ESX: Provides enhancements to existing VMware multipathing functionality.
Current Customers Please Note: You may not be running the latest versions of the tools and software listed above. If you
are under valid warranty or support agreements for your PS Series array, you are entitled to obtain the latest updates and
new releases as they become available.
To learn more about any of these products, contact your local sales representative or visit the Dell EqualLogic™ site at
http://www.equallogic.com. To set up a Dell EqualLogic support account to download the latest available PS Series
firmware and software kits visit: https://www.equallogic.com/secure/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fsupport%2fDefault.aspx

iii Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface .................................................................................................................................. iii
Revision Information ........................................................................................................... vi
Introduction ............................................................................................................................1
Dell EqualLogic MPIO Solution ....................................................................................1
Configuring and Managing the Dell Equallogic MPIO DSM ...............................................3
Configure the Networks Managed by MPIO ..................................................................5
Set MPIO Load-Balance Policy ......................................................................................5
Managing Connections to Volumes ................................................................................6
Logging on and off Targets ....................................................................................................6
Verify and Monitor MPIO Connections .........................................................................7
Logging Off a Volume with Multipath I/O.....................................................................9
Summary ..............................................................................................................................10
Technical Support and Customer Service ............................................................................11

v Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

REVISION INFORMATION
The following table describes the release history of this Technical Report.

Report Date Document Revision

1.0 February 2008 Initial Release
2.0 June 2009 HIT v3.2 updates

The following table shows the software and firmware used for the preparation of this Technical Report.

Vendor Model Software Revision

Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, 2008 2003 SP2, 2003 R2SP2, 2008

Microsoft® Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Version 2.07 or higher*

Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series Firmware V4.0.5 or higher*

Dell™ EqualLogic™ Host Integration Tools V3.2or higher*

QLogic iSCSI Firmware for QLA405x V3.0.1.49

QLogic STOR Miniport Driver for QLA405x V2.1.4.19

QLogic BIOS for QLA405x V1.14

* Earlier versions of Host Integration Tools support earlier versions of software.

The following table lists the documents referred to in this Technical Report. All PS Series Technical Reports
are available on the EqualLogic website: http://www.equallogic.com/resourcecenter/documentcenter.aspx

Vendor Document Title

Dell™ EqualLogic™ Technical Documents

Dell™ EqualLogic™ Product Documentation
Dell™ EqualLogic™ Host Integration Tools User Guide – V3.2 and later
Dell™ EqualLogic™ Host Integration Tools Release Notes – V3.2 and later
Microsoft® Microsoft Storage Technologies - Multipath I/O
Microsoft® Microsoft Storage Technologies - iSCSI

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM vi

INTRODUCTION
High availability of data is a requirement for many businesses today to ensure protection against
system/device faults as well as increasing performance for workload demands. Achieving this level of
availability is sometimes a challenging and daunting task for server and storage administrators.
Redundant hardware and RAID technologies help but when using a storage area network, SAN, the paths
between the servers and the storage are vital for data transfer and availability.
Microsoft provides software to support multiple I/O paths to SAN storage called Multipath I/O. MPIO
allows a host to have multiple connected paths to shared storage (Figure 1). MPIO offers increased
redundancy and can improve performance of application data hosted on these volumes. Using MPIO,
servers can send multiple I/O streams to SAN volumes concurrently.
With many servers and multiple NICs per server, setting up MPIO can be a lengthy and tedious job. To
simplify this process, Dell has developed a Device Specific Module (DSM) for PS Series storage arrays to
wrap around the Microsoft’s MPIO capabilities. The Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM takes the confusion
out of connecting all available I/O paths from the server to the storage and automatically connects these
paths based on designated subnets.
The Dell™ EqualLogic™ Multipath I/O DSM Delivers:
• Automatic connection management
• Automatic path failure detection and path failover
• Automatic load balancing across paths
• Support for multiple connections to a single iSCSI target (volume)
• Increased bandwidth
• Reduced network latency
• Easy installation and management
• Support for a variety of iSCSI initiators
The MPIO DSM is easy to install as part of the Host Integration Tool Kit. The Host Integration Tool Kit
is included with the purchase of a PS Series array or downloadable from support.dell.com/EqualLogic at
no extra cost.

Dell EqualLogic MPIO Solution

The Dell EqualLogic DSM consists of two components, a kernel mode component that works in
conjunction with the Microsoft MPIO driver to route I/O to the desired path, and a user mode service that
manages connections. The connection manager automatically makes the appropriate connections to the
target volume once a single connection is made. Together these components allow administrators to easily
install and configure multipath I/O for iSCSI networks. The DSM components along with a redundant
iSCSI hardware configuration create the infrastructure needed for a complete fault tolerant MPIO
solution, Figure 1.

1 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

 Figure 1: Basic MPIO Configuration and Components
Table 1: MPIO Component Description

1 The eqldsm.sys kernel mode driver performs I/O path selection and error handling

2 The EHCMservice.exe user mode service that manages iSCSI sessions

3 Two or more gigabit Ethernet NICs or HBAs

4 Two or more redundant physical paths to redundant network switches

5 Two or more redundant physical paths provide a network switch interlink (ISL)

6 Two or more redundant physical paths from the network switches are connected to the separate
redundant controllers in each Member in a PS Series Group.

7 Each Member in the Group has at least two physical paths to the network switches that are
connected to separate redundant controllers.

The Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM requires the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator to make the appropriate
connections to the target volumes. You may use offload cards such as HBAs but the connections must be
made through the Microsoft initiator for the DSM to work correctly.

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM 2

When using the Microsoft iSCSI service, additional sessions are established once the first login to the
target is made. By viewing the details on a connected target you can see how many sessions have been
established. Allow some delay for additional sessions to be established after the initial login.

CONFIGURING AND MANAGING THE DELL EQUALLOGIC MPIO DSM

As mentioned the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM is included with the Host Integration Tool Kit V3.0.0 and
later. For this document Host Integration Tools v3.2 will be used as reference. For installation guidelines
please refer to the Host Integration Tools User Guide and Release Notes for the version being installed.
Once the MPIO DSM has been installed, you can:
• Configure the networks managed by MPIO
• Change the policy for load balancing I/O
• Manage connections to volumes
• Monitor MPIO sessions
The following sections assume access control to PS Series volumes has been configured with either
CHAP authentication, multiple redundant NIC IP addresses, or a unique iSCSI initiator name. Volume
access control can be added to volumes through the PS Group Manager, either at the time of volume
creation or afterwards.
Note: As a best practice it is not recommended to check Prevent unauthorized hosts from discovering
targets box in the Group Manager – Group Configuration – iSCSI – iSCSI Discovery area.
A single ACL record for each host is typically sufficient for enabling volume connections from the MPIO
DSM. However, if using IP addresses in the ACL, it is recommended to give a range of addresses or add
an ACL record for each interface the host will use to connect to the volume.
Note: It is important to note that there are specific restrictions when using CHAP authentication with the
MPIO DSM for volume access. Please refer to the Host Integration Tools for Microsoft Windows Release
Notes version 3.2 for more information.
The Remote Setup Wizard can be used to set default values on the host running the MPIO DSM. The
Remote Setup Wizard is installed as part of the Host Integration Tools kit and is accessable through Start
– All Programs – EqualLogic on the host system. On the Remote Setup Wizard’s first screen you will
see the Configure MPIO settings for this computer radio button at the bottom of the screen. Check that
button and hit Next. The MPIO settings configuration page will appear as in Figure 2.
The MPIO settings page allows users to set default settings for the MPIO configuration on the host. A
description of the available settings is listed in Table 2.

3 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

 Figure 2: Remote Setup Wizard – MPIO Configuration

Table 2: Remote Setup Wizard MPIO DSM Options

Subnets included for MPIO The IP address range for subnets that you intend to use for MPIO.

Subnets excluded for MPIO The IP address range for subnets that you intend to exclude for MPIO.

Default load balancing policy The default load balancing policy to use for MPIO sessions.

Max sessions per volume slice The max number of sessions permitted for a volume per member when
volumes span multiple group members (arrays).

Max sessions per entire volume The max number of sessions permitted for a volume. This value must
be greater than or equal to the max sessions per volume slice.

Use MPIO for snapshots Optionally include or exclude MPIO for connections to snapshots.

Use IPv6 or IPv4 Optionally specify IPv6 or IPv4 (default).

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM 4

Configure the Networks Managed by MPIO
Network subnets can be managed to use MPIO on the host by modifying the MPIO parameters through
the Remote Setup Wizard. By default all the IP subnets configured on the host are included for MPIO.
Any configured IP subnets on the host will automatically appear on the left hand window in the Subnets
included for MPIO box and can easily be excluded by simply moving that subnet to the Subnets excluded
from MPIO box.
By including and excluding specific networks you can control where the MPIO traffic is handled. Be sure
to propagate these changes throughout the hosts in your network.
To exclude individual IP addresses from a subnet refer to the Release Notes for Host Integration Tools for
Microsoft Windows version 3.2.

Set MPIO Load-Balance Policy

Set the Default Load Balancing Policy

When the MPIO DSM is enabled, the default load balancing policy is Least Queue Depth. When the
MPIO DSM is disabled, the default load balancing policy is Fail Over Only. In most cases it is best
practice to accept the default load balancing policy because it is tuned to run with PS Series SANs.
The three supported options are:
• Fail Over Only: one connection is used for all data until it times out or fails, and then one of the
other available paths is chosen. If this load balancing scheme is selected, the MPIO DSM will not
manage connections to the target.
• Round Robin: Data is sent out to each available connection in a rotating sequence, effectively
utilizing all available ports fully.
• Least Queue Depth: Data is sent out to each available connection, with preference given to the
connection which is least busy at the time the I/O is requested.

Additional unsupported options include round robin with subset, weighted paths, and least blocks. These
options are not available through the Remote Setup Wizard and will return an error message if you choose
one of these options using the iSCSI Initiator Properties for the target.

Set the Load Balancing Policy for an Individual Target

It is possible to modify the load balancing policy for an individual target. The process for changing MPIO
policies for individual targets varies from operating system. To configure the MPIO load balance policy
for an individual target on Windows Server 2003 or 2008 follow the steps below:
1. Go the MS Initiator Properties, select Targets
2. Click on the target to manage and select the Details button for the target
3. Select the Devices tab and click Advanced
4. In the Device Details window select the MPIO tab and set the load balancing policy for the target
in the MPIO drop down menu

5 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

To configure the MPIO load balancing policy for an individual target on Windows Server 2008 R2 follow
the steps below:
1. Go the MS Initiator Properties, select Targets
2. Click on the target to manage and select the Properties button for the target
3. Select the Devices button and click on MPIO
4. In the Device Details window set the load balancing policy for the target in the MPIO drop down
menu

Managing Connections to Volumes

The number of connections per target (volume) depends on the number of arrays in the group and the
number of NIC’s being used for MPIO. The two controlling settings for target connections are:
• Max number of sessions per volume slice
• Max number of sessions per entire volume
By default the max number of sessions per volume slice is set to 2 and the max number of sessions per
entire volume is 6. Refer to Table 2 for descriptions of these settings.
This breaks down in the following manner assuming n = #arrays (members) in the storage pool where the
volume resides.
2 sessions per volume slice (member) * 1 members = 2 sessions per entire volume
2 sessions per volume slice (member) * 2 members = 4 sessions per entire volume
2 sessions per volume slice (member) * 3 members = 6 sessions per entire volume
Through these setting values, the maximum number of connections per volume and ultimately entire PS
Series Group can be managed.

Cluster Connections
If you are connecting volumes for cluster configurations there are some additional steps that need to be
taken to assure proper connection. You will want to check the Enable shared access to the iSCSI target
from multiple initiators box in the volume settings and add an ACL record for each cluster host adapter
connecting to the volume.
Additionally if running Windows Server 2003 there are some specific configuration changes needed
including some registry changes to assure each host in the cluster is using persistent reservations. Please
refer to the Release Notes for Host Integration Tools for Microsoft Windows version 3.2 for more
information.

LOGGING ON AND OFF TARGETS

After you configure multipath I/O and create volumes on the PS Series group, you can connect to those
volumes and enable multipathing to the volumes. To log in to a volume and configure multiple
connections:
1. Start the iSCSI Initiator Properties control panel.
2. Click the Targets tab after discovery of the group targets is complete.
3. Select the target, and click Log On the Log On to Target dialog is displayed as in figure 3.

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM 6

 Figure 3: Target Log On
4. Select options as follows:
a. Optionally if you plan to use persistent connections to the target you can select the
“Automatically restore this connection when the system boots” checkbox
b. If you need to enter CHAP credentials, click Advanced, enter the information, and click
OK.
c. You do not need to select the “Enable multi-path” option unless there is an existing iSCSI
session to the volume.
5. Click OK.
Note that you only have to login to your target once, the MPIO DSM will handle creating all other
appropriate connections.
The MPIO DSM connection manager will not manipulate persistent connections. Setting up ACLs via
each interface in the host will enable a persistent connection to the volume for each host interface. In the
event of a link failure and reboot of the host, another persistent interface link will automatically connect
to the volume at startup. With only one ACL, if that interface link is down and the host is restarted it will
not be able to connect to the volume at startup.
For persistent connections to volumes it is important to repeat this process and log into the target portal
(PS Group) via the IP address of each adapter, so that even if there is a failure in an adapter or network
path at boot time, the host will attempt to reconnect through other available adapters.

Verify and Monitor MPIO Connections

Once you have made your initial connection, the MPIO DSM connection manager will make all of the
connections according to your MPIO settings. After making your initial connection, allow a minute or
two for the DSM to communicate with the array group and get sufficient information to create the
multiple session connections.
To verify that you have multiple session connections to the array for your volume, there are two places to
look.
In Host Integration Tools v3.2 new functionality was added to the MPIO DSM to allow monitoring and
viewing of adapters set up for MPIO and session information for the adapter connections. The status is
logged and displayed in the Dell EqualLogic MPIO tab in the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Properties shown
in figure 3.

7 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

Table 3: MPIO DSM Monitor Information:

Source IP The address of the link source device. This is the NIC or HBA installed in the computer that
accesses an iSCSI target.

Target The name of the iSCSI volume that is the target of the link. When MPIO is configured, you
will see the same volume name listed multiple times, once for each active session.

Target IP The address of the PS Series array’s Ethernet port (one of the ports on the active controller)

Path The elapsed time during which this path is connected. Significant differences in uptime
Uptime indicate potential path failovers.

Managed Indicates whether the sessions are actively managed. The text color also indicates this,
sessions colored in blue are managed and sessions colored black are not.

Figure 3: MPIO Session Monitoring in the iSCSI Initiator

The scroll bar allows the ability to examine the MPIO status at a specific point in time. Users can also
disable logging or launch the Remote Setup Wizard to make changes to the MPIO settings.
For more information on the MPIO DSM monitoring and how to change the logging settings please see
the Host Integration Tools v3.2 Release Notes.
MPIO sessions can also be viewed for individual targets. Follow these steps to see MPIO sessions for a
connected target listed in the iSCSI Initiator.

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM 8

 1. Open at the MS Initiator Properties – Targets tab.

2. Select the connected target (volume), and click on the Details button (Properties if running
Windows Server 2008 R2). Note that there is more than one session connection in the Target
Properties window as figure 4.

Figure 4: iSCSI Target Details

Logging Off a Volume with Multipath I/O

To log off a Windows Server 2003 or 2008 volume with multiple session connections, you must select
and log out of each connection session:
1. First remove any persistent connections to the target by selecting the Persistent Targets tab
(Favorite Targets if running Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2) and remove the target from the
list in the iSCSI Initiator Properties.

2. Click the Targets tab and select the target you want to log out.

3. Click Details for the target to open the Target Properties window.

4. In the Sessions tab check off all sessions and click Log Off.

To log off a Windows Server 2008 R2 volume follow steps 1 and 2 above. In step 3 simply click the
Disconnect button in the Targets tab to log off the target.
Note: If you see a message warning you that a device is in use, wait a few seconds, click the Refresh
button and repeat step 3.

9 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM

SUMMARY
The Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM allows for easy and time saving MPIO configurations by automating
and tuning MPIO session connections for PS Series arrays. Additionally, MPIO sessions can be set up
and managed by IP subnets or individual targets by setting defaults in the Remote Setup Wizard and the
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator.
The Host Integration Tools kit and documentation is available with the purchase of a PS Series array by
logging onto the support website (support.dell.com/EqualLogic) and on a CD-ROM that is
shipped with the PS Series array.

Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM 10

TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
Dell’s support service is available to answer your questions about PS Series arrays. If you have an
Express Service Code, have it ready when you call. The code helps Dell’s automated-support telephone
system direct your call more efficiently.
Contacting Dell
Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by
country and product, and some services may not be available in your area.
For customers in the United States, call 800-945-3355.
Note: If you do not have an Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase
invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:
1. Visit support.dell.com.
2. Verify your country or region in the Choose A Country/Region drop-down menu at the bottom of the
window.
3. Click Contact Us on the left side of the window.
4. Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
5. Choose the method of contacting Dell that is convenient for you.
Online Services
You can learn about Dell products and services on the following websites:
• www.dell.com/
• www.dell.com/ap/ (Asian/Pacific countries only)
• www.dell.com/jp (Japan only)
• www.euro.dell.com (Europe only)
• www.dell.com/la (Latin American countries)
• www.dell.ca (Canada only)
You can access Dell Support through the following websites:
• support.dell.com
• support.dell.com/EqualLogic
• support.jp.dell.com (Japan only)
• support.euro.dell.com (Europe only)

11 Deploying and Configuring the Dell EqualLogic MPIO DSM