HIT KIT required verification

Question

Hello,

I just wanted to verify that I do in fact need the HIT Kit to do MPIO with a PS6000. Currently without the HIT Kit tools, I can see 1 path via my iSCSI initiator on my 2008 R2 server. The target I am discovering is the group IP. My understanding of how this works is, the group IP is a virtual IP, with the other IPs on Eth 0-3 behind that. I am single pathing to the group IP now without the tools, but after I install the tools... I will see what? All the IPs behind the group IP? Or will the tools handle the multi-pathing (2 physical NICs in the server going to the iSCSI network with the CM eth cables connected as well).

This is the document that I am working off now http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/20094620/download.aspx

Thanks.

DELL-Kenny K · Accepted Answer

You are correct in that in order to have the multi-pathing on the PS6000 you will need to install the HIT Kit. Version 4.5 is the latest and that is the one that we recommend that you install. If you log into the support site and go to the download section for the HIT Kit and scroll down there is a documentation section for the HIT Kit and you will see the install and user guide that you can download. It walks you through the entire process on what you will need to do in order to get it installed and configured. Please take a look at that document and feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.

Chadddada · Answer

Thanks for the quick response.  This looks like this will help me finish off this setup.

Chadddada · Answer

I have found quite a bit of documentation on setting up the MPIO with HIT Kit, but do you know of any describing the process of connecting to a PS series w/o the kit?  I haven't toggled on the MPIO for iSCSI yet as I am not able to reboot at this time.  After I do this, would I be seeing the other IPs on the Eths I setup via discovery?  So currently I am only pointing at the group IP I defined.

Chadddada · Answer

OK, thanks for the info.  I have noticed a DSM for a EMC device there already and was initially planning on using the DSM  RAID 5 that comes with the MPIO install.  However, I think going the route of the HIT Kit will work out better for us.  Thanks again for the great information Don.  As always this community site continues to be a great resource for us out in the field.

Chadddada · Answer

A couple more questions:

1. It notes in the install documentation that the HIT Kit should setup all the firewall rules needed. I do indeed see new rules added to the firewall (Dell EqualLogic ASM Agent Service (enabled), Replication (disabled), IPv4/6 Ping (enabled). In my event log I see the following warning, "The firewall exception to allow Internet Storage Name Server (iSNS) client functionality is not enabled. iSNS client functionality is not available." Is this something that will degrade, or indicate degraded, functionality? Is this related to the iSCSI Service (TCP-In) firewall rule not being enable?

2. Here is a snapshot of my MPIO config after the HIT Kit install and mapping to 2 small test volumes I created. For my config I have Eth0, 1 in a stack member switch, and Eth2 in the other stack member switch. Eth3 is for remote management. I have the passive CM configured in the same way. What does this Disk5. 01 Paths represent? Does this mean that I possibly don't have a ethernet on the passive (or active) card connected to a stack member?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dell EqualLogic Multi-Path Device Specific Module
=================================================
MPIO Disk5: 01 Paths, Fail Over Only, ALUA Not Supported
        SN:                        
        Supported Load Balance Policies: FOO RR LQD

    Path ID          State              SCSI Address      Weight
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    0000000077050002 Active/Optimized   005|000|002|000   0
        Adapter: Microsoft iSCSI Initiator...              (B|D|F: 000|000|000)
        Controller:  (XXXXXX)        (State: No Controller)

MPIO Disk4: 02 Paths, Least Queue Depth, ALUA Not Supported
        SN:                                       
        Supported Load Balance Policies: FOO RR LQD

    Path ID          State              SCSI Address      Weight
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    0000000077050003 Active/Optimized   005|000|003|000   0
        Adapter: Microsoft iSCSI Initiator...              (B|D|F: 000|000|000)
        Controller: 2EE8684900000000         (State: No Controller)

    0000000077050000 Active/Optimized   005|000|000|000   0
        Adapter: Microsoft iSCSI Initiator...              (B|D|F: 000|000|000)
        Controller: (XXXXXX)         (State: No Controller)

MPIO Disk3: 02 Paths, Least Queue Depth, ALUA Not Supported
        SN:                                    
        Supported Load Balance Policies: FOO RR LQD

    Path ID          State              SCSI Address      Weight
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    0000000077050004 Active/Optimized   005|000|004|000   0
        Adapter: Microsoft iSCSI Initiator...              (B|D|F: 000|000|000)
        Controller: (XXXXX)         (State: No Controller)

    0000000077050001 Active/Optimized   005|000|001|000   0
        Adapter: Microsoft iSCSI Initiator...              (B|D|F: 000|000|000)
        Controller: (XXXXX)         (State: No Controller)

MSDSM-wide default load balance policy: N\A

No target-level default load balance policies have been set.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't understand that since there's no relationship between RAID level and MPIO."

I was only saying that there appears to be a generic device hardware ID, DGC RAID 5, that I was thinking of trying previously.

"Also, RAID5 use should really be depreciated with any modern storage."

Good point. New PS series SANs we are looking at for purchase for other projects seem to be coming configured as RAID 6. Seeing how this will be at a remote location, I think you are correct in that the RAID 6 tolerance would be better for this setup as well.

EqualLogic

HIT KIT required verification

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