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Configuring Solaris MPxIO for use with SVC or Storwize V7000 Volumes

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document describes the correct way to configure Solaris MPxIO. Please note that other configurations have been seen to cause IO errors.

Resolving The Problem


SVC (V4.2 and later), Storwize V7000 supports load balancing for MPxIO hosts, if the host type called Target Port Group Support ('TPGS') is used.

The following steps are required to enable load balancing on Solaris MPxIO hosts

  • Change the SVC or Storwize V7000 host configuration so that the host type is tpgs
  • Install the following patches from SUN

    • Solaris 9 - 113039-23 or higher
    • Solaris 10 sparc - 138888-01 or higher
    • Solaris 10 x86 - 138889-01 or higher
  • Check/Set the following parameters in /kernel/drv/scsi_vhci.conf:
      load-balance="round-robin";
      auto-failback="enable";

  • Remove or comment out any lines which match the following:


    • device-type-scsi-options-list = "IBM     2145", "symmetric-option";
      symmetric-option = 0x1000000;

  • Activate the new configuration
    • Solaris 9: reboot the Solaris host
    • Solaris 10: run "stmsboot -u"
  • Verify that the new configuration is active by following these steps:
    • Run 'luxadm display /dev/rdsk/cXtYdZs2'

    • where cXtYdZs2 is a SVC or Storwize V7000 device

    • Check that half of the paths (the ones to the preferred node) are shown as PRIMARY/ONLINE and the other half (the ones to the non-preferred node) are shown as SECONDARY/ONLINE.



Please refer to the What's new in the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller Information Center for more information on SVC Terminology changes.



These settings have now been documented in the product documentation, so this technote is not being updated to newer releases of SVC or V7000 software.

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Document Information

Modified date:
28 March 2023

UID

ssg1S1002938