Configure FC Multipath on Debian (HP EVA)

This detailed how to guides to high availability and performance on Debian/Ubuntu for with a dual FC HBA (Brocade) and shared storage on a HP EVA6300. Tested on Debian Linux 5.x and 6.x bits running on HP Proliant Dl360 and DL380 models, with 8GB FC Host Bus Adapters from Brocade.

Configure the software we need

# apt-get install multipath-tools-boot multipath-tools firmware-qlogic sysfsutils lsscsi
# reboot

Verifying that the correct Linux kernel module was loaded

root@debian:~# cat /var/log/dmesg | grep Brocade
[ 11.584057] Brocade BFA FC/FCOE SCSI driver - version: 3.0.2.2
[ 11.654052] scsi1 : Brocade FC/FCOE Adapter, hwpath: 0000:0a:00.0 driver: 3.0.2.2
[ 12.011790] scsi4 : Brocade FC/FCOE Adapter, hwpath: 0000:0a:00.1 driver: 3.0.2.2
root@debian:~# cat /var/log/dmesg | grep scsi
[ 11.550599] scsi0 : hpsa
[ 11.558223] scsi 0:0:0:0: RAID HP P420i 3.54 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5
root@debian:~# modinfo bfa
filename: /lib/modules/3.2.0-4-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/bfa/bfa.ko
version: 3.0.2.2
author: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
description: Brocade Fibre Channel HBA Driver fcpim

Create the /etc/multipath.conf for the IBM DS8300 storage

First we need to find out the correct wwid:
As multipath is not yet correctly configured, the command below will return “undef” for some paths, as the example below. What we need now is to identify the wwid between parenthesis.

root@debian:~# multipath -ll
fc_storage (3600143801259ba3a0000b00001650000) dm-1 HP,HSV340
size=2.0T features='1 queue_if_no_path' hwhandler='0' wp=rw
|-+- policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=active
| `- 1:0:0:1 sdb 8:16 active ready running
|-+- policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=enabled
| `- 1:0:1:1 sdc 8:32 active ready running
|-+- policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=enabled
| `- 4:0:0:1 sdd 8:48 active ready running
`-+- policy='round-robin 0' prio=1 status=enabled
  `- 4:0:1:1 sde 8:64 active ready running

Mind the wwid (3600…..)

###############################################################################
# Multipath.conf file for HP EVA system
#
# Version 1.02
# Storage node: HP EVA
# Connection: Dual 8GB FC
#
###############################################################################
 
defaults {
    polling_interval    30
    failback            immediate
    no_path_retry       5
    rr_min_io           100
    path_checker        tur
    user_friendly_names yes
}
 
devices {
 
# These are the default settings for P6300 (HP EVA)
 
    device {
        vendor                   "HP"
        product                  "HSV340"
        path_grouping_policy     group_by_prio
    }
}
 
multipaths {
        multipath {
                wwid                    3600143801259ba3a0000b00001650000
                alias                   fc_storage
                path_grouping_policy    failover
                path_selector           "round-robin 0"
        }
 
}