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

[email protected]:~# 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
[email protected]:~# 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
[email protected]:~# 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.

[email protected]:~# 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"
        }
 
}