Storage PathManager for VMware

March 2012 NEC First IT Software Division

PathManager Group

© NEC Corporation 2011

Overview - NEC Storage PathManager 1.0 for VMwareNEC Storage PathManager for VMware (PathManager for VMware) incorporates a vendor specific multi-path plug-in (PSA; Path Selection Architecture) and realizes a multi-path configuration among servers and disk array units.

- Reailze a multi-path management/control specialized for NEC Storage. - Increase system availability by detecting path failures and failover to the alternative

path. - Offer a simple and safe online disk array update by working together a disk array.

OperationServer

VM #1

HBA

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

Disk Array

VM #1

VM #2

VM #2

HBAAdministration

Server

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManager

2

List of paths to the logical disk and there status (used for I/O, failure etc.)

An alert on a path failure

System RequirementsOS VMware ESXi 5.0 (Enterprise Edition and Enterprise Plus Edition is required) (*1)

Hardware Server Express 5800/100 Series, Scalable HA Server

Storage iStorage M-Series (M10e, M100, M300, M500)

Connection protocols

FC and iSCSI

Maximum configuration

Maximum number of paths par logical disk 32 paths (FC)/8 paths (iSCSI)

Maximum number of logical disks 256

Maximum number of logical paths (*2) 1024 paths

Features Load balancing

Using default path selection policy of ESX

Failover Using a failover policy specialized for NEC Storage

Alert Alert events to vCenter Server and vSphere Client

Online update Automatic update by StorageManager cooperating with M-series array

Administoration Server

An administration server running VMware vSphere Client 5.0 and VMware vSphere Command Line Interface 5.0 is required

Note (*1) Standard Edition is not supported as a feature of vSphere “vStorage APIs for Multipathing” is required. 　　　 http://www.vmware.com/jp/products/datacenter-virtualization/vsphere/editions_comparison.html http://www.vmware.com/jp/products/datacenter-virtualization/vsphere/small_business_editions_comparison.html

(*2) Total number of paths for all logical disks.

3

Features DetailPathManager for VMware

Inbox Multi-path

Note

Multiple paths management/load balancing

Support for ALUA disk array

Supported SupportedPath management and load balancing compatible with M-series (ALUA) disk array.

Failure detection/Path failover

Path failover SupportedPartially

Supported

Path failover corresponding to the condition of disk array.PathManager enhances a path failover policy and supports the PDL (Permanent Device Loss) state on ESX 5.0.

Health check Supported Supported Detects a failure on the standby paths.

Intermittent failure detection

Supported Not SupportedFailover when an intermittent failure occurred. PathManager can detect an intermittent failure which causes failover and failback repeatedly, and prevents performance degradation.

Checking connection configuration

Supported Not SupportedDetects a wrong configuration and a failure during a server turns off. PathManager can detects a non-redundant configuration when a server turns on which cannot detected by the inbox multi-path feature.

Failure alert Alert eventsSupported

(*1)Partially

Supported

Alerts failures to users by vCenter Server and vSphere Client. PathManager also alerts a failure detected by the enhanced features.(*1) PathManager can alert a non-redundant path and a intermittent failure. Corroboration with ESMPRO and SSC are in planning.

Simplified maintenance

Path switch for the maintenance

Supported (*2)

Supported(*2)

Doing a maintenance safely by switching I/O paths not to be ones under the maintenance.(*2) Using a path switching script.

Online update corroboration

SupportedPartially

SupportedOnline update corroborate with the disk array. Inbox multi-path function can do manually using a script. PathManager can do automatically.

　 ： Enhanced by PathManager

Features - Storage PathManager 1.0 for VMware

4

Multiple Paths Management

▐ Reailze a multi-path management/control specialized for NEC Storage.▐ Users can see the states of paths from vSphere Client and vSphere Command

Line Interface

5

OperationServer

VM #1

HBA

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

Disk Array

VM #1

VM #2

VM #2

HBAAdministration

Server

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManager

Multi-path management specialized for NEC Storage

Users can see the states of paths from vSphere Client on an

administration server.

OperationServer

VM #1

HBA

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

Disk Array

VM #1

VM #2

VM #2

HBAAdministration

Server

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManager

Load balancing

▐ Uses a path selection policy inbox into OS

▐ Based on the state of disk array, I/O paths are selected as the following priorities:1. An preferred paths assigned by the disk array.

2. The path used for the previous I/O.

6

Using a path selection policy inbox into OS

Displaying which path is used for I/O

Failure detection/Path Failover

▐ Realize an appropriate I/O retry and path failover corresponds to the state of the disk array. ▐ Detect a failure on a standby path by a path patrol feature▐ Detect a intermittent failure which causes failover and failback repeatedly, and avoid an

unnecessary path switching▐ Detect a non-redundant configuration caused by a failure during a server turned off or a

wrong connection configuration when a server boots and every 24 hours.

7

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

VM #1 VM #2

Failure Failover to the alternative path when a path failure

occurred.

VM #1

HBA

VM #2

HBA

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManagerOperation

Server

Disk Array

AdministrationServer

Failure Alert

▐ Alerts a failure to vSphere Client and vCenter Server(Can alert to users with the alarm function of vCenter Server)

▐ Also alert a non-redundant configuration and an intermittent failure

8

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

VM #1 VM #2

VM #1

HBA

VM #2

HBA

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManager

Detect a path failure and alert an event

How to alert failures has been changed because ESMPRO/SA cannot be installed on ESXi. At this poin, the alert feature using CIM provider has not been released yet. PathManager alerts failures via vSphere Client an vCenter Server, and it is recommended to set a monitoring feature using an e-mail alarm for this alert.

OperationServer

Disk Array

AdministrationServer

Failure

Alert event by a detected path failure

Simplified Maintenance (Online update corroboration)

▐ Realize a simple and safe online update by switching I/O paths not to access the updating paths

▐ Automatic online update corroborating with Storage Manager

▐ Path switching by a script is also available as well as the inbox multi-path feature

9

Cont

HP HP

Cont

HP HP

VM #1 VM #2

Switching a path

Do an update after a path has been switched

Write path infomation to the disk array

Check the update state from a path

information written in the disk array

VM #1

HBA

VM #2

HBA

VMware vSphere

ClientVMware ESX/ESXiVMware ESX/ESXi

Storage PathManagerOperation

Server

Disk Array

AdministrationServer