vSphere iSCSI NMP MRU - iSCSI-Paths-settings not permanent

[Debcha]

Hi,

We'are using a EMC Clariion AX4-5i as iSCSI SAN Storage for our ESX Hosts.

It's an Active/Passive - Array, therefore we use VMware NMP MRU as Path Policy (Software-iSCSI)

To achieve storage traffic load-balancing with MRU ( we have 4 Paths to the LUN's) we manually disable specific paths for every LUN, let ESX failover to another path (so that the path is (Active(I/O), and re-enable the disabled path(s)).

With this method we can distribute the traffic over all 4 paths.

Unfortunately after a ESX host reboot the settings are gone (and all LUN's use a single path )

This problem is not a vSphere specific one (with ESX 3.5 we have the same issue), but i hoped this might be fixed in vSphere.

It's some work to do manual balancing because for good balancing you have to do it on every ESX-host + every LUN (it's "fun" to do this after every host reboot)

This issue is also well known in ESX 3.5 :

Unfortunately the solution (script) from the URL is not applicable to us (we use Active/Passive Array - therefore we can't set fixed/preferred path). Btw. it's only a workaround for this issue.

VMware Support told us this is not a VMware issue (SR #1442342381) . They said we have to contact EMC - no comment ... (vSphere is the iSCSI Initiator and therefore responsible for the iSCSI Paths (selection,evaluation, etc.) and for restoring settings).

P.S:

It makes no difference if we make the settings through vCenter or directly with vSphere Client on a ESX Host.

Any help appreciated.

Debcha

Greetings from Germany

[TobiasKracht]

Create a script that will set the paths via the service console, and simply run this script each time he reboots a host... That is script out each step you take in the VI client, and whenever you are forced to reboot a host, as part of the reboot process run this script (even that might not be possible) you are going to need to escalate this issue with VMWare as I think it is a little dodgy that they fluff this off on EMC (given it is settings in THIER initiator that seem to be causing the problem). I would try and escalate this within VMWare if possible

StarWind Software R&D

[Itzikr]

Debcha,

no need to runs scripts, you can use Round Robin in vSphere..

here's how to do it

the only thing im not sure of is what AX can / cannot do in terms of iscsi, so you can always raise an official SR

Itzik Reich

Solutions Architect

VCP,VTSP,MCTS,MCITP,MCSE,CCA,CCNA

EMC²

where Information Lives

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".