Multipath and Dual-Path Cabling

Information
This flyer describes the key concepts, restrictions, and guidelines for planning and connecting both
onboard and host bus adapter (HBA) Fibre Channel ports to storage shelves and other Fibre
Channel devices in a non-SAN/iSCSI environment. The following topics provide information
about the FAS3000 and FAS6000 series systems to assist you in cabling your controller in a
multipath or dual-path configuration:
◆ “Before You Begin”
◆ “Cabling Guidelines”
◆ “Configuration Checker”

Before You Begin

You need to be familiar with the documentation, where necessary, and understand the terms, described
in the following sections:
◆ “Documentation You Might Need”
◆ “Terms You Need Know”

Documentation You Might Need

You might need the following documentation for reference. You can find all these documents at
http://www.now.netapp.com.

Use This Guide... To...

Hardware Overview Familiarize yourself with the location of the ports and HBAs
on your controller.

System Configuration Guide Determine which HBAs your platform supports and where
you can install them.

Installation and Setup Instructions Complete the initial setup of your system.

Active/Active Configuration Guide Configure and manage your active/active configuration.

Data Protection Guide

Manage your disk shelf stacks.
DiskShelf14mk2 AT Hardware Guide

DiskShelf14 and DiskShelf14mk2 FC

Hardware Guide
System Administration Guide Create and manage disk ownership for your system.

Storage Management Guide

Multipath and Dual-Path Cabling Information 1

215-03304_A0 Copyright © 2007 Network Appliance, Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms You Need Know
The following is a list of terms and definitions used with multipath and dual-path configurations:
◆ Multipath—refers to an active/active configuration where both controller nodes are connected to
both the A and B modules of an individual disk shelf stack.
◆ Controller—refers to the module or box containing the CPU and supporting devices. When the
controller is self-contained, as is the case with the FAS200 series, it is referred to as the “controller
module.”
◆ Dual-path—refers to a second path, or redundant path, to a storage stack in a stand-alone (non-
active/active configuration) system.
◆ Single-path—refers to only one physical attachment between a disk shelf stack and the controller.
This type of configuration is typically found in a stand-alone controller, with a minimum number
of connections available for cabling.
◆ Stack or disk shelf stack—refers to a group of disk shelves. A stack is analogous to a disk shelf
loop.
◆ HBA—refers to a host bus adapter that has Fibre Channel ports.
◆ Onboard port—refers to the Fibre Channel ports that are integrated directly into the motherboard
or I/O controller card.
◆ Paired ports—refers to ports that are associated with the same Fibre Channel controller (a chip that
controls the Fibre Channel ports). All onboard and HBA-based Fibre Channel controllers manage
two ports.

Cabling Guidelines
◆ “Best Practices”
◆ “Single-path Cabling Rules”
◆ “Dual-path and Multipath Cabling Rules”
◆ “Cabling Restrictions for Systems with One Stack of Disk Shelves”

Best Practices
◆ “Match Port and Device Link Rates”
◆ “Distribute Connections Across the Hardware”
◆ “Comply with Mirroring Rules (FAS3000 Series Systems Only)”
◆ “Use Only Supported Configurations”

Match Port and Device Link Rates

Always match link rates of the disk shelf or device with the link rate of the onboard ports or HBA ports.
For example, match 4-Gb link speed ports with 4-Gb link speed devices.

2 Cabling Guidelines
 The system onboard ports and the HBA ports auto-negotiate link speed, based on the capabilities of the
hardware attached to them. For example, if you attach a disk shelf stack that supports 2-Gb link speed
to an HBA that supports 4-Gb link speed, the HBA automatically slows its link speed to match that of
the disk shelf stack.

Distribute Connections Across the Hardware

The onboard Fibre Channel ports are controlled in pairs by an integrated Fibre Channel controller. To
connect your system without creating a single point of failure, always spread the connections across the
motherboard Fibre Channel controllers, HBAs, and upstream system components.
The following table presents the Fibre Channel controller port sequences that you must use to avoid
creating a single point of failure.

Number of Ports in Recommended Number of Ports in

Use as Initiator Ports Ports Use as Initiator Ports Recommended Ports

FAS3000 Series Systems FAS6000 Series Systems

1 0a 1 0h

2 0a, 0c 2 0h, 0d

3 0d, 0b, 0c 0h, 0d, 0f

4 0a, 0c, 0b, 0d 4 0h, 0d, and 0f, 0b

N/A N/A 5 0h, 0d, 0f, 0b, 0g

6 0h, 0d, 0f, 0b, 0g, 0c

7 0h, 0d, 0f, 0b, 0g, 0c, 0e

8 0h, 0d, 0f, 0b, 0g, 0c, 0e, 0a

Comply with Mirroring Rules (FAS3000 Series Systems Only)

Hardware-based disk ownership can override recommendations that are optimized solely for High
Availability in non-SANOWN systems.
For more information about disk ownership, see the System Administration Guide and the Storage
Management Guide for your version of Data ONTAP® at
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/docs.cgi.

Use Only Supported Configurations

Your system configuration must be consistent with those listed in the System Configuration Guide or
the Hardware Configuration Guide, as applicable.
The cabling of your system must adhere to the Config Checker constraints, as described in
“Configuration Checker” on page 5.

Multipath and Dual-Path Cabling Information 3

Single-path Cabling Rules
The following list gives rules for connecting disk shelf stacks, tape/library devices, or switches to your
controller in the following required order:
◆ You connect 4-Gb capable devices to:
a. Available 4-Gb quad-port HBA ports

b. Available 4-Gb capable dual-port HBA ports

c. Available 4-Gb capable onboard ports

◆ You connect 2-Gb capable devices to:

a. Available 2-Gb onboard ports

b. Available 2-Gb dual-port HBA ports

c. Available 4-Gb quad-port HBA ports

d. Available 4-Gb capable onboard ports (FAS3070 only)

Note
You can connect 2-Gb capable disk shelf stacks to 4-Gb onboard or 4-Gb HBAs. However, the Fibre
Channel ports automatically switch to the 2-Gb link rate supported by the disk shelf stacks.

Dual-path and Multipath Cabling Rules

The following list gives rules for connecting disk shelf stacks, tape/library devices, or switches to your
controller in the following required order:
◆ You connect the SAN connections first, if applicable. Typically, the following ports are used for
SAN connections:
❖ For the FAS3000, you use ports 0c and 0d.
❖ For the FAS6000, you use ports 0b and 0d, and ports 0f and 0h.

Note
For more information about cabling the SAN connections, see the Fibre Channel Configuration Guide NOW
at
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/san/fcp_iscsi_config/QuickRef/FC_Configuration_Guide.pdf

◆ You then connect the storage to the controller.

IF you are connecting the disk shelf stacks as dual-path or multipath, you connect them in the
following order:
a. You connect the first disk shelf in each disk shelf stack to the first quad-port HBA in the
controller. Make sure to connect them sequentially on the HBA and to match link speeds.
b. You connect the second port (redundant path) for multipath on the embedded switch hub 4
(ESH4) to the second HBA in the same sequence as the first port on the ESH4.
c. You connect any remaining DS14mk2 FC, DS14mk2 AT disk shelf stacks, or other 2-Gb
capable devices to the onboard ports on the controller, starting with port 0a and continuing
sequentially, as needed.

4 Cabling Guidelines
 d. You connect any remaining disk shelf stacks to any remaining HBA ports, starting with dual-
port HBAs, followed by open ports on the quad-port HBAs.
e. You connect the second set of cables used for multipathing the remaining disk shelves.
IF you are cabling the disk shelf stacks without dual-path or multipath, you connect them in the
following order:
a. You connect the DS14mk4 with ESH4 modules and 4-Gb drives to the quad-port cards.

b. You connect all other disk shelf stacks first to onboard Fibre Channel ports, then to open ports
on dual-port HBAs, then to open ports on quad-port HBAs.
◆ You then boot and configure the system as normal.

Cabling Restrictions for Systems with One Stack of Disk Shelves

You connect the disk shelf stack to ports 0a and 0c or ports 0b and 0d on the controller. You can also
connect them to a quad-port card using ports A and C or B and D.

Configuration Checker
When a system boots, the configuration is checked against a set of configuration rules, depending on
certain system configurations. The types of checks are as follows:
◆ “Single System Configuration Checks”
◆ “Active/active Configuration Checks”
◆ “SyncMirror Configuration Checks”
◆ “Fabric-attached MetroCluster Configuration Checks”
◆ “Other Configuration Checks”

Single System Configuration Checks

◆ Disks that cannot be connected for dual-path, but are
◆ Disks that can be dual-path connected are not connected to the same HBA
◆ Disks are all connected for multipath or none are
◆ Disk A and B ESH/AT-FCX modules are not connected within the same disk shelf stack

Active/active Configuration Checks

◆ Disks checked to ensure that they are not cabled for dual-path configurations
◆ Disks in system are not SCSI disks
◆ Disk A and B ESH/AT-FCX modules are not connected within the same disk shelf stack

Multipath and Dual-Path Cabling Information 5

SyncMirror Configuration Checks

Note
The FAS3000 series supports hardware-based disk ownership. Pool0 uses ports 0a and 0b and slots 1 and 2,
and Pool1 uses ports 0c and 0d and slots 3 and 4. You can enable SANOWN (software disk ownership) on
these systems and can override hardware-based disk ownership.

◆ Disks are not dual-path connected to adapters that are in different disk pools
◆ Disks in system are not SCSI disks

Fabric-attached MetroCluster Configuration Checks

◆ Disks are connected in a multipath configuration to two different switches
◆ Each controller is be connected to two different switches and there are four switches in the
configuration; two per controller
◆ Each controller is connected to the correct half of its switch
◆ Disks are supported for MetroCluster

Other Configuration Checks

◆ Fibre Channel controller is capable of supporting either a fabric or dual-path configuration.
Systems prior to the FAS3000 series might not support fabric or dual-attached configurations
◆ LUNS on V-Series systems are connected to different switches and there are only two paths set up

6 Configuration Checker