Starwind & Equallogic MPIO Coexistence with VMware 5.1

bpocock · Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:06 pm

Currently we have (3) esxi 5.1 hosts connecting to an Equallogic PS6000 array. Each esxi 5.1 host has (2) dedicated nics used for software iscsi connections to the Equallogic. This is working now and we are using the Dell EqualLogic Multipathing Extension Module v1.1.2 to achieve MPIO. For MPIO, Dell configuration documents say that each VMkernel Port will need its own IP Address and they must all be on the same subnet as each other and be on the same subnet as the PS Series Group IP Address. This means that all the interfaces on the Equallogic are on the same subnet so to use MPIO both of my initiator IP's need to also be on the same subnet.

I am adding a Starwind server to the environment, The starwind documentation says that each software iscsi initiator nic should be on separate subnets to do MPIO. I only have 2 iscsi nics per esx host and they are on the same subnet. Does this mean that I am unable to do MPIO to the starwind server because the nics are on the same subnet to support the Equallogic MPIO requirements?

Thanks for you help on this.

Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:27 pm

Do not use EQL MPIO stack with StarWind. Never tested, never will be tested (because of the obvious reasons), not supported and not guaranteed to work.

bpocock · Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:52 pm

I am not using the DELL MPIO NMP with the Starwind target. If I do a fixed path selection to the Starwind target, I will not get MPIO. If I use VMware round robin, I have the issue mentioned in the original post - everything is on one subnet. I can use the DELL MPIO NMP on the Equallogic and the round robin NMP on the Starwind target. Do you see an issue with this? I have to believe that customers are using Starwind along side of Equallogic.

Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:59 pm

As long as you don't mix StarWind with EQL MPIO stack and same NICs you should be fine.

bpocock wrote:I am not using the DELL MPIO NMP with the Starwind target. If I do a fixed path selection to the Starwind target, I will not get MPIO. If I use VMware round robin, I have the issue mentioned in the original post - everything is on one subnet. I can use the DELL MPIO NMP on the Equallogic and the round robin NMP on the Starwind target. Do you see an issue with this? I have to believe that customers are using Starwind along side of Equallogic.