Specifications

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Chapter 9 Storage and File Systems

Figure 9-1. HBA failover paths

In!the!diagram!in!Figure 9‐1,!there!are!multiple,!redundant!paths!from!each!server!to!

the!storage!device.!For!example,!if!HBA1,!or!the!link!between!HBA1!and!the!Fibre!

Channel!(FC)!switch!breaks,!HBA2!takes!over!and!provides!the!connection!between!the!

server!and!the!switch.!This!process!

is!called!HBA!failover.

Similarly,!if!SP1,!or!the!link!between!SP1!and!the!switch!breaks,!SP2!takes!over!and!

provides!the!connection!between!the!switch!and!the!storage!device.!This!process!is!

called!SP!failover.!VMware!ESX!Server!2.5!provides!both!HBA!and!SP!failover!with!its!

multipathing!feature.!(SP!

failover!may!not!be!supported!by!all!disk!arrays.)!

For!information!on!supported!SAN!hardware,!download!the!VMware!ESX!Server!SAN!

Compatibility!List!from!the!VMware!Web!site!at!

http://www.vmware.com/support/resources/esx_resources.html.

Choosing Path Management Tools

ESX!Server!allows!you!to!configure!and!manage!multipath!access!to!storage!devices!

through!both!the!Management!Interface!and!the!Service!Console.!The!following!

sections!describe!how!to!manage!multipathing!in!the!Service!Console!with!the!

vmkmultipath!command.!For!instructions!on!configuring!multipathing!with!the!

Management!Interface,!see!“Viewing!Failover!Paths

!Connections”!on!page 201.

SP1 SP2

Storage

HBA 1 HBA 2

Server 1

HBA 3 HBA 4

Server 2

FC Switch