Veritas Netbackup multipathing

[ashjosh]

Hi team ,

I am planning to install Veritas Netbackup 7.6 on Solaris 11 host as master & media server.

I have SL150 , LTO6 Dual port tape drive.

I have to use Solaris 11 Multipathing or use Veritas netbackup ?

How to configure multipating for Tape drives if i want to use both FC ports on Tape drive ?

[RamNagalla]

one thing you need to consider, though its is for solaris 10 hopefully its same for solaris 11 too

Page number 65 from netbackup 7.6 device configuration guide

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC6468

Configuring Solaris 10 x86 for multiple drive paths
To use multiple paths to the same tape drive, NetBackup requires that Solaris
Multiplexed I/O (MPxIO) be disabled. MPxIO is enabled by default on Solaris 10
x86 systems.
Use the following procedure to disable MPxIO.
To disable MPxIO
1 Use a text editor to open the following file:
/kernel/drv/fp.conf
2 Change the mpxio-disable value from no to yes. After the change, the line
in the file should appear as follows:
mpxio-disable="yes"
3 Save the changes and exit from the text editor.

just go ahead and configure and netbackup will detect if the Drive has the Mulitple paths..

[ashjosh]

So i should connect Tape drive dual ports to different SAN switches & install Netbackup.

Upon installation of Netbackup it will detect Drive with Dual path ?

Do i need to perform any manual action for failover or it is automatic ?

[RamNagalla]

when you run the Device config Wizard it will find 2 paths and you can see them in tpconfig -d output..

and it automatic... 

[mph999 · Accepted solution]

Umm, hate to mention it but ...

NetBackup does not provide automatic SAN path failover for tape drives connected through multiple paths

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH215781

[jim_dalton]

I believe mph999 is on the mark...regardless of the ports on the drive, multipath isnt an option. I am interested to know if it can be achieved some other way eg if it can be used as a team at the switch level so that the OS sees only one drive. Not knowing FC in depth that may violate its rules. 

Jim

[ashjosh]

SO how should i connect my tape drives ?

1port on tape drive -1 to HBA -1 of server-A zoning 

1port on tape drive -2 to 2 HBA- 2 of server-A zoning 

or

1port on tape drive -1 to 1 HBA -1 of server-A zoning 

2nd port on tape drive-1  to 1 HBA -2 of server-A zoning 

1port on tape drive -2 to HBA-1 of server-A zoning 

2nd port on tape drive -2 to HBA -2 of server-A zoning 

Also wouyld like to mention OS would be mix of solaris 11 X86 / SPARC.

On Sparc Solaris native multipathing is enabled due to SAN LUNS.

[jim_dalton]

First option will work , second option I have doubts over. Whats odd is the fact it mentions mpxio in the dev config for tapes yet the second reference is clear it wont work and not only that, it wont be addressed.

The second could be useful to a degree in terms of path failure in as much as the switch could contain the config in an inactive zone, but you'd still need to add it into the active config, reconfig the host to see the drives and reconfig netbackup to see the reconfigged drives. You'd be better off fixing the broken gbic or dodgy fibre!

Simple is best if as seems to be the case mpx to drives is a non-starter.

MPXIO to robotics however does work (so it says: I have no experience as I dont have the option) and  I would say its more important than to drives, since if you have no robotics you have no robot and no drives either as you are no longer able to control them.

Jim

[Marianne]

I just found something: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH60395

The pdf shows how robtest can be used to enable multipathing for robots.