Huawei SAN Storage How To - UltraPath installation and check

Huawei SAN Storage – How To

UltraPath installation and check

Huawei SAN Storage – How To :




In this technology briefing we will see how to install Ultrapath and make sure it is implemented

properly.

Ultrapath is the Huawei technological equivalent of the standard Multipath.

Ultrapath and Multipath are solutions that increase the speed of the communication channel

between application servers and SAN storages by a multiple connection: this also allows

redundancy to the connection.

These connections can be both iSCSI and fiberchannel, also combined in a non homogenous

fashion.



The Ultrapath software takes care to correctly identify the individual LUN units, being

exposed simultaneously by more different channels, since it may look like you have more

disks than those that are actually available. Substantially, if a SAN provides a LUN through

three distinct channels of communication, the server that does not have a Multipath

installed, sees 3 disc units instead of just one.

In addition to this important function, Ultrapath hides problems that may arise on the

application server in case a redunded connection fails.

The installation is simple: Huawei provides the CD with the setup of Ultrapath for various

operating systems; the package that we take into consideration is the one for windows (in

the directory WIndows \ Packages), and it is the same for all versions of this operating

system (eg, Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012, Windows 2012R2), except for Itanium IA64 ,

which has a separate reference file.



The release currently available is 5.01.074



Begin with the classic double-click, and windows that will open are equally classic: it asks the

name of the software holder, and continues till the end without requiring any parameters, except

at one point when it asks trust the Huawei software: please flag also "Always trust etc ...".



To verify if there were troubles or similars, check the list

of system devices (devmgmt.msc or equivalent), under

the section Storage Controllers (or SCSI Controllers,

depending on the windows version): the Ultra-Path

Support (virtual) device must be available, without any

warning icon.



Simultaneously, on the desktop, a new icon becomes available: ultrapath console. Restart the

server as required.

Now you can run the ultrapath console and enter into the main window



This window provides both

an alarm management

identical to the one we

have already seen in the

ISM (Integrated Storage

Manager), and, more

important, a small

navigation tree on the

left, which lists various

data repeated in more

than one place. In the above example, note that the application server has two

physical paths to the SAN, and that these (column Port Type) are of

FC type (Fiber Channel).



Similarly, if you choose the leaf LUN, it is intuitive that we have only one, named LUN1_R5_1,

but with 2 physical paths that support it.



Now we can see how Windows can handle the LUN we are trying to use: for this matter you need

to open the Disk Manager (diskmgmt.msc or equivalent).

LUNs appear for the first time as OFFLINE disks: to

use them, simply click with the right mouse button

and choose ONLINE.

If it is already formatted, Windows automatically

assigns a drive letter. Otherwise, proceed manually

as if it were any hard disc.

If the new disc does not appear, please force a new

inventory via the menu option "ACTION" and then

"Rescan Disks" (this same procedure must be done

if a LUN has been removed from the availability of

the server).



More needs?

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Huawei SAN Storage How To - UltraPath installation and check

Technology

Transcript of Huawei SAN Storage How To - UltraPath installation and check