Enabling and Disabling Multipathing

You can use the stmsboot command to enable or disable multipathing for Fibre Channel (FC) and SAS devices. The stmsboot command updates the /etc/vfstab file and dump configuration to reflect device name changes during the next reboot. You do not need to manually edit the fp.conf or mpt.conf files.

The following considerations apply to the stmsboot -e, -d, and -u options:

• You should reboot immediately after running the stmsboot command.

• Because the stmsboot command reboots the machine to complete the operation, use the eeprom to ensure the system boots from the current boot device.

• The stmsboot command saves a copy of the original /kernel/drv/fp.conf, /kernel/drv/mpt.conf, and /etc/vfstab files before modifying them. See Appendix C, Troubleshooting Multipathed Device Problems if you encounter unexpected problems while using the stmsboot command.

How to Enable Multipathing

Perform the following steps to enable multipathing on all multipath-capable devices on SPARC or x86 based systems. If you want to enable multipathing only on specific FC or SAS HBA ports, refer to Enabling or Disabling Multipathing on a Per-Port Basis.

The multipathing software automatically recognizes Oracle-supported devices. If you want to enable multipathing on third-party devices, copy the /kernel/drv/scsi_vhci.conf file to /etc/driver/drv and add entries as described by Device Name Change Considerations in Multipathing Considerations.

1. Become an administrator.
2. Confirm that the multipathing software package is installed.

   # pkg info system/storage/multipath-utilities
             Name: system/storage/multipath-utilities
          Summary: Solaris Multipathing CLI
      Description: Path Administration Utility for a Solaris Multipathing device
         Category: Applications/System Utilities
            State: Installed
        Publisher: solaris
          Version: 0.5.11
    Build Release: 5.11
           Branch: 0.175.0.0.0.0.0
   Packaging Date: Tue Sep 27 01:40:01 2011
             Size: 77.29 kB
             FMRI: pkg://solaris/system/storage/multipath-utilities@
   0.5.11,5.11-0.175.0.0.0.0.0:20110927T014001Z

   If not, install it.

   # pkg install system/storage/multipath-utilities

3. Enable device multipathing.

   # stmsboot -e
   WARNING: stmsboot operates on each supported multipath-capable controller
                detected in a host. In your system, these controllers are
   
       /devices/pci@780/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,qlc@0/fp@0,0
       /devices/pci@780/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,qlc@0,1/fp@0,0
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@1
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@1
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@2
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@9/LSILogic,sas@0
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@9/LSILogic,sas@0
   
       If you do NOT wish to operate on these controllers, please quit stmsboot
       and re-invoke with -D { fp | mpt } to specify which controllers you wish
       to modify your multipathing configuration for.
   
       Do you wish to continue? [y/n] (default: y) y
       Checking mpxio status for driver fp
       Checking mpxio status for driver mpt
       WARNING: This operation will require a reboot.
       Do you want to continue ? [y/n] (default: y) y
       The changes will come into effect after rebooting the system.
       Reboot the system now ? [y/n] (default: y) y

   ---

   Note - During the reboot, /etc/vfstab and the dump configuration are updated to reflect the device name changes.

   ---

4. (Optional) After the reboot, if necessary, configure your applications to use new device names as described by Device Name Change Considerations in Multipathing Considerations.

How to Disable Multipathing

Perform the following steps to disable multipathing on all multipath-capable devices on SPARC or x86 based systems. If you want to disable multipathing only on specific FC or SAS HBA ports, refer to Enabling or Disabling Multipathing on a Per-Port Basis.

1. Disable device multipathing.

   # stmsboot -d
   WARNING: stmsboot operates on each supported multipath-capable controller
                detected in a host. In your system, these controllers are
   
       /devices/pci@780/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,qlc@0/fp@0,0
       /devices/pci@780/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,qlc@0,1/fp@0,0
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@1
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@1
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@1/pci@0,2/LSILogic,sas@2
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@9/LSILogic,sas@0
       /devices/pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@9/LSILogic,sas@0
   
       If you do NOT wish to operate on these controllers, please quit stmsboot
       and re-invoke with -D { fp | mpt } to specify which controllers you wish
       to modify your multipathing configuration for.
   
       Do you wish to continue? [y/n] (default: y) y
       Checking mpxio status for driver fp
       Checking mpxio status for driver mpt
       WARNING: This operation will require a reboot.
       Do you want to continue ? [y/n] (default: y) y
       The changes will come into effect after rebooting the system.
       Reboot the system now ? [y/n] (default: y) y

   ---

   Note - During the reboot, /etc/vfstab and the dump configuration are updated to reflect the device name changes.

   ---

2. (Optional) After the reboot, if necessary, configure your applications to use new device names as described by Device Name Change Considerations in Multipathing Considerations.

How to Determine if Multipathing is Enabled or Disabled

1. Become an administrator.
2. Determine if multipathed device information is available on the system.

   Multipathing is disabled on this system because the following command returns no multipathed device information.

   # prtconf -vc /devices/scsi_vhci |grep dev_link.*s2 
   # 

   Multipathing is enabled on this system because the following command returns multipathed device information.

   # prtconf -vc /devices/scsi_vhci |grep dev_link.*s2 
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335DC60Fd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335DC60Fd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335E106Bd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335E106Bd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335BA8C3d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335BA8C3d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335FC3E7d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335FC3E7d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t50015179594B6F11d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t50015179594B6F11d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335F95E3d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335F95E3d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335F907Fd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335F907Fd0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/dsk/c0t5000C500335BD117d0s2
                       dev_link=/dev/rdsk/c0t5000C500335BD117d0s2