Release Notes P/N Rev A02

Transcription

1 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes P/N Rev A02 November 27, 2006 These release notes contain information about features, system requirements, known problems, and limitations in PowerPath 4.6.x for Windows. These release notes supplement other PowerPath documentation. Topics include: Product description... 2 New features and changes... 2 Fixed problems... 9 Environment and system requirements Known problems and limitations Technical notes Documentation Software media, organization, and files Installation Troubleshooting and getting help

2 Product description Product description EMC PowerPath for Windows is an intelligent path management application specifically designed to work within the Microsoft Multipathing I/O (MPIO) framework. PowerPath 4.6 for Windows enhances application availability by providing load balancing and automatic path failover and recovery functionality. PowerPath 4.6 supports Windows bit, x64-bit and IA-64 servers, including clustered servers, connected to EMC Symmetrix and CLARiiON in both Fibre Channel and ISCSI environments, Invista systems in Fibre Channel environments, and Celerra systems in iscsi environments. Note: Clusters are not supported with Celerra systems. PowerPath 4.6.x for Windows supports a graphical user interface through which the user manages hardware and software on the Windows platform. A command line interface is also available. New features and changes This section describes supported features, changed behaviors, and discontinued features in PowerPath 4.6.x. Note: Some features listed in this section are currently in PowerPath 4.x. These features are new only if you are upgrading from PowerPath iscsi version 1.1. PowerPath PowerPath for Windows includes bug fixes, as described in Table 2. PowerPath is a full package release. PowerPath behaves as a fresh installation if PowerPath is not installed on a host. You must close all host applications before installing or upgrading PowerPath 4.6.x. If an earlier version of PowerPath (PowerPath and above) is already installed on a host, then PowerPath upgrades the previous existing version. 2 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

3 New features and changes If an efix or Hot Fix from an earlier version is installed on a host, then be sure to uninstall the efix or Hot Fix of that earlier version of PowerPath before installing PowerPath The PowerPath base product does not need to be uninstalled, just the efix or Hot Fix. Reboot the host after removing the efix or Hot Fix prior to installing PowerPath A reboot is also required after the PowerPath patch is installed. PowerPath PowerPath for Windows supports: Microsoft MPIO framework version Windows Server bit, x64-bit, and IA64 operating systems with Fibre Channel connections to EMC arrays. Windows Server bit, x64-bit in operating systems with iscsi connections to EMC arrays. Invista systems in Fibre Channel environments. Celerra systems in iscsi environments. Booting from Symmetrix, CLARiiON, and iscsi Celerra storage systems. Dynamic multi-path dynamic load balancing Improves a host s ability to manage heavy I/O loads by continually balancing the load across all paths, eliminating the need for repeated static reconfigurations as workloads change. Multiple paths for higher availability Supports up to 32 paths between a LUN and a host. Having multiple paths enables the host to access a LUN even if a specific path is unavailable. Automatic path failover The licensed version of PowerPath provides both frontend and backend failover for up to 32 paths to a LUN. Autorestore Restores the active path to the default storage processor (SP) on a CLARiiON storage system when a path is restored from a failed state depending on previous failure conditions. Proactive I/O path testing and recovery Periodically tests failed paths to determine if they are fixed. If it passes the test, a path is restored automatically, and PowerPath resumes sending I/O to it. During path restoration, the storage system, host, and application remain available. PowerPath also periodically tests live paths that are idle. This allows PowerPath to report path EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 3

4 New features and changes problems quickly, avoiding delays that would otherwise result from trying to use a defective path when I/O is started on the logical device. Clustered environments PowerPath 4.6 supports Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS). PowerPath is particularly beneficial in cluster environments, since it can prevent operational interruptions and costly downtime. PowerPath s path failover capability avoids node failover, maintaining uninterrupted application support on the active node in the event of a path disconnect (as long as another path is available). Graphical User Interface (GUI) PowerPath 4.6 provides a GUI, available as an MMC snapin and a system tray icon, that interacts with WMI to obtain the data to be displayed. The GUI displays path information, adapter information, disk information, and path-state information. Any state change is refreshed in the GUI automatically. The GUI provides the interface for setting path states and load balancing policies. The powermt commands described in Table 1. Table 1 Supported powermt commands Command powermt check powermt check_registration powermt display powermt display options powermt load powermt remove powermt restore powermt set mode a powermt save powermt set periodic_autorestore a powermt set policy a Description Check for, and optionally remove, dead paths. Check the state of the PowerPath license. Display the state of HBAs configured for PowerPath. Display options settings for storage system classes. Load a PowerPath configuration. Remove a path from the PowerPath configuration. Test and restore paths. Set paths to active or standby mode. Save a custom PowerPath configuration. Enable or disable periodic autorestore a. Change the load balancing and failover policy. 4 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

5 New features and changes Table 1 Supported powermt commands Command powermt set priority a powermt update lun_names a powermt version Description Set the I/O priority. Cause PowerPath to retrieve the latest user-specified LUN names for devices on a CLARiiON array (CLARiiON storage systems only). Return the version of PowerPath that is installed on the host. a. Option cannot be changed when the device manager does not see any devices. Event logging PowerPath 4.6 provides a PowerPath Classic-like event logging mechanism. If the insertion string for the event log exceeds the maximum string length allowed by the Windows operating system, then PowerPath 4.6 substitutes the missing strings symbols. The values corresponding to the missing strings can be obtained in the hexadecimal dump in the event log. The behavior is in consistent with PowerPath Classic. Navisphere PowerPath 4.6 supports the Navisphere API library, which allows Navisphere to query MPIO devices/paths and to direct I/O to MPIO CLARiiON paths. CLARiiON Non-Disruptive Upgrade (NDU) PowerPath 4.6 supports upgrading/reverting FLARE revisions non disruptively. Paths are automatically restored to the default SP after the NDU completes. Symmetrix special device handling PowerPath 4.6 supports actions against VCMDB and BCV devices. Configuration file The powermt.custom configuration file is used to store the path specific load balancing policies. Ghost path support/mismatched paths If a device (LUN) path is replaced by another device when the host is booting up or running, the Windows SCSI port driver does not maintain the path (port, bus, target, LUN) persistence. Any new device can use the same path which was used by the replaced device. The Windows PowerPath GUI shows these paths as "Mismatch". To reconfigure these paths, refer to the EMC PowerPath Product Guide. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 5

6 New features and changes 2 TB LUN support PowerPath 4.6 supports LUNs that are larger than 2 TB on both Symmetrix and CLARiiON devices. Licensing PowerPath 4.6 has three licensing modes: Enterprise License Provides full load balancing and path recovery for up to 32 paths to a LUN. Base License Provides both frontend and backend failover to a CLARiiON LUN. The base license does not support load balancing. Unlicensed (utility kit) Provides only backend failover and supports only a single HBA with a single path to each CLARiiON storage processor, and a single path to each Symmetrix front-end port. Note: Installing PowerPath on a host connected to a CLARiiON AX-series array does not require a license. PowerPath 4.6 provides full support with or without a PowerPath license when the host is connected to a CLARiiON AX-series array. Upgrades PowerPath 4.6 supports upgrades from: PowerPath (and higher) and PowerPath iscsi 1.1 on Windows Server bit hosts. PowerPath (and higher) on Windows Server 2003 x64-bit hosts. PowerPath (and higher) on Windows Server 2003 IA-64- bit hosts. Note: PowerPath 4.6 does not support non-disruptive upgrades from previous PowerPath versions. You must stop all I/O and close all applications that access storage devices. 6 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

7 New features and changes PowerPath 4.5 features not supported in PowerPath 4.6 PowerPath 4.6 does not support the following PowerPath 4.5 features: Windows 2000 operating system Third-party storage systems Interoperability with SymmAPI and Consistency Groups Changed behavior PowerPath 4.6.x for Windows has the following changed behaviors: All host applications must be closed prior to installing or upgrading PowerPath 4.6.x. This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the system and user data while low level disk drivers are installed or upgraded correctly. The PowerPath installer checks the host to determine that version 1.16 or higher of the Microsoft MPIO framework is installed on the host. If the MPIO framework is not installed on the host, the PowerPath installer installs MPIO framework If a version of the MPIO framework less than 1.16 is installed on the host, the PowerPath installer prompts you to upgrade to version If you do not upgrade, PowerPath installation aborts. If a version of the MPIO framework greater than 1.16 is installed on the host, the PowerPath installer notifies you and then continues with the installation.! CAUTION You must close all applications before installing or upgrading PowerPath 4.6. Failure to do so could result in data loss or corruption of data. Discontinued features in PowerPath This section includes information about discontinued features in PowerPath. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 7

8 New features and changes EMC HighRoad PowerPath does not include intrinsic disk protection for EMC HighRoad disks on Symmetrix storage systems. This is a change from PowerPath 4.5 and earlier, in which disk protection for HighRoad disks on Symmetrix systems is included in the PowerPath software. Effective with HighRoad version 4.0, disk protection for Symmetrix is included in the HighRoad software. If you are using PowerPath 4.5 or earlier with HighRoad 4.0 or earlier, you do not need to take any action at this time. If you want to upgrade to a version of PowerPath later than 4.5 (and you have HighRoad 3.2 or earlier), you will need to upgrade first to HighRoad version 4.0 or later before upgrading PowerPath. 8 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

9 Fixed problems Fixed problems Table 2 Table 2 lists the problems that have been fixed and implemented in PowerPath release for Windows. Fixed problems in PowerPath for Windows Description Found in Version Fixed in Version Silent Upgradation from a previous version of PowerPath reboots the system althought the NOREBOOT switch was used. The PowerPath host does not come up after that and hangs in the windows loading screen There is a Memory leak with the repetitive additions and removals of luns With a combination of LUNZ and data LUNs exposed to the host simultaneously with I/Os running to the data LUNs, if all the paths between the host and the storage are torn down, and simultaneously a host application (like syminq) sends a pass through I/O to LUNZ, it could lead to a system crash due to a possible race condition EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 9

10 Environment and system requirements Environment and system requirements Before you install PowerPath, or whenever you make changes to the host or storage environment where PowerPath operates, consult the resources and documentation described in this section. These resources will help you configure an environment in which all components, including PowerPath, can operate optimally. Note: It is important that, after you install PowerPath, you verify that it is working properly. EMC recommends that you set up one path initially and then set up any additional paths after you test the PowerPath installation. EMC storage systems The EMC Support Matrix provides detailed information about the hardware, software, and networked storage components that are tested and compatible with EMC storage systems. The EMC Support Matrix describes host models, operating system revisions, host bus adapters, and connectivity devices for Symmetrix and CLARiiON storage platforms. The EMC Support Matrix, which is updated every month, is published at the EMC Powerlink website: The Support Matrix is available in two formats: The EMCLink E-Lab Navigator (formerly ESN Builder) link is a Web-based, searchable database configurator. The Interoperability Matrices link lets you download the EMC Support Matrix as an Adobe.pdf file. Consult the EMC Support Matrix before you install PowerPath in a Symmetrix and/or CLARiiON environment. In addition, since changing any system component can change the way PowerPath manages storage paths, you should consult the Support Matrix before you undertake any of the following common system or network management tasks: Upgrade or change the host OS, or the host bus adapter. (Refer specifically to the Application Software chapter for your storage system model.) Change the model of the system that hosts PowerPath. Change components (for example, switches) of your network configuration. 10 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

11 Environment and system requirements Change the storage network zoning or device assignments. Change the array or storage system connected to the host. The information in the following sections is accurate at the time of publication. However, information about qualified hardware and software is revised and published monthly in the EMC Support Matrix. In the event of discrepancies, information in the EMC Support Matrix takes precedence over the information in these sections. CLARiiON storage systems Refer to the EMC Support Matrix for CLARiiON storage systems supported with PowerPath 4.6.x. To properly install PowerPath on a host with a CLARiiON CX-series array, refer to the EMC Installation Roadmap for CX-Series and FC-Series Storage Systems. There you will find step-by-step instructions for installing PowerPath and other CLARiiON software. The latest versions of CLARiiON CX-series documentation is available on the Powerlink website: CLARiiON AX-series installation, planning, and troubleshooting documents are located on the AX support website. For information on accessing the site, refer to the support documentation that shipped with your storage system. Refer only to these documents for prescribed installation information when using AX-series storage systems. Guidelines for CLARiiON iscsi configurations Refer to the following CLARiiON documents for information on configuring CLARiiON arrays in iscsi configurations: EMC CLARiiON CX300, CX500, CX500i, and CX700 Storage Systems Configuration Planning Guide EMC CLARiiON CX400 and CX600 Storage Systems Configuration Planning Guide EMC CLARiiON CX200-Series Configuration Planning Guide Planning Your AX100-Series iscsi Storage-System Configuration Symmetrix storage systems Invista systems Refer to the EMC Support Matrix for Symmetrix storage systems supported with PowerPath 4.6.x. Refer to the EMC Support Matrix for Invista releases supported with PowerPath 4.6.x. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 11

12 Environment and system requirements Celerra storage systems Host configuration Table 3 PowerPath 4.6.x is supported on Celerra NSX and NS series iscsi Celerra. Refer to Celerra documentation for more information. Table 3 shows the supported Windows operating systems. Supported Windows operating systems Supported Operating Systems Windows Server 2003 (32-bit) Windows Server 2003 (x64-bit) Windows Server 2003 (ia64-bit) Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit) Windows Server 2003 R2 (x64-bit) Minimum Service Pack and Disk Space Required Windows Server 2003 with SP1 Microsoft MPIO framework version 1.16 or greater Free disk space required: 10 MB Supported iscsi Initiators/HBAs QLogic iscsi HBA (qla4010) MS iscsi Initiator 2.02 Refer to the EMC Support Matrix for supported Fibre Channel HBAs. Note: Install HBAs, their supporting firmware versions, and other network components using the manufacturer s directions and the settings specified in the EMC Support Matrix. Using improper settings can cause erratic failover behavior or extended response time for system I/O. Connectivity requirements Refer to the EMC Support Matrix for information about the requirements for SCSI, fibre, and switched fabric configurations and components that can be used with PowerPath. 12 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

13 Known problems and limitations Known problems and limitations Known problems The following table shows the known problems in PowerPath 4.6 for Windows. Table 4 Known problems in PowerPath 4.6 for Windows Platform Description Workaround All Disabling and then enabling all the NICs shows the Celerra/CLARiiON iscsi LUNs with a yellow! icon in the Device Manager and PowerPath shows them as dead When a host is rebooted with a saved powermt.custom file and all paths disconnected, the powermt display shows paths with the default path settings instead of the saved settings in the custom file With round robin load balancing policy on a Windows 2003 R2 setup, if the cable from one of the active HBAs is pulled, the I/Os continue to flow through the other HBA. When the original cable is put back in, the I/Os queue up for about 50 seconds before resuming When no devices are present, the periodic_autorestore option cannot be changed. W2K When changing the priority of the volumes, I/O may not be distributed properly across the volume's path After a full frontend failure and restoration cycle, if all the paths to the array are disconnected again, the system sometimes becomes unresponsive on Emulex HBAs When changing policy, the I/O count drops to zero temporarily in the PowerPath UI When changing policy, the I/O count drops to zero temporarily in the PowerPath UI. Do a rescan from Device Manager. Saved setting will be automatically applied as soon as a path is connected to the storage system. None. Add a path/device. None. Reconnect the cables. None. None. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 13

14 Known problems and limitations Table 4 Known problems in PowerPath 4.6 for Windows (continued) Platform Description Workaround The PowerPath Administrator icon is flashing red on a clean fresh system with PowerPath newly installed On an Invista setup, the PowerPath GUI does not always refresh the disk numbers after an HBA has been disabled and then enabled Disabling and enabling an HBA sometimes leads to all paths being marked as failed. W2k3 IA PowerPath installation fails with error 1720, once the GUI install location points to non-default location in IA-64 platform On a system upgraded from PowerPath 4.5 to 4.6 or a system where an old version of PowerPath has been uninstalled and reinstalled several times, uninstallation of PowerPath 4.6 does not remove all the files and Powerpath service. W2K3 X On an Invista setup, the PowerPath GUI sometimes displays the path states as degraded even after the dead paths are removed On an Invista setup with 8 or more paths to the array from the host, if a large number of virtual volumes (for example, 6) are created and discovered from the host at one time, the host volumes can take up to seconds to be initialized by the PnP. During this time, the powermt CLI gives no output and GUI shows the volumes with a "???" for the newly added volumes. Close and restart the tray bar monitor application. Close and reopen the GUI. Refer to the ESM for the latest qualified and supported HBA drivers and Microsoft Hotfixes, if any. None. Remove the files and service manually. Close and reopen the GUI. None. 14 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

15 Known problems and limitations Limitations PowerPath 4.6.x for Windows has the following limitations: After a backend failure, path failures (where the path state transitions from alive to dead) cause a non-zero error count. While the error count should be the same for all devices, it may differ across devices (due to Windows PnP behavior). Run the powermt command to reset the error count. If a mismatched device is configured by Plug and Play before PowerPath loads, that device is not properly marked as mismatched. PowerPath 4.6.x does not hide LUNZ devices from the Windows Disk Manager utility. It is strongly recommended that any kind of SAN configuration changes at the host, in the network, or at the backend are followed by a Window Device Manager s manual rescan to ensure proper functioning of PowerPath 4.6 capabilities. PowerPath performance depends on WMI services performance. WMI services have performance issues that are currently under investigation by Microsoft. The log-off session from Microsoft iscsi initiator must be followed by a manual device re-scan from Windows Device Manager. To perform a silent upgrade from PowerPath iscsi 1.1, include the UPGRADE_MPIO = 1 switch on the command line. For example: Setup.exe /s /v"/q /L*v C:\logs\PPsetup.log UPGRADE_MPIO = 1" If you do not include this switch, PowerPath installation returns the following error and terminates: Microsoft MPIO framework version lower than 1.16 is currently installed on this host. EMC PowerPath 4.6.0(32 bit)supports MPIO framework versions 1.16 and above. Setup cannot continue. Please refer to the product release notes to upgrade MPIO framework. When the load balancing policy is changed to basic failover, the mode of dead path does not change to unlicensed state. iscsi Celerra cluster environment are not supported. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 15

16 Technical notes Technical notes Configuring the MS iscsi Initiator for PowerPath Follow the steps below to configure the MS iscsi initiator for PowerPath. Follow the recommended array/hardware guidelines as well. 1. Obtain the MS iscsi initiator installation kit and launch the installation program (Figure 1). 2. Enable the Microsoft MPIO Multipathing Support for iscsi option: Figure 1 Microsoft iscsi Initiator installation 16 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

17 Documentation 3. While creating sessions on the target, select the Enable multi-path option: Documentation This section provides a list of the documentation that supports PowerPath for Windows. PowerPath documentation The following table lists the PowerPath for Windows documentation set; all manuals are available from EMC Corporation. Name Part Number PowerPath Product Guide PowerPath for Windows Installation and Administration Guide PowerPath for Windows Release Notes Electronic versions of all PowerPath manuals are available on the Powerlink website ( These manuals are updated periodically, and the updated manuals are posted on the Powerlink website. Localized versions of the PowerPath 4.6 for Windows Installation and Administration Guide are available in Brazilian Portuguese, French, EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 17

18 Documentation German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish languages. Related documentation If your environment includes Symmetrix storage systems, refer also to the EMC host connectivity guides, which are available on the Powerlink website. If your environment includes CLARiiON storage systems, refer also to the following manuals: EMC host connectivity guides EMC Installation Roadmap for CX-Series and FC-Series Storage Systems The latest versions of CLARiiON CX-series documentation are available on the Powerlink website ( CLARiiON AX-series installation, planning, and troubleshooting documents, located on the AX-series support website. For information on accessing the site, refer to the support documentation that shipped with your storage system. Refer only to these documents for prescribed installation information when using AX-series storage systems. EMC Navisphere Manager Version 6.X Administrator s Guide If your environment includes other vendors storage systems, refer to the appropriate documentation from your vendor. 18 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

19 Software media, organization, and files Software media, organization, and files This section describes the contents of the EMC PowerPath 4.6.x for Windows Server 2003 package (P/N rev A06). PowerPath PowerPath is a patch release but can be fully installed if no previous version of PowerPath is currently installed on the host. PowerPath is available on the Powerlink website. You can download the patch from the Powerlink website at: PowerPath Media The PowerPath for Windows package includes the following items: Description v4.6.0 software CD v4.6.0 documentation CD Part Number A A01 Organization The PowerPath for Windows software CD has the following structure: \ autorun.inf install.htm pplaunch.exe readme.txt \help EmcPowerPathAdminMMC.chm EmcLicTool.chm EmcLicToolCHS.chm EmcLicToolFRA.chm EmcLicToolDEU.chm EmcLicToolITA.chm EmcLicToolJPN.chm EmcLicToolKOR.chm EmcLicToolPTB.chm EmcLicToolESP.chm \w2003 EMCPP.W2003_ GA.exe EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 19

20 Installation EMCPP.W2003_x GA.exe Note: Setup files for IA-64 can be downloaded from the Powerlink website ( The PowerPath documentation CDs contains the following documents: Name Part Number PowerPath Product Guide PowerPath for Windows Installation and Administration Guide Installation Refer to the PowerPath 4.6 for Windows Installation and Administration Guide for complete instructions on installing PowerPath. Troubleshooting and getting help For additional information on EMC products and services available to customers and partners, refer to the Powerlink website ( If you find a problem in PowerPath 4.6.x, run the emcreport utility and submit the generated tar file, along with any other supporting material, to EMC Customer Support. You can download emcreport from the Powerlink website. 20 EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes

21 Troubleshooting and getting help Copyright 2006 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice. THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED AS IS. EMC CORPORATION MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable software license. For the most up-to-date listing of EMC product names, see EMC Corporation Trademarks on EMC.com. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. EMC PowerPath for Windows Version 4.6 and Point Releases Release Notes 21