Microsoft MPIO Best Practices (CML1004) v13

Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft
Multipath I/O
Kris Piepho, Microsoft Product Specialist
January 2017
Dell EMC Best Practices

Revisions
Date Description
10/11/2010 Initial release
10/21/2011 Corrected errors
11/29/2011 Additional content on Server Core
10/15/2012 Updated to include Microsoft Windows Server 2012 content
5/29/2013 Updated to include Windows Server 2008 R2/2012 iSCSI initiator setup and appendix listing
recommended hotfixes and registry values
10/18/2013 Updated to include Windows Server 2012 R2 content
1/10/2014 Updated hotfix information
1/12/2015 Updated configuration recommendations
3/3/2015 Updated hotfix and configuration recommendations
4/17/2015 Added Dell Storage SCv2000 series front-end SAS content
2/9/2016 Removed Windows Server 2003 content and updated hotfix recommendations
10/4/2016 Re-ordered document for clarity, added Windows Server 2016 and Nano Server content,
updated hotfix recommendations
1/20/2017 Updated configuration recommendations
The information in this publication is provided as is. Dell Inc. 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 software described in this publication requires an applicable software license.
Copyright 2010 - 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its
subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be the property of their respective owners. Published in the USA [2/3/2017] [Best Practices] [CML1004]
Dell EMC believes the information in this document is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice.
2 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

Table of contents
Revisions.............................................................................................................................................................................2
1 Preface .........................................................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Audience .............................................................................................................................................................5
2 Introduction to Microsoft Multipath I/O .........................................................................................................................6
2.1 SC Series storage connections ..........................................................................................................................6
2.1.1 Legacy port mode ...............................................................................................................................................6
2.1.2 Virtual port mode ................................................................................................................................................7
2.1.3 Connectivity summary ........................................................................................................................................9
3 Configuring servers ....................................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Fibre Channel ...................................................................................................................................................10
3.2 iSCSI .................................................................................................................................................................10
3.3 SAS ...................................................................................................................................................................10
3.4 Automatic configuration of Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected servers ........................................................11
3.5 Manual configuration of Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected servers ............................................................12
3.6 Configuring a SAS server .................................................................................................................................12
3.6.1 Automatic configuration ....................................................................................................................................12
3.6.2 Manual configuration ........................................................................................................................................14
3.7 Verifying Fibre Channel and iSCSI connectivity ...............................................................................................15
3.8 Verifying SAS connectivity ................................................................................................................................16
3.9 Restrict volume mapping paths (Fibre Channel and iSCSI only) .....................................................................17
3.10 Restrict mapping paths on SAS-connected volumes .......................................................................................19
3.11 Choose the I/O transport ..................................................................................................................................21
4 Installing MPIO ...........................................................................................................................................................22
4.1 Installing the MPIO feature on Windows Server 2008 R2 ................................................................................22
4.1.1 Server manager GUI ........................................................................................................................................22
4.1.2 Windows Server manager CLI..........................................................................................................................22
4.1.3 To install MPIO on Server Core ........................................................................................................................22
4.2 Installing the MPIO feature on Windows Server 2012 or later .........................................................................23
4.2.1 Server manager GUI ........................................................................................................................................23
4.2.2 PowerShell........................................................................................................................................................25
5 Configuring MPIO .......................................................................................................................................................26
5.1 Associating SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM .................................................................................26

5.1.1 Using the MPIO control panel ...........................................................................................................................26
5.1.2 Using PowerShell (Server 2012 or later) ..........................................................................................................28
5.1.3 Using the MPCLAIM command ........................................................................................................................28
5.2 Setting the default load balance policy .............................................................................................................28
5.2.2 Using PowerShell (Server 2012 or later) ..........................................................................................................30
5.3 Per-volume load balance settings ....................................................................................................................30
5.3.1 Using the disk management GUI:.....................................................................................................................30
6 Configure a Windows Server 2008 R2 or later for iSCSI MPIO .................................................................................34
6.1 Configuration ....................................................................................................................................................35
7 MPIO on Windows Nano Server ................................................................................................................................39
7.1 Enable MPIO ....................................................................................................................................................39
7.2 Associating SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM .................................................................................40
7.3 Configuring iSCSI .............................................................................................................................................40
A Windows Server single-path and MPIO configuration recommendations for SC Series storage ..............................46
A.1 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 ........................................................46
A.2 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 (non-R2 version) .........................................47
A.3 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 R2 ................................................................47
A.4 Recommended registry settings for Windows Server ......................................................................................49
A.5 iSCSI initiator settings (single-path and MPIO) ................................................................................................52
A.6 PowerShell script ..............................................................................................................................................55
A.7 Resources .........................................................................................................................................................56
B Additional resources ...................................................................................................................................................57
B.1 Technical support and resources .....................................................................................................................57
B.2 Related documentation .....................................................................................................................................57
4 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

1 Preface
This document provides an overview of Multipath I/O (MPIO) and introduces best practice guidelines for
configuring MPIO on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, and Nano Server when
using a Dell EMC Storage SC Series array.
1.1 Audience
This document was written for system administrators responsible for the setup and maintenance of Windows
servers and associated storage. Readers should have a working knowledge of Windows Server and
SC Series arrays.

2 Introduction to Microsoft Multipath I/O
Microsoft MPIO is a framework that allows administrators to configure load balancing and failover processes
for Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and SAS connected storage devices. Load balancing can be configured to use up to
32 independent paths from the connected storage devices.
SC Series arrays provide redundancy and failover with multiple controllers and RAID modes. However,
servers still need a way to spread the I/O load and handle internal failover from one path to the next. This is
where MPIO plays an important role. Without MPIO, servers see multiple instances of the same disk device in
Windows disk management.
The MPIO framework uses Device Specific Modules (DSM) to allow path configuration. Microsoft provides a
built-in generic Microsoft DSM (MSDSM) for Windows Server 2008 R2 and above. This MSDSM provides the
MPIO functionality for Dell Storage customers.
2.1 SC Series storage connections

Before reviewing server-specific MPIO functions, it is important to understand that various connection options
are available with the SC Series arrays that allow multiple paths to be presented to the servers. The following
section provides a quick overview and explains the differences between legacy port mode and virtual port
mode. This overview does not take the place of the Storage Center Connectivity Guide available on the Dell
SC Series Customer Portal (login required).
2.1.1 Legacy port mode

In legacy port mode, the front-end I/O ports are designated as either primary or reserve ports based on a fault
domain. Primary and reserved ports allow I/O to use the primary path; the reserve port is in a standby mode
until a primary port fails over to the reserve port. In terms of MPIO, this requires twice as many I/O ports to
enable multiple paths. Even more ports are required for a dual fabric. Figure 1 illustrates dual-fabric failover
ports in legacy mode.
Legacy mode example with Fibre Channel

As shown in Figure 1, a dual-controller SC Series array in legacy mode is connected to a Fibre Channel
server with two fault domains. Fault domain 1 (shown in orange) is comprised of primary port P1 on
controller A and reserved port R1 on controller B. Fault domain 2 (shown in green) is comprised of primary
port P2 on controller B and reserved port R2 on controller A.
2.1.2 Virtual port mode

Virtual port mode provides port and storage controller redundancy by connecting multiple active ports to each
Fibre Channel or Ethernet switch.
In virtual port mode, each physical port has a WWN (World Wide Name) and a virtual WWN. Servers target
only the virtual WWNs. During normal conditions, all ports process I/O. If a port or storage controller failure
occurs, a virtual WWN moves to another physical WWN in the same fault domain. When the failure is
resolved and ports are rebalanced, the virtual port returns to the preferred physical port.
Virtual port mode provides the following advantages over legacy mode:
Increased connectivity - Because all ports are active, additional front-end bandwidth is available
without sacrificing redundancy.
Improved redundancy
- Fibre Channel - A Fibre Channel port can fail over to another Fibre Channel port in the same
fault domain on the storage controller.
- iSCSI - In a single fault domain configuration, an iSCSI port can fail over to the other iSCSI port
on the storage controller. In a two fault domain configuration, an iSCSI port cannot fail over to the
other iSCSI port on the storage controller.
Simplified iSCSI configuration Each fault domain has an iSCSI control port that coordinates
discovery of the iSCSI ports in the domain. When a server targets the iSCSI port IP address, it
automatically discovers all ports in the fault domain.
2.1.2.1 Fibre Channel

To use virtual ports for Fibre Channel, all Fibre Channel switches and host bus adapters (HBAs) must support
N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV).
As shown in Figure 2, a dual-controller SC Series array in virtual port mode is connected to a Fibre Channel
(FC) server with a single fault domain. All ports belong to a single fault domain because they are connected to
the same FC switch.

Virtual Ports example with FC
2.1.2.2 iSCSI
iSCSI follows the same wiring and port setup as Fibre Channel with the exception of the control port. iSCSI
uses a control port configured for each of the fault domains. Servers connect to the control port, which then
redirects traffic to the appropriate virtual port. When configuring MPIO, this looks slightly different than with
the legacy mode configuration because only the control port in the iSCSI initiator software needs to be
assigned. These differences are covered below in the OS-specific sections.
2.1.2.3 SAS
With select SC Series models that support SAS front-end connectivity, hosts or servers can access storage
by connecting directly to SC Series SAS ports.
In SAS virtual port mode, a volume is active on only one storage controller, but is visible to both storage
controllers. Asymmetric Logical Unit Access (ALUA) controls the path that a server uses to access a volume.
If a storage controller becomes unavailable, the volume becomes active on the other storage controller. The
state of the paths on the available storage controller are set to Active/Optimized and the state of the paths on
the other storage controller are set to Standby. When the storage controller becomes available again and the
ports are rebalanced, the volume moves back to its preferred storage controller and the ALUA states are
updated.
If a SAS path becomes unavailable, the Active/Optimized volumes on that path become active on the other
storage controller. The state of the failed path for those volumes is set to Standby and the state of the active
path for those volumes is set to Active/Optimized.
Note: Failover in SAS virtual port mode occurs within a single fault domain. Therefore, a server must have
both connections in the same fault domain. For example, if a server is connected to SAS port two on one
storage controller, it must be connected to SAS port two on the other storage controller. If a server is not
cabled correctly when a storage controller or SAS path becomes unavailable, access to the volume is lost.

In the example shown in Figure 3, four fault domains are spread across both storage controllers. The storage
controllers are connected to each host server using four SAS connections. If a storage controller port fails, the
virtual port on the failed port move to the other storage controller.
Storage system connected to two host servers
2.1.3 Connectivity summary

There are two methods to enable multiple paths from an SC Series array: legacy port mode and virtual port
mode. Virtual ports are preferred because they reduce the number of HBAs required, reducing cost and
overhead. Note that virtual ports are enabled based on protocol: virtual ports can be enabled on Fibre
Channel only, iSCSI only, SAS only, both Fibre Channel and iSCSI, or both SAS and iSCSI.

3 Configuring servers
Before configuring MPIO at the operating system level, first configure servers using Dell Storage Manager.
The following example assumes a server has two or more of the following types of connections:
Fibre Channel ports that are zoned to see the SC Series HBAs
iSCSI I/O ports that are in a VLAN that can see the SC Series HBAs
SAS ports directly connected to the SC Series HBAs
With Fibre Channel, the process is the same for virtual ports as it is for legacy ports. However, with legacy
ports, the server cannot see reserve ports. iSCSI virtual ports connect only to an SC Series control port.
3.1 Fibre Channel

To create the server, properly zone the switches so that the server and controller ports are in the same zone.
Boot the server into the card BIOS and scan the SCSI devices on each port. An alternate method is to
preconfigure the WWNs of the HBAs in the System Manager.
3.2 iSCSI
As with Fibre Channel, an iSCSI server can be created automatically or manually. For automatic
configuration, enter the IP address of the SC Series controller HBA ports in the server iSCSI HBA or initiator
software. Use either the HBA BIOS or the software initiator configuration wizard. In virtual port mode, enter
the IP address of the control port. In legacy port mode, enter the IP address of the primary port. This is
covered in more detail in the OS specific sections.
3.3 SAS
To configure a Windows server directly connected to a Dell Storage SC Series unit by SAS, it is highly
recommended to use the wizard. Configure this host to access an array in the Dell Storage Manager client.
The wizard will automatically create a server object on the array, detect all available paths, and assign them
to the server, as well as automatically apply recommended MPIO registry settings to the server. MPIO registry
settings are discussed in detail in appendix A.
A directly connected SAS server can also be created automatically or manually using a Dell Storage Manager
client. Refer to section 3.6, Configuring a SAS server , for details on creating a SAS server.

3.4 Automatic configuration of Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected
servers
Once a server has scanned for devices or logged into the target, the SC Series array automatically
recognizes the WWN/IQN. To configure a server:
1. Log in to the Dell Storage Manager client.

2. In the tree view, right-click Servers.
3. From the shortcut menu, select Create Server.
4. Select the appropriate HBAs and continue the wizard. If the HBA does not appear, refer to
section 3.5, Manual configuration.
Note: If the WWN or IQN is not listed, make sure that the Only Show Up Connections box is not checked.
Create Server window

3.5 Manual configuration of Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected servers
To manually configure an HBA:
1. In the Create Server wizard shown in Figure 4, click Manually Define HBA.
2. In the Select Transport Type window, choose Fibre Channel or iSCSI.
3. Enter the WWN or iSCSI name, and click Continue. Repeat steps 1-3 for every WWN or iSCSI HBA
to be associated with the server.
4. Once all of the HBAs are added, check the appropriate HBA and continue the wizard.
Note: The new HBA appears with a white X in a red circle. Once the server is connected the warning state is
removed.
Manually defined HBA
3.6 Configuring a SAS server
3.6.1 Automatic configuration

To configure a server:
1. Log in to the SC Series array using the Dell Storage Manager client.
2. Select the Storage tab.
3. In the tree view, right-click Servers.
4. From the shortcut menu, select Create Server.

5. In the Create Server window, assign the server a name.
6. Select a server folder (if applicable).
7. Select an operating system (Windows Server 2008 MPIO or Windows Server 2012 MPIO only).
8. Select the available HBA(s) and click OK.

3.6.2 Manual configuration
To manually configure a SAS HBA:
1. In the Create Server window, click Manually Add HBA.

2. In the Manually Add HBA window, enter the SAS HBA WWN.
3. Select SAS in the HBA Port Type drop-down menu and click OK.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to associate more SAS HBAs with the server.
5. Once all HBAs are added, check the appropriate HBA and continue the wizard.
Note: The new HBA appears with a white X in a red circle. Once the server is connected the warning state is
removed.

3.7 Verifying Fibre Channel and iSCSI connectivity
To ensure correct connectivity:
1. Login to the Dell Storage Manager client.

2. In the tree view, select a server.
3. Click Connectivity. This window shows all paths available to the server based on the HBA and
controller ports.
Fibre Channel connectivity
The connectivity tab displays the HBAs that are defined for the server object and the SC Series array
HBAs/control ports the server HBAs are attached to.
In the example shown in Figure 6, there are a total of eight possible paths because each of the two Fibre
Channel HBA ports on the server can see four Fibre Channel HBA ports assigned to each fault domain.

iSCSI connectivity
In the example shown in Figure 7, there are a total of four possible paths because each of the two iSCSI NICs
on the server can see two iSCSI control ports assigned to each fault domain.
3.8 Verifying SAS connectivity

To ensure correct SAS connectivity:

2. Click the Storage tab.
3. In the tree view, select a server.
4. Click Connectivity. This view will show all defined SAS HBAs, and paths to ports on the top and
bottom controllers.

SAS connectivity
3.9 Restrict volume mapping paths (Fibre Channel and iSCSI only)
An SC Series volume is mapped to all available paths unless the advanced mapping button is used to restrict
mapping paths to FC only, iSCSI only, or specified HBA ports and controller ports. To restrict mapping paths:

2. In the tree view, right click a volume and select Map Volume to Server. The Map Volume to Server
window appears.
3. Select a server and click Continue. The Map Volume window appears.
4. Click Advanced Options.
5. Under Restrict Mapping Paths, uncheck the box to Map to All Available Ports.
6. Select one of the following:
- Map using specific server ports (check the specific server ports)
- Limit ports by transport type (select a transport from the drop-down menu)
Note: The option to limit ports by transport type is only available on systems that have more than one
transport type available, such as both Fibre Channel and iSCSI.
Note: Using mixed transports concurrently on the same Windows server host is not supported with Server
2012 R2 and newer. With Server 2012 R2 and newer, when a LUN is presented to the host that is using
multiple transports such as Fibre Channel and iSCSI, the host will default to one transport or the other
(typically Fibre Channel is chosen by the host) and ignore the other transport. If all paths for one type of
transport go down, the host may not send data using the other transport without a disk re-scan. This is
default Windows Server behavior.

Map using specific server ports
Limit ports by transport type
Assuming the default mapping wizard is used and paths are not restricted, a volume is mapped to all
available paths, creating multiple I/O paths from the server to the volume.
To view the mapped paths, select a volume in the tree view and click the Mappings tab.

Figure 11 shows MPIO 500GB_Volume mapped to the server with four FC ports and two iSCSI ports.
Volume Mapping tab
3.10 Restrict mapping paths on SAS-connected volumes

To restrict mapping paths on SAS-connected volumes:
1. Log in to Dell Storage Manager client.

2. Click the Storage tab.
3. In the tree view, right-click a volume and select Map Volume to Server. The Map Volume to Server
wizard appears.
4. Select a server and click Next.
5. Select Advanced Options.
6. Under Restrict Mapping Paths, uncheck Map to All Available Server Ports.
7. Select the HBA(s) to use when mapping this volume.
8. Click Finish to map the volume to the selected server.

Restrict mapping paths
To view the mapped paths, select a volume in the tree view and click the Mappings tab. Figure 13 shows
volume SAS MPIO Volume mapped to the server with all available SAS ports.
Volume Mappings tab

3.11 Choose the I/O transport
Dell offers the following I/O transports: 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB Fibre Channel (SCv9000 series only), 10GB
iSCSI, and 12GB SAS. Choosing an I/O transport method largely depends on the current infrastructure in an
organization and its future plans. Fibre Channel offers better performance than iSCSI, but requires a
dedicated infrastructure. For a converged fabric, iSCSI is the best option because it can utilize existing
networking infrastructure. For smaller organizations without existing infrastructure or environments where
directly-attached storage is preferred, SAS offers excellent performance for a simple, cost-effective solution.
It is recommended that there are multiple front-end controller paths to the servers and that the servers have
multiple connections to the controller.
Note: Windows Server 2012 or later includes the ability to use heterogeneous HBA types with MPIO. In
previous versions of Windows Server, it was a requirement to use HBAs of the same model.

4 Installing MPIO
Beginning with Windows Server 2008, Microsoft includes a built-in DSM that manages all aspects of failover
and load balancing. Dell Storage uses this DSM because it provides all the functionality required for our
customers. This also simplifies implementation, as it eliminates the need to install and maintain another piece
of software in the environment. The Microsoft DSM is not functional on Windows Server until the MPIO
feature is installed. The Microsoft DSM for Windows Server can manage iSCSI, FC, and SAS volumes.
Note: MPIO is required for directly-connected SAS volumes and is only supported on Windows Server 2008
R2 or later. Please refer to appendix A in this document for important Windows Server 2008 R2 MPIO
configuration recommendations.
4.1 Installing the MPIO feature on Windows Server 2008 R2

On Windows Server 2008 R2, the MPIO feature can be installed using Server Manager. Server Manager
offers two options for installing the MPIO feature: the Server Manager graphical unit interface (GUI) or the
servermanagercmd command line interface (CLI).
To access Server Manager, click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Server Manager, or click
the Server Manager icon in the taskbar.
4.1.1 Server manager GUI

To install using the Server Manager GUI:
1. Open Server Manager.

2. In the tree view, click Features.
3. Under Features Summary, click Add Features.
4. Check MPIO and click Next.
5. Click Install. Once the feature has been installed click Yes, if prompted, to allow the reboot.
4.1.2 Windows Server manager CLI

To install using the CLI, open a command prompt with elevated (administrator) privileges and type:
Servermanagercmd -install "Multipath-IO"
4.1.3 To install MPIO on Server Core

For a Window Server 2008 R2 Core installation, open a command prompt and type:
DISM /online /enable-feature:MultipathIo
Note: For server core installations, the above commands are case sensitive.

4.2 Installing the MPIO feature on Windows Server 2012 or later
The MPIO feature can be installed on Windows Server 2012 or later either through the Server Manager GUI
or through the MPIO module in PowerShell.
Note: On Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Core installations, follow the instructions for PowerShell. To
access PowerShell on a Server Core installation, type powershell and press Enter at the command
prompt.
4.2.1 Server manager GUI

1. Open Server Manager.
2. From the Dashboard, click Add roles and features.
3. When the Add Roles and Features Wizard window opens, click Next.

4. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
5. Choose the local server, and click Next.

6. Without selecting a role to install, click Next on the Select server roles screen.
7. Check Multipath I/O and click Next.
8. Check the box to Restart the destination server automatically if required.

9. Click Install.
10. Click Close when finished.

4.2.2 PowerShell
1. Open a PowerShell window with elevated (administrator) privileges.
2. At the PowerShell prompt, enter the following command:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature Online FeatureName MultiPathIO

5 Configuring MPIO
This section describes how to associate the Microsoft DSM with SC Series volumes and how to setup and
configure the Microsoft DSM based on the failover and load balancing policies of an organization. These
instructions assume that servers have been created in Dell Storage Manager and that at least one volume is
mapped to the server using FC, iSCSI, or SAS with MPIO enabled.
Note: When the MPIO configuration is complete, refer to appendix A for important MPIO-specific hotfix and
registry settings.
5.1 Associating SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM

At this point, the Microsoft MPIO DSM has been installed but not configured. SC Series volumes must be
associated with the DSM so that it can manage MPIO characteristics. The Microsoft DSM manages all Fibre
Channel, iSCSI, and SAS volumes presented. The built-in iSCSI initiator or an iSCSI HBA can also be used
with the same management for the iSCSI Multipath I/O.
Note: The software iSCSI initiator included in Windows Server 2008 R2 or later provides the necessary
performance and stability required for iSCSI connections to an SC Series array. However, Dell supports the
use of an iSCSI HBA.
5.1.1 Using the MPIO control panel

To associate the SC Series volumes with the DSM through the use of the MPIO Control Panel, follow these
steps:
1. Open the MPIO control panel by clicking Start > Administrative Tools > MPIO.
2. Click the Discover Multi-Paths tab.

3. Under Others, COMPELNTCompellent Vol should be displayed.

Note: If COMPELNTCompellent Vol does not appear, rescan disk devices in Disk Management.
4. Highlight COMPELNTCompellent Vol, and click Add.
5. Click Yes on the Reboot Required window.

6. Once the server has rebooted, open the MPIO Control Panel and verify that COMPELNTCompellent
Vol is listed under Devices on the MPIO Devices tab.
7. Click OK to close the window.

5.1.2 Using PowerShell (Server 2012 or later)
Windows Server 2012 or later includes the MPIO module in Windows PowerShell. The MPIO module is a
powerful alternative to using the mpclaim command. Although the mpclaim command is also included in
Windows Server 2012 and above, Microsoft recommends using the MPIO module in PowerShell.
To associate the SC Series volumes with the DSM through the use of PowerShell, follow these steps.
1. Open a PowerShell window with elevated (administrator) privileges.

a. On Server Core installations, type powershell and then press [Enter] at the command prompt.
2. At the PowerShell prompt type:
New-MSDSMSupportedHW VendorID "COMPELNT" ProductID "Compellent Vol"
3. Now that SC Series storage is supported through the Microsoft DSM, claim all available SC volumes
to be used by MPIO by typing:
Update-MPIOClaimedHW Confirm:$false
4. Restart the server by typing:

shutdown r t 0 [Enter]
5.1.3 Using the MPCLAIM command

The MPCLAIM CLI command can also be used to associate SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM.
Open a command prompt with elevated (administrator) privileges and type the following:
mpclaim.exe -r -i -d "COMPELNTCompellent Vol"
This command provides the same result as the MPIO Control Panel and PowerShell options. It associates
SC Series volumes and then restarts the server. To bypass the reboot option (if rebooting later is desired),
use -n in place of -r.
Once the server reboots, use Disk Management to verify that the configuration is correct. There should only
be one instance of each SAN volume listed in Disk Management.
5.2 Setting the default load balance policy

Once the SC Series volumes are associated with the Microsoft DSM, specify the default load balance policy
and change any existing volumes to use the new policy. The default load balancing policy can be changed
system-wide or on a per-volume basis.
For SCOS versions 6.5 and earlier, the default load balance policy for SC Series volumes is round robin.

Note: Failover only and round robin are the only MPIO load balancing policies supported on SCOS versions
6.5 and earlier.
For SCOS version 6.6 and later, Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected volumes (both single and multi-path) will
default to round robin. SAS-connected volumes default to round robin with subset. SC Series volumes
mapped with both Fibre Channel and iSCSI transports will default to round robin. Volumes mapped with both
SAS and iSCSI will default to round robin with subset.
Note that on SCOS 6.6 and later:
Failover only, round robin and least queue depth are the only MPIO load balancing policies supported
on Fibre Channel and iSCSI volumes.
Dell Storage SC series SAS-connected volumes support the following MPIO load balancing policies:
round robin with subset, least queue depth and weighted paths.

To use the MPCLAIM command to change the default load balance policy, open a command prompt with
elevated (administrator) privileges and type the following:
mpclaim.exe -L -M <0-7> -d "COMPELNTCompellent Vol"
<0-7> refers to the desired load balance policy as shown in Table 1.
MPCLAIM load balancing options

Parameter Definition
0 Clear the policy
1 Failover only
2 Round robin
3 Round robin with subset
4 Least queue depth
5 Weighted paths
6 Least blocks
7 Vendor specific
For example, to change all SC Series volumes to a failover only policy, use the following command:
mpclaim.exe -L -M 1 -d "COMPELNTCompellent Vol"

5.2.2 Using PowerShell (Server 2012 or later)
The MPIO module in PowerShell provides the ability to set the default load balance policy to round robin
(RR), failover only (FOO), least blocks (LB), or least queue depth (LQD).
To change the default load balancing policy to failover only, open a PowerShell window with elevated
(administrator) privileges and type:
Set-MSDSMGlobalDefaultLoadBalancePolicy Policy "FOO"
To change the default load balancing back to round robin, type:
Set-MSDSMGlobalDefaultLoadBalancePolicy Policy "RR"
To verify the default load balance policy, type:
Get-MSDSMGlobalDefaultLoadBalancePolicy
- If the default policy is set to round robin, the result will return RR:
- If the default policy is set to failover only, the result will return FOO:
5.3 Per-volume load balance settings

Now that the default policy is set, it is important to understand how to change the policy on a per-volume
basis. Some organizations may require a different policy based on the type of application or service provided.
Use Disk Management or the MPCLAIM utility to change the per-volume policy.
Note: The PowerShell MPIO module does not include cmdlets that can change the default load balancing
policy on a specific volume.
5.3.1 Using the disk management GUI:

1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
2. In the tree view, click Storage > Disk Management.

3. Right-click the desired disk number and select Properties.
4. Select the MPIO tab.
5. From the drop-down menu, select the appropriate MPIO policy for the volume.

Note: The load balancing policy cannot be changed from round robin to failover only using the MPCLAIM
command. MPCLAIM only supports switching from failover only to round robin.
To change the default load balancing policy on a single volume, open a command prompt or PowerShell
window with elevated (administrator) privileges (commands will work in both).
To list all MPIO volumes on the system, type:
mpclaim s d
Figure 14 shows that the load balancing policy (LB Policy) is set to RR (round robin) for disks 0 and 1.
Listing MPIO volumes
The syntax to change the load balancing policy on a specific volume is:
mpclaim l d <disk #> <0-7>
Refer to Table 1 on page 29 for load balancing policies and the associated numbers for the mpclaim
command.
To change the load balancing policy of MPIO disk 2 to round robin, type:
mpclaim l d 2 2
Verify the new settings by typing:
mpclaim s d
Verifying MPIO settings.

Refer to Microsoft TechNet for the full MPCLAIM reference guide.

6 Configure a Windows Server 2008 R2 or later for iSCSI
MPIO
Windows Server 2008 R2 or later supports MPIO with the iSCSI software initiator. iSCSI initiator software is
provided natively by the Windows Server OS.
Note: For instructions on how to configure Windows Nano Server for iSCSI MPIO, refer to Section 7, MPIO
on Windows Nano Server.
The iSCSI quick connect feature works well for single iSCSI path connectivity. Configuring iSCSI to use MPIO
requires a few more steps, but is still easy to configure.
Figure 15 represents a dual-controller SC Series array that is configured with virtual front-end ports with two
fault domains. Two physical iSCSI ports (one from each controller) are grouped logically as a virtual domain
that is assigned a virtual iSCSI IP address. Each virtual domain physical port is connected to two separate
iSCSI switches to ensure full path redundancy to the dual iSCSI NICs on the server.
iSCSI virtual ports and domains

6.1 Configuration
The environment created for this configuration is illustrated in Figure 15 above and includes:
Windows Server 2008 R2 or later

Two dedicated NIC ports (one for each fault domain) on the server for iSCSI communications
An SC Series array with dual controllers configured with virtual front-end iSCSI ports and two virtual
fault domains
The MPIO feature installed on the server
To configure the server for iSCSI MPIO, complete the following steps.
1. Configure two physical NIC ports on the server to use iSCSI.

2. Configure one NIC (including the necessary cabling and switching configurations) to access one
virtual iSCSI domain, and configure the second NIC to access the other virtual iSCSI domain.
3. In the example shown in Figure 15, the server NICs are assigned with IPs of 10.10.95.101 (for fault
domain 100), and 10.10.128.101 (for fault domain 200).
4. Once configured, the server should be able to ping both of the virtual iSCSI IP addresses associated
with the two fault domains on the array. In this example, 10.10.95.1 (fault domain 100) and
10.10.128.1 (fault domain 200).
5. Logon to the Windows server and launch the iSCSI initiator software.
6. Go to Start > Administrative Tools > iSCSI Initiator.
Note: If receiving a prompt to start the iSCSI service, click Yes.
7. Select the Discovery tab, and then click Discover Portal.

8. Enter the IP address of the first iSCSI control port. In this example, the virtual iSCSI IP address
associated with the first fault domain on the array, and then click Advanced.
9. From the Local adapter drop-down menu, select Microsoft iSCSI Initiator.
From the Initiator IP drop-down menu, select the local IP address of the server NIC that is to be
associated with the first fault domain (fault domain 100).
This example uses Initiator IP 10.10.95.101.
10. Click OK, and then OK again to return to the iSCSI Initiator properties window.
11. Verify that the target IP address and adapter IP address are displayed in the Target portals section.
12. Repeat steps 1-11 to add the second target IP for the second virtual fault domain and the server
second iSCSI NIC (in this example, 10.10.128.1 and 10.10.128.101).

13. When completed, both pairs of iSCSI initiators and targets are listed.
14. Select the Targets tab. This should be populated with the discovered iSCSI target ports on the array.
15. Highlight the first target, and then click Connect.
16. On the Connect To Target screen, verify that both Add this connection to the list of Favorite
Targets and Enable multi-path are checked.
17. Click Advanced to display additional options.

18. Set Local adapter to Microsoft iSCSI Initiator.
19. Select the correct IP addresses for the Target portal IP and Initiator IP from the drop-down menus.
20. Click OK, and then OK again to return to the iSCSI Initiator properties window.
21. Repeat steps 15- 20 for each additional target listed.
22. When finished, all the targets show a Connected status.
23. Click OK to exit the iSCSI Initiator Properties window.

7 MPIO on Windows Nano Server
Nano Server is a new deployment option for Windows Server 2016. Nano Server is a headless, lightweight,
more secure version of Windows Server that requires fewer updates and restarts.
Nano Server includes PowerShell 5.1 Core Edition. PowerShell Core Edition was built to run on reduced
footprint editions of Windows such as Nano Server, and contains fewer modules and cmdlets than the
Desktop Edition which is included with Windows Desktop and Core editions.
Nano Server can be administered through a remote PowerShell connection, or by using GUI tools on a full
Windows Server 2016 installation. All the commands in this section are issued through a remote PowerShell
session (PSsession) to the Nano Server.
For more information about Nano Server, refer to the Getting Started with Nano Server page on Microsoft
TechNet.
7.1 Enable MPIO

At the PowerShell prompt, enter the following command:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature Online FeatureName "MultiPathIO"
When prompted, answer Yes to restart Nano Server immediately, or No to restart the server later.
After restarting Nano, re-establish a remote PowerShell connection to the Nano Server.
To verify MPIO is enabled, type in the following command:
(Get-WindowsOptionalFeature Online FeatureName "MultiPathIO").State
The command will return Enabled if the MPIO feature is working properly.

7.2 Associating SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM
Unlike previous versions of Windows Server, Nano Server does not include the MPIO PowerShell module or
the mpclaim command. A Microsoft-provided PowerShell script must be run on the Nano Server to associate
SC Series volumes with the Microsoft DSM. The script and instructions for using it can be found on TechNet.
Keep in mind that when running the MPIO claim script, the load balance policy is chosen dynamically and
cannot be modified. All Fibre Channel and iSCSI-connected SC Series volumes will use Round Robin as the
load balance policy. SAS-connected SC Series volumes will use Round Robin with Subset as the default
policy.
By default, the script will configure the server to claim all volumes on all transports (FC, iSCSI, and SAS). If
desired, the script can be configured to claim volumes on a specific transport. A reboot is required when the
script has completed running.
7.3 Configuring iSCSI

Nano Server includes a software iSCSI initiator which is configured through PowerShell. The Nano Server
iSCSI initiator supports both single-path and multi-path connections to iSCSI-connected SC Series volumes.
For the examples that follow, the Nano Server will be configured to connect to a dual-controller SC Series
array configured with two iSCSI fault domains. The Nano Server has two dedicated NIC ports that will be
used for iSCSI traffic (one port for each SC Series fault domain).
By default, the iSCSI service is not running on a Nano Server. The service must be started, and the service
must all be set to start automatically when the server starts.
To start the iSCSI service, type:
Start-Service Name "MSiSCSI"
To verify the iSCSI service is running, type:
Get-Service Name "MSiSCSI"
The Status shows Running.

To set the iSCSI server to automatic startup:
1. Type the following:
Set-Service Name "MSiSCSI" StartupType "Automatic"
2. Establish a connection to the first SC Series iSCSI fault domain.
New-IscsiTargetPortal TargetPortalAddress "<fault domain 1 IP Address>" `

-InitiatorPortalAddress "<iSCSI adapter 1 IP address>" `
-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0"
3. Obtain a list of targets on the established portal.
Get-IscsiTarget
4. Connect to each target listed, enabling multipath and making the connection persistent.
Connect-IscsiTarget IsMultipathEnabled $true NodeAddress `

"<SC node address>" -InitiatorPortalAddress "<iSCSI adapter 1 IP address>"
`
-IsPersistent $true

5. Repeat this process for all the targets listed in Get-IscsiTarget:
6. When the targets are connected, use Get-IscsiTarget to view the IsConnected status as True
for each node address.

7. View active iSCSI connections.
Get-IscsiConnection
8. Establish a connection to the second SC Series iSCSI fault domain.
New-IscsiTargetPortal TargetPortalAddress "<fault domain 2 IP Address>" `

-InitiatorAddress "<iSCSI adapter 2 IP address>" `
-InitiatorInstanceName "ROOT\ISCSIPRT\0000_0"
9. Obtain a list of targets on the established portal to the second fault domain.
Get-IscsiTarget

10. Connect to each target that is not connected to enable multipath and make the connection persistent.
Connect-IscsiTarget IsMultipathEnabled $true NodeAddress `

"<SC node address>" -InitiatorPortalAddress "<iSCSI adapter 2 IP address>"
`
-IsPersistent $true
11. Repeat this process for any other non-connected targets listed in Get-IscsiTarget.

5. All items shown in Get-IscsiTarget should now show as connected:
At this point iSCSI connectivity between the Nano Server and SC Series array has been established. A server
object can now be created on the SC Series array, allowing volumes to be mapped to the Nano Server using
the iSCSI transport method. For detailed instructions on how to create a server object on an SC Series array,
refer to section 3, Configuring servers.

A Windows Server single-path and MPIO configuration
recommendations for SC Series storage
Note: The recommended updates and hotfixes in this section list the names (msdsm.sys, mpio.sys,
storport.sys, and msiscsi.sys) and modified dates of storage-specific files that are loaded when the
associated update or hotfix is applied. If a newer version of the file listed is already loaded on the server, the
recommended update or hotfix does not need to be loaded.
Note: In some cases, prerequisite updates must be installed on the server before the hotfixes listed below
can be installed. Please read the prerequisite information for each applicable hotfix before proceeding.
Note: Updates and hotfixes are listed in the order in which they should be installed.
Note: The registry settings below should be made on all Windows Server hosts that use the Microsoft DSM
to access LUNs on SC Series arrays in order to ensure proper behavior and performance. This includes
hosts configured to use single-path and MPIO.
Note: Using mixed transports concurrently on the same Windows Server host is not supported with Server
2012 R2 and newer. With Server 2012 R2 and newer, when a LUN is presented to the host that is using
multiple transports such as Fibre Channel and iSCSI, the host will default to one transport or the other
(typically Fibre Channel is chosen by the host over iSCSI) and ignore the other transport. When configured
to use multiple transports, if all paths for one type of transport go down, the host may not send data using
the other transport without a disk re-scan. This is default Windows Server behavior.
A.1 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2008 R2

SP1
Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

KB number Title Link
KB3125574 Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 SP1 and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3125574

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
(mpio.sys, msdsm.sys, storport.sys, msiscsi.sys

3/25/16)
A.2 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012

(non-R2 version)
Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 (non-R2 version)
KB number Title Link
KB3102997 Data is corrupted after iSCSI sessions or paths http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3102997

recover in Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows
Server 2012
(msiscsi.sys 11/9/2015)
KB3018489 No host bus adapter is present error when http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3018489

querying SAS cable issues in Windows Server
2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012
(storport.sys 11/19/2014)
KB3046101 Server may freeze during startup when ALUA- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3046101

capable storage is used in Windows Server
2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012
(msdsm.sys - 5/6/2015)
KB3004075 Windows-based MSDSM doesnt handle sense http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3004075

code 02/04/03 (LUN Not Ready Manual
Intervention Required)
(mpio.sys 9/24/2014)
A.3 Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 R2

Recommended updates and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 R2
KB Number Title Link
KB3102997 Data is corrupted after iSCSI sessions or paths http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3102997

recover in Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows
Server 2012

(msiscsi.sys 11/8/2015)
KB3121261 System fails back to a host copy instead of an http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3121261

array copy or storages go down after LUN reset
in Windows Server 2012 R2
(msdsm.sys 1/24/2016)
KB3172614 July 2016 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3172614

Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2
(mpio.sys 4/9/2016, storport.sys 6/11/2016)

A.4 Recommended registry settings for Windows Server
The recommend registry settings listed in this section can be applied using the registry editor (regedit.exe) or
through PowerShell. The registry editor can be used on all versions of Windows Server Desktop (Server with
a GUI). PowerShell is the only option available to change registry settings on Nano Server, but can also be
used on all versions of Windows Server Desktop.
Please refer to section A.4.1 for a PowerShell script that will apply recommended registry settings to all
versions of Windows Server and Nano Server.
Note: Recommended registry settings apply to all versions of Windows Server unless directly specified.
Recommended registry settings location:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\mpio\Parameters
Default Recommended
Setting name Description
value value
PDORemovePeriod This setting controls the number of 20 120

seconds that the multipath pseudo-LUN
remains in system memory, even after
losing all paths to the device. When this
timer value is exceeded, pending I/O
operations will be failed, and the failure is
exposed to the application rather than
attempting to continue to recover active
paths. The maximum time allowed is
MAXULONG (49,000 days).
PathRecoveryInterval Represents the period after which 40 25

PathRecovery is attempted. This setting is
only used if it is not set to 0 and
UseCustomPathRecoveryInterval is set to
1.
UseCustomPathRecoveryInterval If this key exists and is set to 1, it allows 0 1

the use of PathRecoveryInterval.
PathVerifyEnabled This flag enables path verification by 0 1

MPIO on all paths every N seconds
(where N depends on the value set in
PathVerificationPeriod).
This Boolean function must be filled with
either 0 (disable) or 1 (enable). By default,
it is disabled.

Default Recommended
value value
PathVerificationPeriod This setting is used to indicate the number 30 no change

of seconds with which MPIO has been
requested to perform path verification.
This field is only honored if
PathVerifyEnabled is TRUE. This timer is
specified in seconds. The default is 30
seconds. The maximum allowed is
MAXULONG.
RetryCount This setting specifies the number of times 3 no change

a failed I/O if the DSM determines that a
failing request must be retried. This is
invoked when DsmInterpretError() returns
Retry = TRUE. The default setting is 3.
RetryInterval This setting specifies the interval of time 1 no change

(in seconds) after which a failed request is
retried (after the DSM has decided so, and
assuming that the I/O has been retried a
fewer number of times than RetryCount).
This value is specified in seconds. The
default is 1 second.

Note: The registry settings in Table 6 need to be created on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server. Both
settings should be created as DWORD (32-bit) values.
Recommended disk registry settings location:

Default Recommended
value value
DiskPathCheckEnabled If the DiskPathCheckEnabled key is set to a nonzero - 1

value, the MPIO component creates a path recovery
worker.
DiskPathCheckInterval If the DiskPathCheckInterval key is set to 0, or if the - 25

key does not exist, the MPIO component uses a
default time interval. The default time interval is half
of the time that is set in the PDORemovePeriod
parameter.
Note: The registry settings in Table 7 only apply to Windows Server 2012 or later.
Recommended disk registry settings location:

Default Recommended
Setting Name Description
Value Value
DiskPathCheckDisabled If the DiskPathCheckDisabled key is set to zero, the 0 no change

MPIO component creates a path recovery worker.
DiskPathCheckInterval If the DiskPathCheckInterval key is set to 0, or if the 10 25

key does not exist, the MPIO component uses a
default time interval. The default time interval is half
of the time that is set in the PDORemovePeriod
parameter.

Recommended disk registry settings location: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\disk
Default Recommended
value value
TimeoutValue Disk time-out is a registry setting that defines the time that 60 no change
Windows will wait for a hard disk to respond to a command.
Installing host bus adapters (HBA) or other storage controllers
can cause this key to be created and configured.
A.5 iSCSI initiator settings (single-path and MPIO)

This appendix contains recommended changes for iSCSI initiators. These change apply to single-path and
MPIO configurations that use iSCSI to connect to SC Series storage.
Recommended iSCSI initiator registry settings location:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-
08002BE10318}\<Instance Number>\Parameters
Default Recommended
value value
MaxRequestHoldTime Maximum number of seconds that 60 90
requests are queued if connection to the
target is lost and the connection is being
retried. After this hold period, requests will
be failed with "error no device" and device
(disk) will be removed from the system.
LinkDownTime This value determines how long requests 15 35
will be held in the device queue and retried
if the connection to the target is lost. If
MPIO is installed this value is used. If
MPIO is not installed
MaxRequestHoldTime is used instead.
TCPConnectTime Timeout given to TCP when a Connect 15 no change
request is sent.
TCPDisconnectTime Timeout given to TCP when a Disconnect 15 no change
request is sent.
WMIRequestTimeout Timeout value set for WMI requests such 30 no change
as LoginToTarget, LogoutFromTarget,
SendTargets, etc.
DelayBetweenReconnect If a connection is dropped while it is in 5 no change
FullFeature phase, the driver will attempt
to re-login. This parameter sets the delay
between each re-login attempts.

Default Recommended
value value
MaxConnectionRetries Maximum number of times a lost TCP 4294967295 no change
connection will be retried. (indefinitely)
MaxPendingRequests This setting controls the maximum number 255 no change
of outstanding requests allowed by the
initiator. At most this many requests will be
sent to the target before receiving
response for any of the requests.
EnableNOPOut If set to 1, the initiator will send NOP OUT 0 1
PDUs to target if there is no activity for 2
minutes.
MaxTransferLength This is maximum data size of an I/O 262144 no change
request. (256KB)
MaxBurstLength This is the negotiated Max Burst Length. 262144 no change
(256KB)
FirstBurstLength This is the negotiated First Burst Length. 65536 no change
(64KB)
MaxRecvDataSegmentLength This is the negotiated 65536 no change
MaxRecvDataSegmentLength. (64KB)
IPSecConfigTimeout Timeout value used when the driver calls 60 no change
the discovery service to configure\release
IPsec for an iSCSI connection.
InitialR2T If set to Non-Zero value, initiator will 0 no change
request InitialR2T (InitialR2T=Yes). Else
initiator will not request InitialR2T
(InitialR2T=No).
ImmediateData If set to Non-Zero value, initiator will 1 (Yes) no change
request ImmediateData
(ImmediateData=Yes). Else initiator will
not request ImmediateData
(ImmediateData=No).
PortalRetryCount This value is used to determine how many 5 no change
times a connect request to a target portal
should be retried if the portal is down.
NetworkReadyRetryCount This value is used to determine how many 10 no change
times initiator should retry getting the IP
address of NIC corresponding to the
PortNumber specified in the login request.
ErrorRecoveryLevel Error recovery level that the initiator will 2 no change
request.

Enable RFC1323 timestamps (TCP High Performance Extensions) to prevent sequence number wrap
under high load, known as Prevention Against Wrapped Sequence (PAWS) or something similar. High load
iSCSI connections are prone to this issue, particularly at 10GbE.
netsh int tcp set global timestamps=enabled
Disable Nagles Algorithm: To disable delayed ACK and Nagles algorithm, create the following entries for
each SAN interface subkey in the Windows Server registry:
HKEY LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \

Parameters \ Interfaces \ <SAN interface GUID>
Entries:
TcpAckFrequency
TcpNoDelay
Value type:
REG_DWORD, number
Value to disable:
Disable NIC Interrupt Modulation:
1. Go to Adapter Settings.
2. Right click the adapter and select Properties.
3. Under the Networking tab, click Configure.
4. Under the Advanced tab, select Interrupt Moderation and choose Disabled.
Note: A reboot is required for any registry changes to take effect. Alternatively, unloading and reloading the
initiator driver will also cause the change to take effect. In the Device Manager GUI, look under SCSI and
RAID Controllers, right-click Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, and select Disable to unload the driver. Then select
Enable to reload the driver.

A.6 PowerShell script
Use the PowerShell script in this section to set the recommended registry settings on Windows Server 2008
R2 or newer, including Nano Server.
# MPIO Registry Settings script

# This script will apply recommended Dell Storage registry settings
# on Windows Server 2008 R2 or newer, including Nano Server
#
# THIS CODE IS MADE AVAILABLE AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
# THE ENTIRE RISK OF THE USE OR THE RESULTS FROM THE USE OF THIS CODE
# REMAINS WITH THE USER.
# Assign variables
$MpioRegPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\mpio\Parameters"
$IscsiRegPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\"
$IscsiRegPath += "{4d36e97b-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\000*"
# General settings
Set-ItemProperty -Path $MpioRegPath -Name "PDORemovePeriod" `

-Value 120
Set-ItemProperty -Path $MpioRegPath -Name "PathRecoveryInterval" `
-Value 25
Set-ItemProperty -Path $MpioRegPath -Name "UseCustomPathRecoveryInterval" `
-Value 1
Set-ItemProperty -Path $MpioRegPath -Name "PathVerifyEnabled" `
-Value 1
# Apply OS-specific general settings
$OsVersion = ( Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_OperatingSystem ).Caption
If ( $OsVersion -match "Windows Server 2008 R2" )

{
New-ItemProperty Path $MpioRegPath Name "DiskPathCheckEnabled" Value 1 `
PropertyType DWORD `
Force
New-ItemProperty Path $MpioRegPath Name "DiskPathCheckInterval" Value 25`

PropertyType DWORD `
Force
}
Else
{

Set-ItemProperty Path $MpioRegPath Name "DiskPathCheckInterval" Value 25
}
# iSCSI settings
If ( ( Get-Service -Name "MSiSCSI" ).Status -eq "Running" )

{
# Get the registry path for the Microsoft iSCSI initiator parameters
$IscsiParam = Get-Item -Path $IscsiRegPath `

| Where-Object { ( Get-ItemProperty $_.PSPath ).DriverDesc `
-eq `
"Microsoft iSCSI Initiator" } `
| Get-ChildItem `
| Where-Object { $_.PSChildName -eq "Parameters" }
# Set the Microsoft iSCSI initiator parameters
Set-ItemProperty -Path $IscsiParam.PSPath -Name "MaxRequestHoldTime" `

-Value 90
Set-ItemProperty -Path $IscsiParam.PSPath -Name "LinkDownTime" `
-Value 35
Set-ItemProperty -Path $IscsiParam.PSPath -Name "EnableNOPOut" `
-Value 1
}
Else
{
Write-Host "iSCSI Service is not running."
Write-Host "iSCSI registry settings have NOT been configured."
}
Write-Host "MPIO registry settings have been configured successfully."

Write-Host "The system must be restarted for the changes to take effect."
A.7 Resources
Appendix A resources include:
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Documentation (March 2012)

Configuring MPIO Timers (September 2009)

B Additional resources
B.1 Technical support and resources

Dell.com/support is focused on meeting customer needs with proven services and support.
Dell TechCenter is an online technical community where IT professionals have access to numerous resources
for Dell software, hardware and services.
Storage Solutions Technical Documents on Dell TechCenter provide expertise that helps to ensure customer
success on Dell Storage platforms.
B.2 Related documentation

Referenced or recommended resources
Vendor Resource
Dell Dell Storage SC Series: Microsoft Multipath I/O Best Practices
Dell Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 and Nano Server Best
Practices
Dell Windows Server 2012 R2 Best Practices for Dell Compellent Storage Center
Microsoft Microsoft MPIO Step-by-Step Guide (2008 R2)
Microsoft Configuring iSCSI MPIO on Windows Server 2008 R2
Microsoft MPCLAIM Reference Guide
Microsoft Managing MPIO with Windows PowerShell on Windows Server 2012
Microsoft Multipath I/O (MPIO) Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell Reference

Microsoft MPIO Best Practices (CML1004) v13

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Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft

Dell EMC Best Practices

10/11/2010 Initial release

10/21/2011 Corrected errors

11/29/2011 Additional content on Server Core

10/15/2012 Updated to include Microsoft Windows Server 2012 content

10/18/2013 Updated to include Windows Server 2012 R2 content

1/10/2014 Updated hotfix information

1/12/2015 Updated configuration recommendations

3/3/2015 Updated hotfix and configuration recommendations

4/17/2015 Added Dell Storage SCv2000 series front-end SAS content

1/20/2017 Updated configuration recommendations

2 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

3 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

4 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

5 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

2.1 SC Series storage connections

2.1.1 Legacy port mode

Legacy mode example with Fibre Channel

6 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

2.1.2 Virtual port mode

2.1.2.1 Fibre Channel

7 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

8 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

Storage system connected to two host servers

2.1.3 Connectivity summary

9 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

3.1 Fibre Channel

10 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

1. Log in to the Dell Storage Manager client.

Create Server window

11 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

Manually defined HBA

3.6 Configuring a SAS server

3.6.1 Automatic configuration

12 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

13 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

1. In the Create Server window, click Manually Add HBA.

14 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

1. Login to the Dell Storage Manager client.

Fibre Channel connectivity

15 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

3.8 Verifying SAS connectivity

1. Login to the Dell Storage Manager client.

16 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

1. Login to the Dell Storage Manager client.

17 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

Limit ports by transport type

18 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

Volume Mapping tab

3.10 Restrict mapping paths on SAS-connected volumes

1. Log in to Dell Storage Manager client.

19 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

Volume Mappings tab

20 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004 V2

21 Dell EMC SC Series Storage: Microsoft Multipath I/O | CML1004

4.1 Installing the MPIO feature on Windows Server 2008 R2

4.1.1 Server manager GUI

1. Open Server Manager.

4.1.2 Windows Server manager CLI

Servermanagercmd -install "Multipath-IO"

4.1.3 To install MPIO on Server Core

DISM /online /enable-feature:MultipathIo