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When host multipathing software is required

Contributors netapp-aherbin
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If there is more than one path from the storage virtual machine (SVM) logical interfaces (LIFs) to the fabric, multipathing software is required. Multipathing software is required on the host any time the host can access a LUN through more than one path.

The multipathing software presents a single disk to the operating system for all paths to a LUN. Without multipathing software, the operating system could treat each path as a separate disk, which can lead to data corruption.

Your solution is considered to have multiple paths if you have any of the following:

  • A single initiator port in the host attaching to multiple SAN LIFs in the SVM

  • Multiple initiator ports attaching to a single SAN LIF in the SVM

  • Multiple initiator ports attaching to multiple SAN LIFs in the SVM

Multipathing software is recommended in HA configurations. In addition to Selective LUN Map, using FC switch zoning or portsets to limit the paths used to access LUNs is recommended.

Multipathing software is also known as MPIO (multipath I/O) software.