Persistent Ports functionality
HPE 3PAR Persistent Ports functionality works for FC, FCoE, and iSCSI host ports to provide uninterrupted failover in events such as:
HPE Storage OS upgrade
Maintenance that requires a controller node to be taken offline. For example, when adding a new HBA.
A controller node failure
Storage system loss of sync to an FC fabric
Storage system host ports being deliberately taken offline
- For FC host ports:
Connect the same host port on the host facing HBAs in a node pair to the same FC fabric. HPE recommends using different FC switches on the fabric (for example, 0:1:1 and 1:1:1).
Set the host facing HBAs to Target mode.
Configure the host facing HBAs for point-to-point connection (no support for loop).
The FC fabric being used must support NPIV and have NPIV enabled.
- For FCoE host ports:
Connect the same Converged Network Adapter (CNA) port on host facing HBAs in a node pair to the same FCoE network. HPE recommends using different FCoE switches on the network (for example, 0:1:1 and 1:1:1).
Set the host facing CNAs to Target mode.
The FCoE network being used must support NPIV and have NPIV enabled.
- For iSCSI host ports:
Connect the same host port on host facing CNAs in a node pair to the same IP network. HPE recommends using different IP switches on the fabric (for example, 0:1:1 and 1:1:1).
Each controller node in a storage system has a native identity and a guest identity. The Persistent Ports functionality redirects host I/O requests from a native host port on one controller node to the guest host port on the partner controller node in response to various events. The redirection is transparent to high-level host I/O and removes the need for host-level multipath software to respond to the events.