Configuring Linux hosts for SAN boot

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You can configure various releases of Linux® with DM Multipath for SAN boot.

Note: To complete these tasks, ensure that you have Fibre Channel FC switch zoning, HBA BIOS setting, and experience using the DS8000® command-line interface.

Configuring SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)

Complete the following steps:
  1. Zone all the paths between server and the DS8000.
  2. Create a host with either the DS8000 Storage Management GUI or the DS CLI.
  3. If you are using the DS8000 Storage Management GUI, create a fixed block (FB) volume and map it to the host. If you are using the DS CLI, create an FB volume and map it to the host through a volume group. This FB volume is used to load the OS.
  4. Enable HBA BIOS loading during boot, and select the newly mapped volume as a boot disk. For more information, see the HBA vendor BIOS setup guide.
    Note: Disable the local hard disk through server BIOS.
  5. Load SLES OS to the DS8000 volume.
  6. On the disk selection page, use custom partitioning.
  7. On the Expert Partitioner page, select Hard Disks > Configure > Configure Multipath > Active Multipath.
  8. Partition the DM Multipath managed disk and install SLES on the local hard disk.
  9. After installation, update /etc/multipath.conf: 
    defaults { 
polling_interval 30 
failback immediate 
no_path_retry 5 
rr_min_io 100 
path_checker tur 
user_friendly_names yes 
} 
devices { 
# DS8000 
device { 
vendor "IBM" 
product "2107900" 
path_grouping_policy group_by_serial 
} 
}