Configuring an MPIO device

Configuring an MPIO-capable device uses the same commands as a non-MPIO device.

The cfgmgr, mkdev, chdev, rmdev and lsdev commands support managing MPIO device instances and display their attributes. An MPIO device instance also has path instances associated with the device instance. The mkpath, chpath, rmpath, and lspath commands manage path instances and display their attributes.

A path instance can be added or removed from an MPIO device without the device being unconfigured.

An MPIO device can have additional attributes, but the required attributes that all MPIO devices must support are reserve_policy and algorithm. The reserve_policy attribute determines the type of reserve methodology the device driver will implement when the device is opened, and it can be used to limit device access from other adapters, whether on the same system or another system. The algorithm attribute defines the methodology that the PCM uses to manage I/O across the paths configured for a device.