Changing the default pathing policy for new/existing LUNs

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to configure the default pathing policy for newly defined LUNs via the ESXi host terminal.

For more information on changing the multipathing policy of existing LUNs, see Modifying path information for ESXi/ESX hosts (2000552).

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

Resolution

To change the default path selection policy for any new storage for a Storage Array Type Plug-in (SATP):

1. Log into the ESXi host.
   
   For more information, see:
   Using ESXi Shell in ESXi 5.0 and 5.1 (2004746) or Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.x (1017910)
2. To check the existing path selection policy, run one of these commands:
   
   # esxcfg-info | grep -A1 "Default Path Selection Policy"
# esxcli storage nmp satp list
   
    
3. Run this command to change the default pathing policy:
   
   # esxcli storage nmp satp set --default-psp=policy --satp=your_SATP_name
   
   Where policy is:
    
   • VMW_PSP_MRU for Most Recently Used mode
   • VMW_PSP_FIXED for Fixed mode
   • VMW_PSP_RR for Round Robin mode
    
4. Reboot the ESXi/ host to apply the changes.

           To get the current SATP, run one of:

      # esxcli storage nmp satp list 

      # esxcli storage nmp device list

          See Obtaining LUN pathing information for ESX or ESXi hosts (1003973).

Note: By default, VMware ESX uses the recommended failover path policy for the storage array connected. If the configured policy is not listed for the SAN array's entry in the Hardware Compatibility List, you may experience problems.

Warning: Changing the default pathing policy for a specific SATP when there are multiple storage arrays using the same plug-in can cause other issues, such as incorrect pathing policies and unexpected storage failover results.

Additional Information

For more information on:

• multipathing policies, see Multipathing policies in ESXi 5.x and ESXi/ESX 4.x (1011340)
• changing path selection policies for individual LUNs, see Changing a LUN to use a different Path Selection Policy (PSP) (1036189)

For for information on ESXi 5.5, see the VMware vSphere 5.5 Documentation Center

Tech Support Mode for Emergency Support
Obtaining LUN pathing information for ESX or ESXi hosts
Multipathing policies in ESXi 5.x and ESXi/ESX 4.x
Changing the default pathing policy for new/existing LUNs
Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1, ESXi 5.x, and ESXi 6.x
Connecting to an ESX host using an SSH client
Changing a LUN to use a different Path Selection Policy (PSP)
Using ESXi Shell in ESXi 5.x and 6.x
Cambiar la política de rutas predeterminada para LUN nuevos o existentes
更改新的/现有 LUN 的默认路径策略
新規/既存の LUN のデフォルト パス ポリシーを変更する