What is the recommended configuration for iSCSI connections to ensure continuous access to the Dell Unity XT storage system in the event of a failover?

Question

Options

• ASet up iSCSI interfaces on the same port of each SP and configure advanced static routes for the
• BCreate iSCSI interfaces on network ports on different SPs that are combined into a FSN logical
• CCreate iSCSI interfaces on different network ports on the same SP that are combined into a link
• DSet up iSCSI interfaces on the same port of each SP and leverage the host-based multi-pathing

• A
  6% (2)
• B
  3% (1)
• C
  16% (5)
• D
  74% (23)

Explanation

Option D is correct because the Dell Unity XT is a dual-Storage Processor (SP-A and SP-B) system, and placing iSCSI interfaces on the same port of each SP gives the host active paths to both processors simultaneously - when one SP fails over, host-based multi-pathing (MPIO) automatically reroutes I/O through the surviving SP's interface without interruption. Option A fails because static routes are a network-layer construct that cannot detect or react to SP-level failover events. Option B is incorrect because FSN is not a standard Dell Unity XT iSCSI construct - FSN-style grouping applies to NAS interfaces, not iSCSI block access. Option C is the most tempting distractor: link aggregation (LAG) does add port-level redundancy, but both aggregated ports still belong to the same SP, so an SP failure eliminates all paths regardless of the LAG configuration.

Memory tip: Think "Two SPs, One MPIO" - if your iSCSI paths don't span both storage processors, you have no SP-level failover, just link redundancy. The host's multi-pathing software is what bridges the gap when an SP goes down.

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