How can you configure a Proxmox VE cluster to use iSCSI SAN storage with Multipath for high availability and performance?

To configure iSCSI SAN with Multipath in a Proxmox cluster, follow these structured steps:

1. Install required packages

On all Proxmox nodes, install multipath tools:

apt update

apt install multipath-tools 2. Configure Multipath

Create or edit the configuration file under /etc/multipath/conf.d/ and define the appropriate settings. Add the storage device’s WWID to /etc/multipath/wwids to ensure correct identification . 3. Restart and verify

Restart the service with:

systemctl restart multipath-tools.service

Verify configuration using:

multipath -ll 4. Partition and create LVM

Partition the multipath device (e.g., /dev/mapper/mpatha), then initialize it as a physical volume and create a volume group for shared storage . 5. Add shared storage in Proxmox

In the Proxmox web interface, navigate to Datacenter → Storage → Add → LVM, select the created volume group, and finalize configuration . 6. Test the setup

Create a test VM or disk to confirm successful storage integration .

Multipath ensures storage remains accessible even if one network path fails, maintaining service continuity. However, while SAN improves availability and performance, external backup strategies remain essential for complete data protection.