Topic Last Modified: 2005-11-18

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Win32_Service Microsoft Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) class to determine whether the HP/Compaq Secure Path service is running. If the Exchange Server Analyzer determines that the HP/Compaq Secure Path service is not running, a warning is displayed.

The HP/Compaq Secure Path service is a Multipath I/O (MPIO) software. Multipathing provides for high availability data access by allowing a host to have up to 32 paths to access an external storage device, which facilitates failover and load balancing. Multipathing is not a feature of the operating system, but is supported through the MPIO Driver Development Kit (DDK), which provides a means for storage vendors to create interoperable multipathing solutions.

When MPIO software is run, the Windows operating system detects only a single drive while the MPIO software manages the multiple connections to various storage devices. If the MPIO software is stopped, Windows will detect all of the attached storage drives as independent drives. This will likely lead to storage errors and malfunction.

To correct this warning

  1. Open the Services MMC snap-in.

  2. Right-click the HP/Compaq Secure Path service, and then click Properties.

  3. On the General tab of the HP/Compaq Secure Path service property page, make sure the Start-up type is set to Automatic. If it is not, click Apply, and then click OK.

  4. Right-click the HP/Compaq Secure Path service, and then click Start.

  5. Close the Services snap-in.

For general information about deploying different storage technologies with Windows, see "Planning to Use Windows Storage Features with SANs" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=33626).