Microsoft recommends to use vendor specific DSM for MPIO configuration.

  We don't have the license for powerpath MPIO.

  However when we install powerpath, even unlicensed it replaces the MS standard DSM to EMC DSM.

  We wanted to know if the unlicensed powerpath MPIO would be better than MS standard one ?

  Though this is EMC question however we never got the response on EMC forums for any of questions ever (may be we are asking not correctly.) https://community.emc.com/message/865960

  Any input on this would be highly apprec

  Microsoft recommends to use vendor specific DSM for MPIO configuration.

  We don't have the license for powerpath MPIO.

  However when we install powerpath, even unlicensed it replaces the MS standard DSM to EMC DSM.

  We wanted to know if the unlicensed powerpath MPIO would be better than MS standard one ?

  Though this is EMC question however we never got the response on EMC forums for any of questions ever (may be we are asking not correctly.) https://community.emc.com/message/865960

  Any input on this would be highly appreciated.

1) Yes, always use MPIO stack provided by SAN vendor. Reason: SAN vendor and corresponding MPIO stacks DO know quite a lot of housekeeping MSFT default MPIO stack does not. For example: where actual data block resides on a distributed Scale-Out system (MSFT would result extra back end re-route if original request was targeted to a node w/o actual data), what controller to use (EMC likes ALUA idea) and so on.

2) It's a bad idea to use unlicensed software. You can go to jail for doing that.

  Thanks for input bro.

  Note that PowerPath is optional software from EMC.

  it says on EMC site that unlisenced install is possible but does not work with full features like failover and path optimization.

  We need to know, if that unlicensed version is better than default MPIO or vice versa ?