Detecting bogus IOs in a multipathing driver

A host computing device for processing IO requests, comprising:

• a set of processors;
• and
• memory, coupled to the set of processors, the memory constructed and arranged to store instructions executable by the set of processors,
• wherein the set of processors executing instructions from the memory forms a controller constructed and arranged to:
• dispatch an IO request over a first path between a multipathing driver on the host computing device and a storage volume on an array;
• receive a first indication from the array that the IO request over the first path failed;
• access a hardware configuration record that associates each of multiple paths between the driver and the storage volume, including the first path, with a hardware component in each of multiple hardware layers traversed by the paths;
• identify a second path for retrying the IO request based on the hardware configuration record indicating that the hardware components for the second path are different across multiple hardware layers from the hardware components for the first path in the respective hardware layers;
• retry the IO request over the second path;
• and
• identify the IO request as bogus in response to receiving a second indication from the array that the IO request using the second path failed.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a set of processors of a host computing device, cause the set of processors to perform a method of processing IO requests, the method comprising:

• dispatching an IO request over a first path between a multipathing driver on a host and a storage volume on an array;
• receiving a first indication from the array that the IO request over the first path failed;
• accessing a hardware configuration record that associates each of multiple paths between the driver and the storage volume, including the first path, with a hardware component in each of multiple hardware layers traversed by the paths;
• identifying a second path for retrying the IO request based on the hardware configuration record indicating that the hardware components for the second path are different across multiple hardware layers from the hardware components for the first path in the respective hardware layers;
• retrying the IO request over the second path;
• and
• identifying the IO request as bogus in response to receiving a second indication from the array that the IO request using the second path failed.