# phpman > man > multipath(8) [MULTIPATH(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTIPATH/8/markdown) System Manager's Manual [MULTIPATH(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTIPATH/8/markdown) ## NAME multipath - Device mapper target autoconfig. ## SYNOPSIS **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-B**|**-d**|**-i**|**-q**|**-r**] [**-b** _file_] [**-p** _policy_] [**device**] **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-R** _retries_] **-f** **device** **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-R** _retries_] **-F** **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-l**|**-ll**] [**device**] **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-a**|**-w**] **device** **multipath** [**-v** _level_] **-W** **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-i**] [**-c**|**-C**] **device** **multipath** [**-v** _level_] [**-i**] [**-u**|**-U**] **multipath** [**-h**|**-t**|**-T**] ## DESCRIPTION **multipath** is used to detect and coalesce multiple paths to devices, for fail-over or perfor‐ mance reasons. ## ARGUMENTS The **device** argument restricts **multipath**'s operation to devices matching the given expression. The argument may refer either to a multipath map or to its components ("paths"). The expres‐ sion may be in one of the following formats: **device** **node** file name of a device node, e.g. _/dev/dm-10_ or _/dev/sda_. If the node refers to an existing device mapper device representing a multipath map, this selects the map or its paths, depending on the operation mode. Otherwise, it selects a path device. **device** **ID** kernel device number specified by major:minor numbers, e.g. _65:16_. This format can only be used for path devices. **WWID** a World Wide Identifier matching a multipath map or its paths. To list WWIDs of devices present in the system, use e.g. the command "_multipath_ _-d_ _-v3_ _2>/dev/null_". ## OPERATION MODES The default operation mode is to detect and set up multipath maps from the devices found in the system. Other operation modes are chosen by using one of the following command line switches: ### -f tion is delegated to the multipathd daemon if it's running. ### -F multipathd daemon if it's running. ### -l device mapper. ### -ll the device mapper, path checkers ...). ### -a ### -w ### -W ### -c ### -C I/O on this device is likely to succeed. The command itself doesn't attempt to do I/O on the device. ### -u path device. ### -U usable paths. See **-C.** ### -h ### -t ### -T vices actually present in the system. This can be used a template for creating _multi__‐ _path.conf_. ## OPTIONS ### -v Verbosity of information printed to stdout in default and "list" operation modes. The default level is _-v_ _2_. _0_ Nothing is printed. _1_ In default mode, Names/WWIDs of created or modified multipath maps are printed. In list mode, WWIDs of all multipath maps are printed. _2_ In default mode, Topology of created or modified multipath maps is printed. In list mode, topology of all multipath maps is printed. _3_ All detected paths and the topology of all multipath maps are printed. The verbosity level also controls the level of log and debug messages printed to _stderr_. The default level corresponds to _LOG_NOTICE_ (important messages that shouldn't be missed in normal operation). ### -d ### -e [**path.conf(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/path.conf/5/markdown)**. ### -i _paths_ _no_ is set in _multipath.conf_, multipath only considers devices that are listed in the WWIDs file. This option overrides that behavior. For other values of _find_multi__‐ _paths_, this option has no effect. See the description of _find_multipaths_ in **multi**‐‐ [**path.conf**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/path.conf/5/markdown). This option should only be used in rare circumstances. ### -B ### -b Set _user_friendly_names_ bindings file location. The default is _/etc/multipath/bind__‐ _ings_. ### -q **multipath** would do so if **multipathd** is not running, because only a running multipath daemon guarantees that unusable paths are reinstated when they become usable again. ### -p Force new maps to use the specified policy, overriding the configuration in **multi**‐‐ [**path.conf(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/path.conf/5/markdown)**. The possible values for _policy_ are the same as the values for _path_grouping_policy_ in [**multipath.conf(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/multipath.conf/5/markdown)**. Existing maps are not modified. ### -r pathd daemon if it's running. In this case, other command line switches of the _multi__‐ _path_ command have no effect. ### -R Number of times to retry flushing multipath devices that are in use. The default is _0_. ## SEE ALSO [**multipathd**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/multipathd/8/markdown), [**multipath.conf**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/multipath.conf/5/markdown), [**kpartx**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/kpartx/8/markdown), [**udev**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/udev/8/markdown), [**dmsetup**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dmsetup/8/markdown), [**hotplug**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/hotplug/8/markdown). ## AUTHORS _multipath-tools_ was developed by Christophe Varoqui <> and oth‐ ers. Linux 2018-10-10 [MULTIPATH(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTIPATH/8/markdown)