HP StorageWorks 16-EL HP StorageWorks Remote Switch V3.1.x/4.1.x User Guide (A - Page 17

Remote Switch Using Remote Switch You can configure switches for use with Remote Switch using either telnet commands or using Advanced Web Tools. For information about using Advanced Web Tools to configure a switch, refer to the HP StorageWorks Web Tools Version 3.1.x/4.1.x User Guide. Overview The Remote Switch feature operates in conjunction with a Fibre Channel to FCIP WAN gateway. This gateway provides both a Fibre Channel physical interface functioning as an E_Port and an FCIP WAN physical interface. The gateway accepts Fibre Channel frames from one side of a Remote Switch fabric, transfers them across a WAN using an FCIP protocol, and passes them to the other side of the Remote Switch fabric. To transfer frames across a WAN using an FCIP protocol, the Fibre Channel frames (from 256 to 2112 bytes) must be broken into pieces at the local end of the FCIP network. Once they are broken into smaller pieces, they are tunnelled and then transmitted across the network. At the remote end of the FCIP network, these pieces are reassembled back into complete Fibre Channel frames and transmitted through the remote Fibre Channel interface. To accomplish this, the gateway provides an E_Port interface that links to the SAN Switch E_Port. Once the link between the two E_Ports is negotiated, the gateway E_Port moves to pass-through mode and passes Fibre Channel traffic from the SAN Switch E_Port to the FCIP network. HP StorageWorks Remote Switch Version 3.1.x/4.1.x User Guide 17