HP StorageWorks 2/16V HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.3.x administrator guide (569 - Page 351

Administering ISL Trunking, Overview, Distribution of traffic over ISL Trunking groups

Page 351 highlights

19 Administering ISL Trunking This chapter contains procedures for using the ISL Trunking licensed feature, which optimizes the use of bandwidth by allowing a group of interswitch links to merge into a single logical link. Overview ISL Trunking reduces or eliminates situations that require static traffic routes and individual ISL management to achieve optimal performance. Trunking optimizes fabric performance by distributing traffic across the shared bandwidth of all the interswitch links in a trunking group, allowing traffic to flow through any available link in a group rather than restricting it to a specific, potentially congested link. The use of trunking results in simplified fabric design and management, lowered cost of ownership, and increased data availability. To use trunking, you must first install the ISL Trunking license. For details on obtaining and installing licensed features, refer to "Maintaining licensed software features" on page 36. Trunking is enabled automatically when the ISL Trunking license is activated and ports are reinitialized (after installing the license, you enter the switchDisable and switchEnable commands), and trunks are easily managed using either Fabric OS CLI commands or Web Tools. You can enable and disable trunking and set trunk port speeds (for example, 2 Gig/sec, 4 Gig/sec, or autonegotiate) for entire switches or for individual ports. Trunks distribute traffic dynamically and in order at the frame level, achieving greater performance with fewer interswitch links. Trunks are compatible with both short wavelength (SWL) and long wavelength (LWL) fiber optic cables and transceivers. Figure 22 illustrates how trunking can result in more throughput by distributing data over four ISLs with no congestion. In a fabric that does not have trunking capability, some paths would be congested and other paths underutilized. Figure 22 Distribution of traffic over ISL Trunking groups Trunks operate best when the cable length of each trunked link is roughly equal to the others in the trunk. For optimal performance, no more than 30 meters difference is recommended. Fabric OS 5.3.0 administrator guide 359

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Fabric OS 5.3.0 administrator guide
359
19
Administering ISL Trunking
This chapter contains procedures for using the ISL Trunking licensed feature, which optimizes the use of
bandwidth by allowing a group of interswitch links to merge into a single logical link.
Overview
ISL Trunking reduces or eliminates situations that require static traffic routes and individual ISL management
to achieve optimal performance. Trunking optimizes fabric performance by distributing traffic across the
shared bandwidth of all the interswitch links in a trunking group, allowing traffic to flow through any
available link in a group rather than restricting it to a specific, potentially congested link. The use of
trunking results in simplified fabric design and management, lowered cost of ownership, and increased
data availability.
To use trunking, you must first install the ISL Trunking license. For details on obtaining and installing
licensed features, refer to ”
Maintaining licensed software features
” on page 36. Trunking is enabled
automatically when the ISL Trunking license is activated and ports are reinitialized (after installing the
license, you enter the
switchDisable
and
switchEnable
commands), and trunks are easily
managed using either Fabric OS CLI commands or Web Tools. You can enable and disable trunking and
set trunk port speeds (for example, 2 Gig/sec, 4 Gig/sec, or autonegotiate) for entire switches or for
individual ports.
Trunks distribute traffic dynamically and in order at the frame level, achieving greater performance with
fewer interswitch links.
Trunks are compatible with both short wavelength (SWL) and long wavelength (LWL) fiber optic cables and
transceivers.
Figure 22
illustrates how trunking can result in more throughput by distributing data over four ISLs with no
congestion. In a fabric that does not have trunking capability, some paths would be congested and other
paths underutilized.
Figure 22
Distribution of traffic over ISL Trunking groups
Trunks operate best when the cable length of each trunked link is roughly equal to the others in the trunk.
For optimal performance, no more than 30 meters difference is recommended.