HP StorageWorks 2/16V Brocade Access Gateway Administrator's Guide - Supportin - Page 15

Access Gateway port types 1 Comparing FC port configurations Brocade Access Gateway multiplexes host connections to the fabric. It presents an F_Port to the host and an N_Port to an edge fabric switch. Using N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV), Brocade Access Gateway allows multiple FC initiators to access the SAN on the same physical port. This reduces the hardware requirements and management overhead of hosts to the SAN connections. A fabric switch presents F_Ports (or FL_Ports) to the host and storage devices and presents E_Ports, TE_Ports, or EX_Ports to other switches in the fabric. A fabric switch consumes SAN resources, such as domain IDs, and participates in fabric management and zoning distribution. A fabric switch requires more physical ports than Brocade Access Gateway to connect the same number of hosts. Figure 1-2 compares the types of ports used by the Access Gateway to those used by a typical fabric switch. Access Gateway Ports Hosts N_Port N_Port Access Gateway F_Port N_Port F_Port Edge Switch F_Port NPIV enabled Fabric Hosts N_Port N_Port Fabric Switch Ports Fabric Edge Switch F_Port E_Port Fabric Switch E_Port F_Port E_Port E_Port Figure 1-2 Port usage comparison Table 1-1 Compares port configuration between Access Gateway with a typical fabric switch. Table 1-1 Port Configurations Port Type Access Gateway Fabric switch F_Port Yes Connects hosts to Brocade Access Gateway. Yes Connects devices, such as hosts, HBAs, and storage to the fabric. N_Port E_Port Yes Connects Access Gateway to a fabric switch. NA ISL is not supported.1 NA N_Ports are not supported. Yes Connects the switch to other switches to form a fabric. 1. The switch is logically transparent to the fabric, therefore it does not participate in the SAN as a fabric switch. Access Gateway Administrator's Guide 1-3 Publication Number: 53-1000430-01