HP StorageWorks 2/16V HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.X Procedures User Guide (AA- - Page 105

Administering FICON fabrics, FICON overview

Page 105 highlights

7 Administering FICON fabrics NOTE: FICON is not supported on HP B-Series Fibre Channel switches. The FICON information in this document is included for reference only. FICON overview IBM FICON is an industry-standard, high-speed input/output (I/O) interface for mainframe connections to storage devices. Fabric OS supports intermix mode operations, in which FICON and Fibre Channel technology work together. For specific information about intermix mode and other aspects of FICON, see the IBM Redbook, FICON Native Implementation and Reference Guide. Fabric OS provides standard support for FICON single-switch operation. Multiple-switch cascaded FICON operation requires an HP Secure Fabric OS license. CUP operation requires an HP FICON CUP license. The following Fabric OS standard features support FICON fabrics: • Port swapping: Redirects resources from a failed port to a healthy port without changing the FICON host configuration. Port swapping is available for both FICON and open system environments. Port swapping resolves situations in which the hardware has failed and the channel configurations cannot be changed quickly. Port swapping has minimal or no impact on other switch features. • Insistent domain ID (IDID): Allows the switch to insist on a specific domain ID before joining a fabric. This feature guarantees that a switch operates only with its preassigned domain ID. • The FICON MIB module: Addresses link incident data for FICON hosts and devices connected to a switch. It supplements other MIBs used to manage switches and should be used with those other MIBs. For more information, see the HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.x MIB reference guide. • Link incident detection, registration, and reporting: Provides administrative and diagnostic information. The following optional features provide further support: • The Secure Fabric OS optional license: Includes fabric binding, switch binding, and port binding security methods that prevent unauthorized devices from joining a fabric. • A Fabric Manager optional license: Can be used to manage a fabric that supports FICON and Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) devices and traffic. This is the recommended GUI management tool for FICON environments. • Advanced Web Tools: Can be used to manage a director (switch) that supports FICON and FCP devices and traffic. To incorporate and manage FICON on a switch or fabric, your system must have Fabric OS 4.1.2 or later installed. If you are implementing FICON in a single-switch non-candidate environment, there are no additional software requirements. The Secure Fabric OS and Advanced Zoning optional licensed features are required on all switches participating in a FICON multiple-switch cascaded environment. NOTE: Some licenses are installed and activated on the switch at the factory. Use an HP management interface to verify that the required licenses are installed and activated on the switch. The optional Secure Fabric OS license provides the following fabric, switch, and port binding features: • Fabric binding is a security method for restricting switches within a multiple-switch fabric. The Switch Connection Control (SCC) policy prevents unauthorized switches from joining a fabric. Switches are authenticated using digital certificates and unique private keys provided to the Switch Link Authentication Protocol (SLAP). Fabric OS 5.x administrator guide 105

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132
  • 133
  • 134
  • 135
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
  • 140
  • 141
  • 142
  • 143
  • 144
  • 145
  • 146
  • 147
  • 148
  • 149
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153
  • 154
  • 155
  • 156
  • 157
  • 158
  • 159
  • 160
  • 161
  • 162
  • 163
  • 164
  • 165
  • 166
  • 167
  • 168
  • 169
  • 170
  • 171
  • 172
  • 173
  • 174
  • 175
  • 176
  • 177
  • 178
  • 179
  • 180
  • 181
  • 182
  • 183
  • 184
  • 185
  • 186
  • 187
  • 188
  • 189
  • 190
  • 191
  • 192
  • 193
  • 194
  • 195
  • 196
  • 197
  • 198
  • 199
  • 200
  • 201
  • 202
  • 203
  • 204
  • 205
  • 206
  • 207
  • 208
  • 209
  • 210
  • 211
  • 212
  • 213
  • 214
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217
  • 218
  • 219
  • 220
  • 221
  • 222
  • 223
  • 224
  • 225
  • 226
  • 227
  • 228
  • 229
  • 230
  • 231
  • 232
  • 233
  • 234
  • 235
  • 236
  • 237
  • 238
  • 239
  • 240
  • 241
  • 242
  • 243
  • 244
  • 245
  • 246
  • 247
  • 248

Fabric OS 5.x administrator guide
105
7
Administering FICON fabrics
NOTE:
FICON is not supported on HP B-Series Fibre Channel switches. The FICON information in this
document is included for reference only.
FICON overview
IBM FICON is an industry-standard, high-speed input/output (I/O) interface for mainframe connections to
storage devices. Fabric OS supports
intermix mode
operations, in which FICON and Fibre Channel
technology work together. For specific information about intermix mode and other aspects of FICON, see
the IBM Redbook,
FICON Native Implementation and Reference Guide
.
Fabric OS provides standard support for FICON single-switch operation.
Multiple-switch cascaded FICON operation requires an HP Secure Fabric OS license.
CUP operation requires an HP FICON CUP license.
The following Fabric OS standard features support FICON fabrics:
Port swapping:
Redirects resources from a failed port to a healthy port without changing the FICON
host configuration. Port swapping is available for both FICON
and open system environments. Port
swapping resolves situations in which the hardware has failed and the channel configurations cannot
be changed quickly. Port swapping has minimal or no impact on other switch features.
Insistent domain ID (IDID):
Allows the switch to insist on a specific domain ID before joining a fabric.
This feature guarantees that a switch operates only with its preassigned domain ID.
The FICON MIB module:
Addresses link incident data for FICON hosts and devices connected to a
switch. It supplements other MIBs used to manage switches and should be used with those other MIBs.
For more information, see the
HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.x MIB reference guide
.
Link incident detection, registration, and reporting:
Provides administrative and diagnostic
information.
The following optional features provide further support:
The Secure Fabric OS optional license:
Includes fabric binding, switch binding, and port binding
security methods that prevent unauthorized devices from joining a fabric.
A Fabric Manager optional license:
Can be used to manage a fabric that supports FICON and Fibre
Channel Protocol (FCP) devices and traffic. This is the recommended GUI management tool for FICON
environments.
Advanced Web Tools:
Can be used to manage a director (switch) that supports FICON and FCP
devices and traffic.
To incorporate and manage FICON on a switch or fabric, your system must have Fabric OS 4.1.2 or later
installed. If you are implementing FICON in a single-switch non-candidate environment, there are no
additional software requirements. The Secure Fabric OS and Advanced Zoning optional licensed features
are required on all switches participating in a FICON multiple-switch cascaded environment.
NOTE:
Some licenses are installed and activated on the switch at the factory. Use an HP management
interface to verify that the required licenses are installed and activated on the switch.
The optional Secure Fabric OS license provides the following fabric, switch, and port binding features:
Fabric binding is a security method for restricting switches within a multiple-switch fabric. The Switch
Connection Control (SCC) policy prevents unauthorized switches from joining a fabric. Switches are
authenticated using digital certificates and unique private keys provided to the Switch Link
Authentication Protocol (SLAP).