HP StorageWorks 2/24 FW 07.00.00/HAFM SW 08.06.00 McDATA Products in a SAN Env - Page 98
Server Consolidation, practical solution is to consolidate servers on an inexpensive loop
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Planning Considerations for Fibre Channel Topologies 3 • Improved resource manageability. Distributed resources are consolidated and managed through Fibre Channel connectivity instead of physical relocation. One management server manages the operation and connectivity of multiple fabric directors, fabricattached devices, arbitrated loop switches, and FC-AL devices. • Improved security of business applications and data. Fabric directors and a loop switch allow fabric-attached and FC-AL devices to be partitioned into restricted-access zones to limit unauthorized access. Refer to Zoning for information. When using a 4300 or 4500 Fabric Switch to provide loop-to-switched fabric connectivity and incorporate FC-AL devices into the enterprise SAN environment, attach the device to any switch port. The port senses the FC-AL device and initializes itself as an FL_Port. The loop device can communicate with fabric devices attached directly to the switch (connected through F_Ports), or with fabric devices connected to another switch and communicating through an E_Port (ISL). Server Consolidation Providing fabric connectivity for multiple low-bandwidth servers (Windows NT or Unix-based) by attaching them individually to an expensive Fibre Channel director is not a cost-effective solution. A practical solution is to consolidate servers on an inexpensive loop switch, then connect the switch to a director E_Port. Figure 3-7 illustrates the consolidation of ten servers on a Sphereon 4500 Switch (using two unmanaged hubs) through one E_Port connection to a fabric director. Each server has a ten MBps bandwidth, therefore the sum of the bandwidths of all consolidated servers equals the E_Port bandwidth of 1.0625 Gbps. Connecting another server to the switch would exceed the E_Port capability and adversely impact director-to-switch link performance. Other devices (such as tape drives) should not be connected to a switch used for server consolidation. 3-12 McDATA Products in a SAN Environment - Planning Manual