HP StorageWorks 4000/6000/8000 .HP StorageWorks SAN Design Reference Guide, Pa - Page 29

SAN components A SAN consists of the following hardware and software components: • Switches A Fibre Channel switch creates the fabric of the SAN. By interconnecting switches, you can create scalable SANs with thousands of port connections. • Routers, bridges, and gateways Router functionality provides high levels of scalability, dynamic device sharing, and Fibre Channel network fault isolation. Routers, bridges, and gateways extend the SAN over long distances and enable integration of multi-protocol technologies. • Storage devices A SAN can integrate multiple storage system types, such as disk arrays and tape libraries, to nl allocate storage efficiently. • Servers and HBAs HBAs connect the server to the SAN. HBA drivers provide an intelligent interface to the switches and minimize CPU overhead. • Cabling and cable connectors Fiber optic cables provide the physical connections between SAN components. • SAN management applications HP applications manage and monitor components and ensure optimal SAN operation. Fibre Channel technology Fibre Channel is a comprehensive set of standards for communication among servers, storage systems, and peripheral devices. A Fibre Channel network provides connectivity among heterogeneous devices and supports multiple interconnect topologies. The network can be connected to a variety of storage systems: • RAID arrays • Tape devices and backup libraries Fibre Channel technology supports simultaneous use of these transport protocols: • IP • SCSI • iSCSI For the latest information on Fibre Channel and related technologies, see the following website: http://www.incits.org Storage area networks General-purpose networks, such as LANs, enable communication between servers. A SAN uses multiple paths to connect servers and storage systems. To take full advantage of its capabilities, the SAN is maintained separately from parallel general-purpose networks. The network topology is the physical arrangement of interconnected hardware components. In a basic topology, a Fibre Channel switch interconnects multiple servers and a storage system. To protect SAN Design Reference Guide 29