HP StorageWorks 8/80 HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.1.x administrator guide (5697 - Page 201

Considerations for zoning architecture Table 56 lists considerations for zoning architecture. Table 56 Considerations for zoning architecture Item Description Type of zoning: hard or soft (session-based) If security is a priority, hard zoning is recommended. Use of aliases Interoperability Fabric The use of aliases is optional with zoning. Using aliases requires structure when defining zones. Aliases will aid administrators of zoned fabrics in understanding the structure and context. If the fabric includes a third-party switch product, only WWN zoning is supported. Other types of zoning, including QuickLoop, are not supported. QLFA zones Evaluate if the fabric will have QuickLoop Fabric Assist (QLFA) or QuickLoop (QL) in it, and consider the following items before creating and setting up QLFA zones: QuickLoop Zoning-QuickLoop/QuickLoop zones cannot run on Fabric OS 4.1.0 or later. However, Fabric OS can manage (create, remove, update) QL zones. QuickLoop Fabric Assist-A switch running Fabric OS 4.1.0 or later cannot have a Fabric Assist host directly connected to it. However, such a switch can be part of a Fabric Assist zone if a Fabric Assist host is connected to a compatible switch in the fabric. Testing Before implementing a new zone, you should run the Zone Analyzer from Web Tools to isolate any possible problems. This is especially useful as fabrics increase in size. Effect of changes in a production fabric Zone changes in a production fabric can result in a disruption of I/O under conditions when an RSCN is issued because of the zone change and the HBA is unable to process the RSCN fast enough. Although RSCNs are a normal part of a functioning SAN, the pause in I/O might not be acceptable. For these reasons, you should perform zone changes only when the resulting behavior is predictable and acceptable. Ensuring that the HBA drivers are current can shorten the response time in relation to the RSCN. Confirming operation After changing or enabling a zone configuration, you should confirm that the nodes and storage can identify and access one another. Depending on the platform, you might need to reboot one or more nodes in the fabric with the new changes. Zoning can be implemented and administered from any switch in the fabric, although it is recommended that you use a switch running the latest Fabric OS version. If the switch is running Fabric OS 6.0.x or earlier, it must have an Advanced Zoning license enabled. The zone configuration is managed on a fabric basis. When a change in the configuration is saved, enabled, or disabled according to the transactional model, it is automatically (by closing the transaction) distributed to all switches in the fabric, preventing a single point of failure for zone information. NOTE: Zoning commands make changes that affect the entire fabric. When executing fabric-level configuration tasks, allow time for the changes to propagate across the fabric before executing any subsequent commands. For a large fabric, you should wait several minutes between commands. Fabric OS 6.1.x administrator guide 201