HP Surestore 64 FW 05.01.00 and SW 07.01.00 HP StorageWorks SAN High Availabil - Page 58
Fibre Channel Topologies, Point-to-point, Arbitrated loop
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Planning Considerations for Fibre Channel Topologies Fibre Channel Topologies The Director 2/64, Director 2/140, Edge Switch 2/16, Edge Switch 2/24, and Edge Switch 2/32 support point-to-point and multi-switch fabric topologies, and indirectly support arbitrated loop topology. A combination of these topologies (hybrid topology) is also supported. Related HP switches support switched mode and traditional (shared mode) arbitrated loop topologies, and indirectly support a switched fabric topology. These topologies are described as follows: ■ Point-to-point - This topology provides a single direct connection between two device node ports (N_Ports), and supports bidirectional transmission between the source and destination ports. Through dynamic switching, a director or edge switch configures different point-to-point transmission paths. In all cases, connected N_Ports use 100% of the available bandwidth. For additional information, refer to "Planning for Point-to-Point Connectivity" on page 59. ■ Arbitrated loop - This topology uses arbitrated loop switches (offered by HP but not described in this publication) to connect multiple device node loop ports (NL_Ports) in an FC-AL or hub configuration without benefit of a multiswitch fabric. The following modes of operation are supported: - Switched mode topology provides a single, logical connection between two device NL_Ports. The switch dynamically configures different logical transmission paths, and in all cases, connected NL_Ports have access to 100% of the available bandwidth. - Shared mode arbitrated loop topology connects multiple device NL_Ports in a hub (or star) configuration without benefit of a switched fabric. The switch supports connection of up to 125 arbitrated loop devices and cascaded hubs. Although directors and edge switches do not support direct connection of arbitrated loop devices, the loop devices can communicate with fabric elements through and arbitrated loop switch bridge port (B_Port). If peripheral loop devices are expected to communicate with fabric-attached devices, consider installation of a loop switch (with a director or edge switch) to form a fabric-loop hybrid topology. For additional information, refer to "Characteristics of Arbitrated Loop Operation" on page 60, "Planning for Private Arbitrated Loop Connectivity" on page 66, and "Planning for Fabric-Attached Loop Connectivity" on page 73. 58 SAN High Availability Planning Guide