Section 2 : Storage Networking Technologies

and Virtualization

Storage Area Network

Chapter 6
EMC Proven
Professional
The #1 Certification Program in the information
storage and management industry
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Business Needs and Technology

Challenges

o Just-in-time information to business users

o Integration of information infrastructure with
business processes
o Flexible and resilient storage architecture
o DAS is inefficient to meet these challenges
o Storage Networking emerged as a solution
o FC SAN
o NAS
o IP SAN

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What is a SAN ?
o Dedicated high speed network
of servers and shared storage
devices

Servers

o Provide block level data

access
o Resource Consolidation

FC SAN

o Centralized storage and

management

o Scalability
o Theoretical limit: Appx. 15 million
devices

o Secure Access
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Storage Array

Storage Array

Understanding Fibre Channel

o Fibre Channel is a high-speed network technology
uses:
o Optical fiber cables (for front end connectivity)
o Serial copper cables (for back end connectivity)

o Latest FC implementations support 8Gb/s

o Servers are attached to 2 distinct
networks
o Back-end
o Front-end
IP
network

Users and
Application
Clients
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FC SAN

Servers and
Applications

Storage and
Application
Data

FC SAN Evolution
Servers

Servers

Server

FC Switch
FC Switch

FC Switch

FC Hub

FC Switch

FC Hub

FC Switch
FC Switch

Storage Array

SAN Islands
FC Arbitrated Loop

Storage Arrays

Interconnected SANs
FC Switched Fabric

Fibre Channel SAN Evolution

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FC Switch

Storage Arrays

Enterprise SANs
FC Switched Fabric

Components of SAN: Node ports

o Examples of nodes
o Hosts, storage and tape
library

o Ports are available on:

o HBA in host
o Front-end adapters in storage
o Each port has transmit (Tx)
link and receive (Rx) link

o HBAs perform low-level

interface functions
automatically to minimize
impact on host performance

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Node
Port 0
Port 0
Port 1

Port n

Tx
Rx

Link

Components of SAN: Cabling

o SAN implementation uses:
o Copper cables for short
distance
o Optical fiber cables for long
distance

o Two types of optical cables

o Single-mode
o Can carry single beams of light
o Distance up to 10 KM

o Multi-mode
o Can carry multiple beams of
light simultaneously
o Distance up to 500 meters

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Components of SAN: Cabling (Connectors)

Node Connectors:
o SC Duplex Connectors
o LC Duplex Connectors
SC Connector

Patch panel Connectors

LC Connector

o ST Simplex Connectors

ST Connector

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Components of SAN: Interconnecting

devices
o Basis for SAN communication
o Hubs
o Switches and
o Directors

FC HUB

FC Switch

Director
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Components of SAN: Storage array

o Provides storage
consolidation and
centralization

HBA

o Features of an array
o High Availability/Redundancy
o Performance
o Business Continuity
o Multiple host connect

Arrays
HBA

HBA

Servers
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FC SAN

Components of SAN: SAN management

software
o A suite of tools used in a SAN
to manage the interface
between host and storage
arrays

o Provides integrated
management of SAN
environment
o Web based GUI or CLI

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SAN Interconnectivity Options: Point to

Point
Point to point (Pt-to-Pt)

o Direct connection between devices

o Limited connectivity

Storage Array
Servers
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SAN Interconnectivity Options: FC-AL

o Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL)
o Devices must arbitrate to gain control
o Devices are connected via hubs
o Supports up to 127 devices

FC Hub

Servers
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Storage Array

FC-AL Transmission
Node A
NL_Port
NL_Port
#1
#1

Node D
Transmit

Hub_Pt

Hub_Pt

Byp
Byp

HBA
HBA

Byp
Byp

Receive

Receive

HBA

Transmit

Node B
NL_Port #4
NL_Port
#4

Node C
Transmit

Receive

Receive

Byp
Byp

HBA
Array
Port

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NL_Port
NL_Port
#2
#2

Byp
Byp
Hub_Pt

Hub_Pt

Transmit

NL_Port
NL_Port
#3
#3
HBA
FA

SAN Interconnectivity Options: FC-SW

o Fabric connect (FC-SW)
o Dedicated bandwidth between devices
o Support up to 15 million devices
o Higher availability than hubs

Storage Array

Servers
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FC-SW Transmission
Node A
NL_Port
N_Port
#1
#1

Node D
Transmit

Port

Port

Receive

Receive

Transmit

Node B
#4

HBA
HBA

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#2

Storage
HBA
Port

HBA
HBA

NL_Port
N_Port
#4

N_Port
#2
NL_Port

Node C
Transmit

Receive

Receive

Transmit

Port

Port

N_Port #3
Storage Port

Port Types
Host

?NL-Port

NL-Port

Tape Library
Host

Host

?NL-Port

FC Hub

?N-Port

F-Port

FC Switch

?N-Port
Storage Array

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? ?
? ?

F-Port

FL-Port

E-Port

FC Switch

? ?F-Port

E-Port

N-Port

Storage Array

Inter Switch Links (ISL)

o ISL connects two or more FC switches to each
other using E-Ports
o ISLs are used to transfer host-to-storage data as
well as the fabric management traffic from one
switch to another
o ISL is also one of the scaling mechanisms in SAN
connectivity
Multimode Fiber
FC Switch

1Gb=500m 2Gb=300m

FC Switch

Single-mode Fiber
FC Switch
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up to10 km

FC Switch

Login Types in a Switched Network

Extended Link Services that are defined in the
standards:
o FLOGI - Fabric login
o Between N_Port to F_Port

o PLOGI - Port login

o Between N_Port to N_Port
o N_Port establishes a session with another N_Port

o PRLI - Process login

o Between N_Port to N_Port
o To share information about the upper layer protocol type in
use
o And recognizing device as the SCSI initiator, or target
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Lesson Summary
Key topics covered in this lesson:
o FC SAN and its components
o SAN Interconnectivity Options
o Port types and inter switch links

Additional Task

Additional Task

Research on working of

Research on concept of channel &

FC Hub & Switch

network Technology

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Lesson: Fibre Channel Architecture

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
o Describe layers of FC
o Describe FC protocol stack
o Discuss FC addressing
o Define WWN addressing
o Discuss structure and organization of FC Data

Additional Task
Research on Flow Control & Class
of FC Services
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FC Architecture Overview
o FC uses channel technology
o Provide high performance with low protocol
overheads
o FCP is SCSI-3 over FC network
o Sustained transmission bandwidth over long distances
o Provides speeds up to 8 Gb/s (8 GFC)
Application

o FCP has five layers:FC-4

o FC-4
o FC-2
o FC-1
o FC-0

HIPPI

ESCON

ATM

FC-2

Framing/Flow Control

FC-1

Encode/Decode

FC-0

*FC-3 is not yet implemented

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

SCSI

1 Gb/s

2 Gb/s

4 Gb/s

IP

8 Gb/s

Fibre Channel Protocol Stack

FC layer
FC-4
FC-3
FC-2
FC-1
FC-0

Function

SAN relevant features specified by FC

layer
Mapping upper layer protocol (e.g.
SCSI-3 to FC transport
Not implemented

Mapping
interface
Common
services
Routing, flow Frame structure, ports, FC addressing,
control
buffer credits
Encode/decod 8b/10b encoding, bit and frame
e
synchronization
Physical layer Media, cables, connector

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Fibre Channel Addressing

o FC Address is assigned during Fabric Login

o Used to communicate between nodes within SAN
o Similar in functionality to an IP address on NICs

o Address Format:
o 24 bit address, dynamically assigned
o Contents of the three bytes depend on the type of N-Port
o For an N_Port or a public NL_Port:
o switch maintains mapping of WWN to FC-Address via the Name Server
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World Wide Names

o Unique 64 bit identifier
o Static to the port
o Used to physically identify ports or nodes within SAN
o Similar to NICs MAC address

World Wide Name - Array

5

0101

0000

0000

0110

0000

0001

0110

0000

0000

0000

0110

0000

0000

0001

1011

0010

Company ID
24 bits

Port

Model Seed
32 bits

World Wide Name - HBA

1

Reserved
12 bits

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Company ID
24 bits

Company Specific
24 bits

Structure and Organization of FC Data

o FC data is organized as:
o Exchange operations
o Enables two N_ports to identify
and manage a set of information
units
o Maps to sequence

o Sequence
o Contiguous set of frames sent
from one port to another

o Frames
o Fundamental unit of data
transfer
o Each frame can contain up to
2112 bytes of payload
SOF
4 Bytes

Frame Header
24 Bytes

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Data Field
0 - 2112 Bytes

CRC
4 Bytes

EOF
4 Bytes

Lesson Summary
Key topics covered in this lesson:
o Fibre Channel Protocol Stack
o Fibre Channel Addressing
o Data Organization: Frame, Sequence and
Exchange

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Lesson: FC Topologies and Management

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
o Define FC fabric topologies
o Describe different types of zoning

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Fabric Topology: Core-Edge Fabric

o Can be two or three tiers

Edge Tier
FC Switch

o Single Core Tier

o One or two Edge Tiers

FC Switch

FC Switch

o In a two tier topology,

storage is usually
connected to the Core
o Benefits

Server

Director

Core Tier

o High Availability
o Medium Scalability
o Medium to maximum
Connectivity

Single-core topology

Storage Array

Edge Tier
FC Switch

Core Tier

Director

FC Switch

FC Switch

Director

Server

Dual-core topology
2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Storage Array

Fabric Topology: Mesh

o Can be either partial or full mesh
o All switches are connected to each other
o Host and Storage can be located anywhere in the
fabric
o Host and Storage can be localized to a single
switch
FC Switches

Server

Partial Mesh

Storage Array
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FC Switches

Server

Full Mesh

Storage Array

Fabric Management: Zoning

FC SAN

Array port

Servers
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HBA

Storage Array

Zoning Components
Zone sets

Zone set

(Library)

Zone
(Library)

Member
WWN's

Zone

Member

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Member

Zone

Member

Member

Zone

Member

Member

Types of Zoning
Switch Domain ID = 15

Servers

Port 5
Port 7
Zone 2
Port 1

Storage Array

WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:40

FC Switch

Zone 3

Port 9

Port 12

WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:56
WWN 50:06:04:82:E8:91:2B:9E

Zone 1

WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:82

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Zone 1 (WWN Zone) = 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:82 ; 50:06:04:82:E8:91:2B:9E

Zone 2 (Port Zone) = 15,5 ; 15,7
Zone 3 (Mixed Zone) = 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:56 ; 15,12