Dot Hill Systems AssuredSAN 4544, Setup Manual, Page: 33 / 100

AssuredSAN Ultra48 Series Setup Guide 33
3 Connecting hosts
Host system requirements
Hosts connected to an AssuredSAN Ultra48 Series controller enclosure must meet the following
requirements:
• Depending on your system configuration, host operating systems may require that multipathing is
supported.
If fault tolerance is required, then multipathing software may be required. Host-based multipath
software should be used in any configuration where two logical paths between the host and any
storage volume may exist at the same time. This would include most configurations where there are
multiple connections to the host or multiple connections between a switch and the storage.
• Use native Microsoft MPIO DSM support with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2013.
Use either the Server Manager or the command-line interface ( mpclaim CLI tool) to perform the
installation.
See the following web sites for information about using native Microsoft MPIO DSM:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/assistsupport
http://technet.microsoft.com
(search the site for “multipath I/O overview”)
Cabling considerations
Common cabling configurations address hosts, controller enclosures, drive enclosures, and switches. Host
interface ports on Ultra48 Series controller enclosures can connect to respective hosts via direct-attach or
switch-attach. Cabling systems to enable use of the optional AssuredRemote™ feature—to replicate
volumes—is yet another important cabling consideration. See Connecting two storage systems to replicate
volumes on page 40. The 4844 models can be licensed to support replication; whereas the 4544 models
do not support the feature.
Connecting the enclosure to hosts
A host identifies an external port to which the storage system is attached. Cable connections vary
depending on configuration. This section describes host interface protocols supported by Ultra48 Series
controller enclosures, while showing a few common cabling configurations.
NOTE: Ultra48 Series controllers use Unified LUN Presentation (ULP): a controller feature enabling a host
to access mapped volumes through any controller host port.
ULP can show all LUNs through all host ports on both controllers, and the interconnect information is
managed by the controller firmware. ULP appears to the host as an active-active storage system, allowing
the host to select any available path to access the LUN, regardless of vdisk ownership.
TIP: See “Configuring the system > Using the Configuration Wizard” in the AssuredSAN 4004 Series
RAIDar User Guide to initially configure the system or change system configuration settings (e.g.,
Configuring host ports).
CNC technology
AssuredSAN 4844 models use Converged Network Controller technology, allowing you to select the
desired host interface protocol(s) from the available FC or iSCSI host interface protocols supported by the
system. The small form-factor pluggable (SFP transceiver or SFP) connectors used in CNC ports are further
described in the subsections below. Also see CNC ports used for host connection on page 11 for more
information concerning use of CNC ports.