HP StorageWorks 4000/6000/8000 - Enterprise Virtual Arrays, Reference Manual

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• Allows you to change servers in minutes, not days. You can add, replace, and recover servers
quickly without affecting SANs or LANs.
• Provides connectivity to multiple fabric types (B-series, C-series, H-series, M-series), without inter-
operability constraints.
• Does not use a domain ID, preventing issues with the switch count scalability limit in a fabric and
eliminating the additional hop between switches.
• Reduces the number of cables and SFPs compared to a Pass-thru solution.
HP VC-FC connectivity guidelines
Deploy HP VC-FC in environments where you need to manage servers without impacting SAN
management (that is, the server administrator manages the entire configuration). There are several
customer configurations with varying numbers of VC-FC modules and blade enclosures. The actual
configurations depend on customer connectivity requirements, availability of existing equipment, and
future growth requirements.
Table 90 describes the HP VC-FC rules and Figure 48 shows an HP VC-FC
example.
Table 90 HP Virtual Connect Fibre Channel guidelines and rules
Description
Rule
nl
number
For high availability, configure two redundant fabrics and two VC-FC modules, with each HBA
connecting to one fabric through one VC-FC module. 1
VC-FC is supported with B-series, C-series, H-series, and M-series fabrics. The VC-FC module
must connect to a switch model that supports NPIV F_Port connectivity. Certain switch models
may require a license. 2
HP supports a maximum of 4 VC-FC modules per blade enclosure. 3
N_Ports (NPIV) (uplinks)
Blade
enclosure
with
16 servers
Se
rve
r B
ay
1
Se
rve
r B
ay
2
Se
rve
r B
ay
3
Se
rve
r B
ay
4
Se
rve
r B
ay
5
Se
rve
r B
ay
6
Se
rve
r B
ay
7
Se
rve
r B
ay
8
Se
rve
r B
ay
9
Se
rve
r B
ay
10
Se
rve
r B
ay
11
Se
rve
r B
ay
12
Se
rve
r B
ay
13
Se
rve
r B
ay
14
Se
rve
r B
ay
15
Se
rve
r B
ay
16
VC-FC Module - VC-FC Module -
Blade enclosure/
Server management
SAN/
Storage management
25271c
Fabric (B-, C-, H-, or M-series)
(with NPIV F_Port support)
Fabric (B-, C-, H-, or M-series)
(with NPIV F_Port support)
Figure 48 HP Virtual Connect Fibre Channel configuration
.
Heterogeneous server rules 188