Connecting Hosts
E F 3 0 1 5 S e t u p G u i d e ( R e v A )
18
NOTE :
The EF3015 controllers use Unified LUN Presentation (ULP) — a controller
firmware feature enabling hosts to access mapped volumes via host ports — without
the need for internal or external switches.
3.3.1
FC Host Ports
The EF3015 controller enclosures use Fibre Channel (FC) interface protocol for host port
connection, featuring either one or two controller modules. Each controller module
provides two host ports configured with a Fibre Channel small form-factor pluggable (SFP
transceiver) connector, supporting data rates of up to 8 Gbps, with a 1.2 GHz processor and
2 GB cache.
The models referenced above support Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL or “loop”)
topology by default. Connection mode can be set to loop or point-to-point. Loop protocol can
be used in a physical loop or in a direct connection between two devices. Point-to-point
protocol is used to connect to a fabric switch. The EF3015 controller enclosures can
alternatively be cabled to support replication via the FC host interface ports.
3.4
Connecting Direct Attach Configurations
The EF3015 supports up to four direct-connect server connections, two per controller
module. Connect appropriate cables from the server’s HBAs to the controller module’s host
ports as described below, and shown in
.
• To connect the EF3015 controller enclosure to a server HBA or switch — using the
controller’s FC host ports — select Fibre Channel cables supporting 2/4/8 Gb data rates,
that are compatible with the controller module‘s host port SFP connector. Such cables
are also used for connecting a local storage system to a remote storage system via a
switch, to facilitate use of the optional AssuredRemote replication feature.
• The table below maps SFP transceiver data rates to relative fiber optic cable
characteristics (i.e., cable length, multimode fiber type (MMF), and ISO/IEC optical
multimode cable performance standards). When transferring data through FC
connections, cable lengths should not exceed the lengths listed for each given fiber type
and performance code within the applicable data rate (2/4/8 Gb) class.
Figure 7. Maximum cable lengths for 850nm Fibre Channel SFP transceivers
SFP Data
Representative
Cable Performance Code
Data Rate
MMF FC Cable Length Designator
OM1
OM2
OM3
8-Gbps
21m with 62.5µm fiber type
X
50m with 50µm fiber type
X
150m with 50µm fiber type
X
4-Gbps
70m with 62.5µm fiber type
X
150m with 50µm fiber type
X
380m with 50µm fiber type
X
2-Gbps
150m with 62.5µm fiber type
X
300m with 50µm fiber type
X
500m with 50µm fiber type
X
