Understanding the options for changing the host protocol
Review the options for changing the host protocol in an E5600 storage array or an EF560 flash array to confirm that you are
following the correct steps.
The following figure provides a high-level overview of the options for changing the host protocol of an E5600 storage array or
an EF560 flash array.
Key
Option
Description
Hardware
upgrade
You must replace hardware to change the protocol.
Note:
For most hardware upgrades, you need to replace only the HICs;
however, if you currently use iSCSI, Fibre Channel, or Fibre Channel-
iSCSI split protocol, you might need to replace the controller canisters,
which include the HICs. The exact procedure you need to follow depends
on your Replacement Part Number. Refer to
on page 3.
Software
feature pack
conversion
You can apply a software feature pack in SANtricity Storage Manager to
change the protocol.
Important:
This document does not describe how to perform software
feature pack conversions. For those instructions, use one of the documents
listed at the end of this topic.
As the figure indicates, there are three methods for changing the host protocol. You might need to:
•
Upgrade hardware components (the paths shown with the solid, blue arrows)
•
Perform a software feature pack conversion (the paths shown with the dotted, green arrows)
•
Perform both a hardware upgrade and a feature pack conversion. For example, if you want to change the protocol from SAS
to Infiniband (IB), and you want to use iSCSI RDMA Protocol (SRP) instead of iSCSI Extensions for Remote Direct
Memory Access (iSER), you must follow a two-step process:
1. Upgrade the hardware to change the HICs from SAS to IB-iSER (this is the IB HIC's default protocol).
2
Changing the Host Protocol in the E5600 or EF560 by Replacing Hardware Components