Q-Logic SANBOX2-8C Manuel D’Utilisation

59042-00 A

3-1

Planning

Consider the following when planning a fabric:

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Devices

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Multiple chassis fabrics

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Performance

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Device access

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Fabric management

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Fabric security

When planning a fabric, consider the number of devices and the anticipated 
demand. This will determine the number of ports that are needed and in turn the 
number of switches. Consider how many and what types of switches are needed.

Consider the distribution of public and private devices as well as targets and 
initiators. Public devices have full Fibre Channel addressing capability, and 
therefore can communicate with any other public device on the fabric. A G_Port 
supports a single public device. A GL_Port can support up to 126 public devices in 
an arbitrated loop.

Private devices do not have full Fibre Channel addressing capability, only the 
Arbitrated Loop Physical Address (ALPA) portion. A TL_Port provides a proxy for 
a loop of private initiator or target devices allowing communication with off-loop 
public and private devices. Consider the number of private devices in the fabric 
and the number of off-loop devices with which the private devices must 
communicate. A TL_Port can support up to 126 private devices and can maintain 
communications with up to 63 off-loop devices.

The Fibre Channel ports use SFP optical transceivers, but the device host bus 
adapters you are using may not. Consider whether the device adapters use SFP 
transceivers or Gigabit Interface Converters (GBIC), and choose fiber optic cable 
accordingly. Use LC-type cable connectors for SFP transceivers and SC-type 
cable connectors for GBICs.