Storage Area Network

MODULE 5 FIBRE CHANNEL STORAGE AREA NETWORK (FC SAN)
EMC Proven Professional. Copyright 2012 EMC Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network
Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network (FC SAN)

Upon completion of this module, you should be able to: Describe FC SAN and its components Describe FC architecture Describe FC SAN topologies and zoning Describe virtualization in SAN environment

Lesson 1: Overview of FC SAN
During this lesson the following topics are covered: Evolution of FC SAN Components of FC SAN FC interconnectivity options FC port types
Business Needs and Technology Challenges
An effective information management solution must provide:

Just-in-time information to business users Flexible and resilient storage infrastructure
Information management challenges in DAS environment:

Explosive growth of information storage that remains isolated and
underutilized Proliferation of new servers and applications Complexity in sharing storage resources across multiple servers High cost of managing information
Storage area network (SAN) addresses these challenges
What is a SAN?
SAN
It is a high-speed, dedicated network of servers and shared storage devices.
Centralizes storage and management Enables sharing of storage resources across multiple servers at

block level Meets increasing storage demands efficiently with better economies of scale Common SAN deployments are:
Fibre Channel (FC) SAN: uses FC protocol for communication IP SAN: uses IP-based protocols for communication
Understanding Fibre Channel
High-speed network technology

Latest FC implementation supports speed up to 16 Gb/s
Highly scalable
Theoretically, accommodate approximately 15 million devices
IP Network
FC SAN
Clients
Application Servers
Storage Arrays
Components of FC SAN
Node (server and storage) ports Cables Connectors Interconnecting devices such as FC switches and hubs SAN management software
Node Ports
Provide physical interface for communicating with other nodes Exist on

HBA in server Front-end adapters in storage
Each port has a transmit (Tx) link and a receive (Rx) link
Node Port 0
Port 0 Port 1 Tx Rx
Link
Port n
Cables
SAN implementation uses

Copper cables for short distance Optical fiber cables for long distance
Two types of optical cables: single-mode and multimode

Cladding Core Cladding Core
Single-mode
Light In
Multimode
Light In
Carries single beam of light Distance up to 10km
Can carry multiple beams (a) Multi-mode Fiber of light simultaneously Used for short distance (Modal dispersion weakens signal strength after certain distance )
(b) Single-mode Fiber
Single-mode Fiber
Core
Cladding
Light In
(a) Multi-mode Fiber Multimode Fiber
Connectors
Attached at the end of a cable Enable swift connection and disconnection
of the cable to and from a port Commonly used connectors for fiber optic cables are:
Standard Connector (SC) Duplex connectors Lucent Connector (LC) Duplex connectors Straight Tip (ST) Patch panel connectors Simplex connectors
Standard Connector
Lucent Connector
Straight Tip Connector
Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network 10
Interconnecting Devices
Commonly used interconnecting devices in FC SAN are:

Hubs, switches, and directors
Hubs provide limited connectivity and scalability Switches and directors are intelligent devices
Switches are available with fixed port count or modular design Directors are always modular, and its port count can be increased
by inserting additional 'line cards' or 'blades' High-end switches and directors contain redundant components
SAN Management Software
A suite of tools used in a SAN to manage

interfaces between host and storage arrays Provides integrated management of SAN environment Enables web-based management using GUI or CLI
FC Interconnectivity Options
Point-to-Point Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) Fibre Channel Switched Fabric (FC-SW)
Point-to-Point Connectivity
Enables direct connection between nodes Offers limited connectivity and scalability Used in DAS environment Servers
Server
Server Storage Array
FC-AL Connectivity
Provides shared loop to attached nodes

Nodes must arbitrate to gain control
Servers
Implemented using ring or star topology Limitations of FC-AL

Only one device can perform I/O operation at a
Server
time Supports up to 126 nodes Addition or removal of a node causes momentary pause in loop traffic
FC Hub
Storage Array
FC-SW Connectivity
Creates a logical space (called fabric) in which all nodes

communicate with one another using switches
Interswitch links (ISLs) enable switches to be connected together
Provides dedicated path between nodes Addition/removal of node does not affect traffic of other nodes
Servers Storage Array FC Switch FC Switch
Server
Interswitch Links
Port Types in Switched Fabric

Server
N-Port
F-Port FC Switch F-Port N-Port Storage Array E-Port ISL N-Port Storage Array E-Port FC Switch F-Port

Lesson 2: Fibre Channel (FC) Architecture
During this lesson the following topics are covered: FC protocol stack FC addressing WWN addressing Structure and organization of FC data Fabric services Fabric login types
FC Architecture Overview
Provides benefits of both channel and network technologies

Provides high performance with low protocol overheads Provides high scalability with long distance capability
Implements SCSI over FC network-FCP(Fibre Channel Protocol)

Transports SCSI data through FC network
Storage devices, attached to SAN, appear as local storage devices

to host operating system
Fibre Channel Protocol Stack

Upper Layer Protocol
Example: SCSI, HIPPI, ESCON, ATM, IP
FC-4 FC-2 FC-1
Upper Layer Protocol Mapping Framing/Flow Control
Encode/Decode
1 Gb/s 2 Gb/s 4 Gb/s 8 Gb/s 16 Gb/s
FC-0
FC Layer
FC-4
Function
Mapping interface
Features Specified by FC Layer

Mapping upper layer protocol (e.g. SCSI) to lower FC layers
FC-3
FC-2 FC-1 FC-0
Common services
Routing, flow control Encode/decode Physical layer
Not implemented
Frame structure, FC addressing, flow control 8b/10b or 64b/66b encoding, bit and frame synchronization Media, cables, connector
FC Addressing in Switched Fabric
FC Address is assigned to nodes during fabric login Address format

Used for communication between nodes within FC SAN
Domain ID is a unique number provided to each switch in the

fabric
Maximum possible number of node ports in a switched fabric:

239 domains X 256 areas X 256 ports = 15,663,104
239 addresses are available for domain ID
World Wide Name (WWN)
Unique 64 bit identifier Static to node ports on an FC network

Similar to MAC address of NIC WWNN and WWPN are used to uniquely identify nodes and ports
respectively
World Wide Name - Array
5
0101
0
0000
0
0000
6
0110
0
0000
1
0001
6
0110
0
0000
0
0000
0
0000
6
0110
0
0000
0
0000
1
0001
B
1011
2
0010
Format Type
Company ID 24 bits
Port
Model Seed 32 bits
World Wide Name - HBA 1

Format Type
0
Reserved 12 bits
Company ID 24 bits
Company Specific 24 bits
Structure and Organization of FC Data
FC data is organized as Exchange, Sequence, and Frame

FC Data Structure Description Enables two N_Ports to identify and manage a set of information units Information unit: upper layer protocol-specific information that is sent to another port to perform certain operation Each information unit maps to a sequence Includes one or more sequences Contiguous set of frames that correspond to an information unit Fundamental unit of data transfer Each frame consists of five parts: SOF, frame header, data field, CRC, and EOF Frame Header Data Field CRC EOF
24 Bytes 0 - 2112 Bytes 4 Bytes 4 Bytes
Exchange
Sequence Frame
SOF 4 Bytes
FC Frame
Fabric Services
FC switches provide fabric services as defined in FC standards

Fabric Services Fabric Login Server Description Used during the initial part of the nodes fabric login process Located at pre-defined address of FFFFFE Responsible for name registration and management of node ports Located at pre-defined address FFFFFC Responsible for managing and distributing Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) to attached node ports Responsible for distributing SW-RSCNs to every other switch SW-RSCNs keep the name server up-to-date on all switches Located at pre-defined address FFFFFD Enables FC SAN management using fabric management software Located at pre-defined address FFFFFA
Name Server
Fabric Controller Management Server
Login Types in Switched Fabric
Fabric login (FLOGI)

Occurs between an N_Port and an F_Port Node sends a FLOGI frame with WWN to Fabric Login Server on
switch Node obtains FC address from switch Immediately after FLOGI, N_Port registers with Name Server on switch, indicating its WWN, port type, assigned FC address, etc. N_Port queries name server about all other logged in ports
Port login (PLOGI)

Occurs between two N_Ports to establish a session Exchange service parameters relevant to the session

Lesson 3: FC SAN Topologies and Zoning
During this lesson the following topics are covered: Mesh and core-edge topologies Benefits of zoning Types of zoning
Mesh Topology
Full Mesh FC Switches
Full mesh
Each switch is connected to every other
Server
switch Maximum of one ISL or hop is required for host-to-storage traffic Host and storage can be connected to any switch
Storage Array Partial Mesh FC Switches
Partial mesh
Not all the switches are connected to
every other switch
Server
Storage Array
Core and edge switches in a SAN fabric
Core-edge Topology
Consists of edge and core

switch tiers Network traffic traverses core tier or terminate at core tier Storage is usually connected to the core tier Benefits
High availability Medium scalability
FC Switch
Edge Tier FC Switch
FC Switch
Server
FC Director Core Tier
Storage Array
FC Switch
Edge Tier FC Switch
FC Switch
Medium to maximum
connectivity
Server
FC Director FC Director Core Tier
Storage Array
Zoning
Zoning
It is an FC switch function that enables node ports within the fabric to be logically segmented into groups, and communicate with each other within the group.
Zone set comprises zones Each zone comprises zone

members (HBA and array ports) Benefits
Restricts RSCN traffic
Server
Zone 1
FC SAN
Storage Array Array port Servers HBA Port Zone 2
Provides access control
Types of Zoning
Servers Switch Domain ID = 15 Port 5
Zone 2 Port 1
WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:40
FC Switch
Storage Array
Port 9 Zone 3
WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:56
Port 12
WWN 50:06:04:82:E8:91:2B:9E
Zone 1
WWN 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:82
Zone 1 (WWN Zone) = 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:82 ; 50:06:04:82:E8:91:2B:9E Zone 2 (Port Zone) = 15,5 ; 15,12 Zone 3 (Mixed Zone) = 10:00:00:00:C9:20:DC:56 ; 15,12
Zoning
32

Lesson 4: Virtualization in SAN
During this lesson the following topics are covered: Block-level storage virtualization Virtual SAN
Virtualized View of Storage
Block-level Storage Virtualization
Provides a virtualization
layer in SAN Abstracts block storage devices and creates a storage pool by aggregating LUNs Virtual volumes are created from storage pool and assigned to hosts
Virtualization layer maps
Servers
Server
FC SAN Virtual Volume
Virtualization Appliance
Benefits
virtual volumes to LUNs

LUN
Storage Pool
LUN
Online volume expansion Nondisruptive migration
LUN
LUN
Storage Array
Storage Array
Use Case: Block-level Storage Virtualization across Data Centers Data Center 1 Data Center 2
Servers Servers Server Server
Virtual Volumes
Virtualization Appliance
Virtual Volumes
FC or IP
FC SAN
FC SAN
Virtualization Layer
Storage Arrays
Storage Arrays
Virtual SAN (VSAN)/Virtual Fabric

VSAN
It is a logical fabric on an FC SAN, enabling communication among a group of nodes, regardless of their physical location in the fabric.
VSAN 10 Servers Servers
VSAN 20
Server
Server
Each VSAN has its own fabric

services (name server, zoning), configuration, and set of FC addresses VSANs improve SAN security, scalability, availability, and manageability
Storage Array
FC SAN
Storage Array
VSANs offer the following advantages: Traffic isolationTraffic is contained within VSAN boundaries
and devices reside only in one VSAN ensuring absolute separation between user groups, if desired. ScalabilityVSANs are overlaid on top of a single physical fabric. The ability to create several logical VSAN layers increases the scalability of the SAN. Per VSAN fabric servicesReplication of fabric services on a per VSAN basis provides increased scalability and availability. RedundancySeveral VSANs created on the same physical SAN ensure redundancy. If one VSAN fails, redundant protection (to another VSAN in the same physical SAN) is configured using a backup path between the host and the device.
Ease of configurationUsers can be added, moved, or changed

between VSANs without changing the physical structure of a SAN. Moving a device from one VSAN to another only requires configuration at the port level, not at a physical level.

Concept in Practice:
EMC Connectrix EMC VPLEX
EMC Connectrix
Connectrix family includes networked storage connectivity

products
Offers high-speed FC connectivity, highly resilient switching
technology, intelligent IP storage networking, and I/O consolidation with Fibre Channel over Ethernet
Connectrix family consist of enterprise directors, departmental

switches, and multi-purpose switches
EMC VPLEX
Provides solution for block-level storage virtualization and data

mobility both within and across data centers Enables multiple hosts located across two locations to access a single copy of data Provides capability to mirror a virtual volume both within and across locations
Allows hosts at different data centers to simultaneously access
cache-coherent copies of the same virtual volume
VPLEX family consists of three products

VPLEX Local
VPLEX Metro
VPLEX Geo
Module 5: Summary
Key points covered in this module: FC SAN components and connectivity options FC protocol stack and addressing Structure and organization of FC data Fabric services Fabric topologies Types of zoning Block-level storage virtualization and virtual SAN
Exercise: FC SAN
Current situation
An organizations IT infrastructure consists of three storage arrays
direct-attached to a heterogeneous mix of 45 servers Servers are dual-attached to the arrays to ensure high availability Each storage array has 32 front-end ports, which could support maximum of 16 servers Each storage array has the disk capacity to support a maximum of 32 servers
Exercise: FC SAN (contd..)
Organizations challenges/requirements
Organization needs to deploy additional 45 servers to meet growth
requirements Existing storage arrays are poorly utilized and adding of new servers require to purchase new arrays Organization wants to implement FC SAN to overcome the scalability and utilization challenges Hop count must be minimized to meet performance requirement
Task
Propose a FC switched fabric topology to address organizations
challenges/requirements and justify your choice If 72-port FC switches are available, determine the minimum number of switches required in the fabric

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What are the components of a Fibre Channel SAN?

What are the components of a Fibre Channel SAN?

What are some connectivity options in a Fibre Channel SAN?

What are some connectivity options in a Fibre Channel SAN?

MODULE 5 FIBRE CHANNEL STORAGE AREA NETWORK (FC SAN)

Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network

Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network (FC SAN)

Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network

Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network (FC SAN)

Module 5: Fibre Channel Storage Area Network

Business Needs and Technology Challenges

An effective information management solution must provide:

Information management challenges in DAS environment: