Building SANs with Brocade Fabric Switches

Chris Beauchamp, Syngress

ISBN:192899430X, Edition: 1, 2001-01-15

Price: $79.95

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to SANs ~ 1
Introduction ~ 2
Overview of SANs ~ 2
Taming the Storage Monster ~ 8
Benefits of Building a SAN ~ 10
Ensuring High Availability ~ 10
Consolidating Storage ~ 11
Reducing Network Congestion from Backup ~ 13
Accelerating Backup Cycles ~ 14
Speeding Up Data Access ~ 14
Increasing Server Cycles ~ 14
Ensuring Disaster Tolerance ~ 15
When to Deploy a SAN ~ 16
Designing Around the Application ~ 16
Assessing Speed, Bandwidth, and Distance Requirements ~ 17
Data Sharing and Consolidation Needs ~ 18
Resource Sharing ~ 19
Volume-Level Sharing ~ 19
File-Level Sharing ~ 19
Steps to a Successful SAN Deployment ~ 20
Summary ~ 25
Solutions Fast Track ~ 26
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 28

Chapter 2 Fibre Channel Basics ~ 29
Introduction ~ 30
The Architecture of SANs ~ 30
Fibre Channel Protocol ~ 37
Classes of Service ~ 37
Storage Network Topologies ~ 37
Fabric Services ~ 38
Fibre Channel Protocol Basics ~ 38
Fibre Channel Levels ~ 40
ULPs ~ 42
Classes of Service ~ 43
Class 1 ~ 43
Class 2 ~ 44
Class 3 ~ 44
Class 4 ~ 44
Class F ~ 45
Storage Network Topologies ~ 45
Point-to-Point Topology ~ 45
Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) Topology ~ 47
Switched Fabric Topology ~ 48
Fabric Services ~ 49
Login Server ~ 50
Name Server ~ 50
Fabric/Switch Controller ~ 51
Management Server ~ 51
Time Server ~ 52
Other Services ~ 52
Summary ~ 53
Solutions Fast Track ~ 54
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 57

Chapter 3 SAN Components and Equipment ~ 59
Introduction ~ 60
Overview of Fibre Channel Equipment ~ 61
Cabling and Media ~ 61
GBICs and Connectors ~ 61
Hubs ~ 63
Switches ~ 63
Storage ~ 64
Host Bus Adapters ~ 64
Routers and Bridges ~ 64
Cabling and GBICs ~ 65
Copper Versus Optical: Selecting Your Media ~ 65
Copper Cabling ~ 65
Multimode Optical Cabling ~ 66
Single-Mode Optical Cabling ~ 68
Connecting with Connectors ~ 69
The DB-9 Copper Connector ~ 69
The HSSDC Copper Connector ~ 70
The SC Optical Connector ~ 71
High-Density Fiber-Optic Connectors ~ 72
Comparing GBICs to Fixed Media ~ 73
Using a GBIC ~ 73
Pros and Cons of Using GBICs ~ 74
GBIC Ports on Equipment ~ 74
Serialized Versus Nonserialized ~ 74
Common Problems with GBICs ~ 75
Media Interface Adapters ~ 75
Using Hubs ~ 76
Simple Electrical Hubs ~ 76
Managed Hubs ~ 76
LIP Service: Fibre Channel LIPs, Problems, and Solutions ~ 78
Getting Out of the Loop: Migrating to Switched Fabric ~ 79
Using Switches and Fibre Channel Fabrics ~ 80
Basic Switch Types ~ 80
Entry-Level Switches ~ 81
Scalable Fabric Switches ~ 81
Core Fabric Switches ~ 81
Features of Fibre Channel Switches ~ 82
Zoning ~ 83
Classes of Service ~ 84
Fabric Services ~ 85
Redundancy ~ 86
Buffer Credits per Port ~ 86
Self-Configuring Ports ~ 87
Auto-Negotiating Speeds ~ 88
IP over Fibre Channel Broadcasting ~ 88
Firmware Upgrade Methods ~ 89
Loop Operation: Making Your Switch Act Like a Hub ~ 90
FSPF Compliance ~ 90
Management Interfaces ~ 91
Serial Port ~ 91
Telnet ~ 91
SNMP ~ 91
Web-Based Management ~ 93
Application-Based Management ~ 94
SCSI Enclosure Services ~ 94
Connecting Your Servers with Host Bus Adapters ~ 95
Connecting Hosts to the Fabric ~ 95
HBA Types ~ 95
Speeds ~ 97
Ports ~ 98
Combination Adapters ~ 98
Fabric-Capable Versus Loop Adapters ~ 98
HBA-Based LUN Masking ~ 99
Persistent Binding ~ 99
Default LUN Access Permissions ~ 100
Upper-Level Protocol Access Permissions ~ 100
Dynamic Versus Static Discovery ~ 101
Configuration Management Software ~ 101
HBA API Support ~ 101
Remote Boot across the SAN ~ 103
Hot-Plug Support ~ 104
Connecting Legacy Devices into Your SAN ~ 106
Basic Features of Routers ~ 106
Number of SCSI Buses ~ 107
Types of SCSI Ports,Termination ~ 108
Selective LUN Presentation ~ 108
Extended Copy Support ~ 108
Management Interfaces ~ 109
Bridging and Routing to IP Networks and Beyond ~ 109
Fibre Channel to DWDM ~ 109
Fibre Channel across IP Networks ~ 110
IP over Fibre Channel to Gigabit Ethernet ~ 110
Fibre Channel Storage ~ 111
Individual Disk Drives and JBODs ~ 111
High-End Storage Arrays ~ 113
Selective LUN Presentation ~ 113
LUN Export across Multiple Ports ~ 113
Snapshot Backup Volumes ~ 114
Summary ~ 115
Solutions Fast Track ~ 116
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 121

Chapter 4 Overview of Brocade SilkWorm Switches and Features ~ 123
Introduction ~ 124
Selecting the Right Switch ~ 124
Entry-Level Switches ~ 126
SilkWorm 2010 (8 Ports) and 2210 (16 Ports) ~ 127
SilkWorm 2040 (8 Ports) and 2240 (16 Ports) ~ 127
SilkWorm 2050 (8 Ports) and 2250 (16 Ports) ~ 128
Scalable Fabric Switches ~ 128
SilkWorm 2400 ~ 129
SilkWorm 2800 ~ 129
SilkWorm 6400 Integrated Fabric ~ 130
SilkWorm 12000 Core Fabric Switch ~ 131
Understanding the Brocade Fabric OS ~ 132
Fabric OS Core Functions ~ 133
Fibre Channel Services for Reconfiguration ~ 133
Dynamic Routing Services ~ 134
Facilities for End-to-End SAN Management ~ 135
Brocade Command Line Interface ~ 135
Using Optional Brocade Features ~ 135
Brocade Zoning ~ 136
Extended Fabrics ~ 136
Fabric Watch ~ 138
Understanding Loop Support, QuickLoop, and Fabric Assist ~ 138
Brocade WEB TOOLS ~ 139
Future Capabilities in the Brocade Intelligent Fabric Services Architecture ~ 140
Brocade ISL Trunking ~ 140
Brocade Frame Filtering ~ 142
More Robust Hardware-Enforced Zoning ~ 142
Enhanced End-to-End Performance Analysis ~ 143
Secure Fabric OS ~ 143
Summary ~ 144
Solutions Fast Track ~ 144
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 146

Chapter 5 The SAN Design Process ~ 149
Introduction ~ 150
Looking at the Overall Lifecycle of a SAN ~ 151
Data Collection ~ 153
Data Analysis ~ 153
Architecture Development ~ 153
Prototype and Testing ~ 153
Transition ~ 154
Release to Production ~ 154
Maintenance ~ 155
Conducting Data Collection ~ 156
Creating an Interview Plan ~ 156
Conducting the Interviews ~ 157
What Overall Business Problem Are You Trying to Solve? ~ 158
What Are the Business Requirements of the Solution? ~ 158
What Is Known about the Nodes that Will Attach to the SAN? ~ 160
Which SAN-Enabled Applications Do You Have in Mind? ~ 165
Which Components of the Solution Already Exist? ~ 165
Which Components Are Already in Production? ~ 166
Which Elements of the Solution Need to Be Prototyped and Tested? ~ 166
What Equipment Will Be Available for Testing? ~ 166
How and When Are Backups to Be Done? ~ 167
What Will Be the Traffic Patterns in the Solution? ~ 167
What Do We Know about Current Performance Characteristics? ~ 168
What Do We Know about Future Performance Characteristics? ~ 172
How Much Downtime Is Acceptable to Production Components During Implementation? ~ 174
How Much Downtime Is Acceptable for Routine Maintenance? How Much Downtime Is Acceptable for Upgrades
and Architectural Changes? ~ 174
When Do You Need Each Piece of the Solution to Be Complete? ~ 175
Summary List of Questions ~ 176
Conduct a Physical Assessment ~ 176
Analyzing the Collected Data ~ 177
Processing What You Have Collected ~ 177
Establishing Port Requirements ~ 182
Simple Case ~ 183
Moderate Case ~ 185
Complex Case ~ 186
Preparing an ROI Analysis ~ 187
The Return On Investment Proposition ~ 188
The Rest of the Process and the Repetition of the Cycle ~ 190
Summary ~ 191
Solutions Fast Track ~ 192
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 193

Chapter 6 SAN Applications and Configurations ~ 195
Introduction ~ 196
Configuring a High-Availability Cluster ~ 196
Typical HA Application or Database Server ~ 198
Microsoft Cluster Server ~ 200
Using a SAN for Storage Consolidation ~ 203
Shared Storage Using a Web Farm ~ 206
Storage Partitioning Using Switch Zoning ~ 208
Switch Zoning Configuration for Departmental SANs ~ 208
Storage Partitioning Using Storage LUN Masking ~ 210
Storage Partitioning Using HBA LUN Masking ~ 210
Partitioning with Software ~ 211
LAN-Free Backup Configuration ~ 212
SAN Server-Free Backup ~ 213
SAN-Based Third-Party Copy Data Movers ~ 215
Making Your Enterprise Disaster Tolerant ~ 216
Data Replication and Remote Backup ~ 218
Metropolitan Area Network Solutions ~ 219
Summary ~ 222
Solutions Fast Track ~ 222
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 226

Chapter 7 Developing a SAN Architecture ~ 227
Introduction ~ 228
Identifying Fabric Topologies and SAN Architectures ~ 229
Useful Topologies ~ 235
Scalability ~ 236
Cascade Topology ~ 236
Ring Topology ~ 237
Mesh Topologies ~ 238
Core/Edge or Star Topologies ~ 242
Topologies at a Glance ~ 246
Complex Topologies ~ 246
Working with the Core/Edge Topology ~ 246
Scaling without Downtime ~ 248
Adding an Edge Switch ~ 248
Upgrading the Core ~ 250
Determining Levels of Availability ~ 256
Configuring Traffic Patterns ~ 261
Leveraging Tiers ~ 261
Exploiting Locality ~ 266
Using Any-to-Any Connectivity ~ 268
Evaluating Performance Considerations ~ 269
When Is Over-Subscription Bad? ~ 270
Considerations Outside the Fabric ~ 270
Summary ~ 272
Solutions Fast Track ~ 273
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 275

Chapter 8 SAN Troubleshooting ~ 277
Introduction ~ 278
The Troubleshooting Approach:The ~ SAN
Is a Virtual Cable ~ 278
A Typical Scenario:“I Cannot See My Disks” ~ 279
Where to Start and What Data to Gather ~ 283
Take a Snapshot: Describe the Problem and Gather Information ~ 284
Troubleshooting Tools ~ 287
Using the Switch LEDs ~ 287
Switch Diagnostics ~ 289
Helpful Commands ~ 290
SAN Profile ~ 308
What Data Can a Host Provide? ~ 312
When to Use portLog and Other Advanced Tools ~ 314
Troubleshooting the Fabric ~ 316
What to Look for in a Malfunctioning Fabric ~ 317
Host Behavior ~ 317
SAN Profile ~ 317
Switch LEDs ~ 318
The errShow Command ~ 318
The switchShow Command ~ 318
The topologyShow Command ~ 320
The nsShow and nsAllShow Commands ~ 320
Now that You Suspect a SAN Issue: Digging Deeper ~ 321
Timeout of Edge Devices During Fabric Bring Up ~ 321
Port Configuration Conflict or Missing Fabric License ~ 322
Segmented Fabrics ~ 323
Troubleshooting Devices that Cannot Be Seen ~ 327
What to Look for in the Fabric ~ 329
Are the Host and Storage Visible via switchShow on Their Respective Switches? ~ 329
Do the Devices Show Up in the Name Server? ~ 332
Rule Out Zoning Issues ~ 333
Edge Device Not in the Name Server ~ 334
Troubleshooting Marginal Links ~ 335
Marginal Point-to-Point/Fabric Device Links ~ 335
Marginal Loop Connections ~ 337
Nx_Port (Host/Storage) Behavior with a Marginal Port in the Loop ~ 338
Marginal GBIC/Cable ~ 338
Connected Device ~ 339
Fault Isolation ~ 339
How the Switch Can Help: Fabric Watch and QuickLoop Zoning ~ 339
Overview of SilkWorm Port Error Statistics ~ 341
Troubleshooting I/O Pauses ~ 342
Summary ~ 344
Solutions Fast Track ~ 345
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 347

Chapter 9 SAN Implementation, Maintenance, and Management ~ 349
Introduction ~ 350
Installation Considerations ~ 351
How to Cable Your SAN for Ease of Operation ~ 351
Racking Considerations ~ 354
In-Band or Out-of-Band Management? ~ 356
IPFC In-Band Guidelines ~ 357
Setting Switch Parameters ~ 358
What Fabric OS Version Should I Use? ~ 361
Licenses ~ 366
Automating Switch Administration Activities ~ 367
Fabric OS APIs ~ 367
Expect Scripting ~ 369
A Switch Management Wrapper Using Expect ~ 369
Brocade Zoning Considerations ~ 372
Where to Zone? ~ 373
Hard Zoning or Soft Zoning? ~ 375
Hard Zoning and Soft Zoning Differences ~ 378
Zone Management ~ 378
Scripting Zoning Operations ~ 379
Zoning Tips ~ 381
Validating Your Fabric ~ 382
Baseline Your SAN Profile ~ 382
Fault Injection ~ 384
Running an I/O Load ~ 385
Types of Load ~ 386
I/O Generators ~ 387
SAN Maintenance ~ 391
The Configuration Log: Key Information to Gather and Maintain about Your SAN ~ 391
Backing Up and Restoring a Switch Configuration ~ 393
Bringing Up a Fabric ~ 394
Expanding a Fabric: Merging Fabrics, Adding a Switch, or Replacing a Switch ~ 395
Upgrading Your Fabric ~ 398
Issues Applicable to Both Hot and Cold Upgrades ~ 398
Performing a Hot Fabric Upgrade ~ 399
Performing a Cold Fabric Upgrade ~ 400
How to Automate firmwareDownload ~ 400
Replacing or Adding an Edge Device in the Fabric ~ 401
Summary ~ 403
Solutions Fast Track ~ 405
Frequently Asked Questions ~ 408

Appendix Building SANs with Brocade Fabric Switches Fast Track ~ 409

Index ~ 431