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Fibre Channel connections
The storage server Fibre Channel consists of a host Fibre Channel loop and a drive
Fibre Channel loop. The host Fibre Channel loop provides the fibre path for host
attachment. It can consist of Fibre Channel cables, GBICs, host bus adapters, Fibre
Channel switches, Fibre Channel managed hubs, and RAID controllers. The drive
Fibre Channel loop provides the fibre path to the hard disk drives (HDDs). The drive
Fibre Channel loop consists of Fibre Channel HDDs and optional drive expansion
units, Fibre Channel cables, and GBICs.
The Model 3542-2RU storage server supports redundant disk-drive-loop
configurations. Each RAID controller has two GBIC ports. These GBIC ports are
labeled FC-Host and FC-Expansion Units. You can build a redundant drive loop by
connecting one or more expansion units to the redundant RAID controllers. Then, use
dual fiber-optic cables to connect one expansion unit to another in a daisy-chain. For
more information about adding expansion units, see "Connecting additional
expansion units" on page 22.
Note: The Model 3542-1RU storage server supports a single Fibre Channel host and
Fibre Channel loop configurations
You must determine how the host systems will connect to the storage server. You can
connect one host system directly to the storage server or connect multiple hosts to the
storage server through managed hubs and switches. The illustrations in the following
sections show common host system configurations.
drive loop.
Chapter 2. Installing the storage server
11
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