Product Features; Connectivity Features - HP StorageWorks 64 - SAN Director Switch Planning Manual

Introduction to HP Fibre Channel Products

Product Features

In addition to the characteristics and performance features described in this
chapter, HP-managed directors and switches also provide a variety of:
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Connectivity Features

Directors, switches, and the associated HAFM and Product Manager applications
support the following Fibre Channel connectivity features:
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Connectivity features.
Security features.
Serviceability features.
Any-to-any connectivity — Director and switch software configures
hardware routing tables for each source port to provide any-to-any port
connectivity. Subject to user-defined restrictions such as port blocking and
zoning, directors and switches define the destination port with which a source
port is allowed to communicate, and provide any-to-any port connectivity. In
addition, directors and switches provide connectivity for both FCP and IBM
FICON devices.
Extended distance support — Through the use of repeaters, any director or
switch port can be configured for extended distance operation. By setting a
port's buffer-to-buffer credit (BB_Credit) value to 60, the port can transmit
data up to 100 kilometers at 1 Gbps or 50 kilometers at 2 Gbps.
Port blocking — System administrators can block or unblock any director or
switch port through the HAFM application. Blocking a port prevents an
attached device from logging in to the product or communicating with any
attached device. A blocked port continuously transmits an offline sequence
(OLS).
Zoning — System administrators can partition attached devices into
restricted-access zones. Devices in the same zone can recognize and
communicate with each other through switched port-to-port connections.
Devices in separate zones cannot recognize and communicate with each other.
Broadcast and multicast support — Directors and switches support
transmission of a Fibre Channel frame to all attached N_Ports (broadcast), or
transmission of a Fibre Channel frame to a user-specified group of attached
N_Ports (multi-cast).
SAN High Availability Planning Guide