Server Consolidation; Server Consolidation - HP StorageWorks 64 - SAN Director Switch Planning Manual

Planning Considerations for Fibre Channel Topologies

Server Consolidation

Providing fabric connectivity for multiple low-bandwidth servers (Windows NT
or UNIX-based) by attaching them individually to an expensive Fibre Channel
director is not a cost-effective solution. A practical solution is to consolidate the
servers on an inexpensive loop switch, then connect the switch to a single director
or edge switch E_Port.
Figure 33
through one B_Port connection to a director. Each server has a 10-MBps
bandwidth, therefore the sum of the bandwidths of all consolidated servers equals
the B_Port bandwidth of 1.0625 Gbps. Connecting another server to the switch
would exceed the B_Port capability and adversely impact director-to-switch link
performance. Other devices (such as tape drives) should not be connected to a
switch used for server consolidation.
Figure 33: Server consolidation
76
illustrates the consolidation of ten servers (using two unmanaged hubs)
SAN High Availability Planning Guide