Arbitrated Loop With Hub; Hubs - Sun Microsystems storagetek sl500 Reference Manual

Arbitrated Loop with Hub

Arbitrated loops become more viable when they include a hub, a device containing
bypass circuitry for configurations of 8 to 16 ports. See
FIGURE 4-1 Arbitrated Loop with Hub
TAPE
DRIVE
TAPE
DRIVE

Hubs

Sun StorageTek libraries are designed to work with hubs that create an arbitrated
loop with the following capabilities:
Provides port bypass functionality for port failures
■
Centralizes the attachment—within the arbitrated loop—of the tape drives in the
■
library
Establishes connections with either copper or fiber optic cables
■
Provides translation of physical media (such as copper to optical fiber)
■
Provides an external power supply for the port bypass
■
Allows cascading to increase tape drive/library and initiator attachment
■
Supports the ability to power on and off, install or deinstall tape drives or
■
libraries
Provides a central point of port management and monitoring of the tape drives
■
and libraries
Extends the distances between tape drives/libraries and initiators
■
96122 • Revision: F
SERVER
1
ARBITRATED
2
3
HUB
6
FIBRE
CHANNEL
LOOP
5
4
Chapter 4 Fibre Channel Physical Interface 35
Topologies
FIGURE 4-1.
LIBRARY
ENCLOSURE
TAPE
DRIVE
SL500
LIBRARY