Network Configurations; Host Ports Configuration - IBM FlashSystem A9000R Deployment Manual

Network configurations

Host systems can connect to an IBM FlashSystem A9000R over a Fibre Channel
(FC) network by using the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol or
over an Ethernet network by using the Internet Small Computer System Interface
(iSCSI) protocol.
Restriction: A host must be attached to FlashSystem A9000R system through a
Fibre Channel fabric or Ethernet switch.
While a host can connect through FC and iSCSI simultaneously, the same LUN can
only be mapped through FC or iSCSI.
Host traffic can be directed to any of the grid controllers.
Important:
v The administrator must ensure that:
v Always employ multipathing for data connections. If multipathing is not used,
v Host workload balancing should be done by installing the relevant

Host ports configuration

Use these important recommendations, in order to achieve high availability and
high performance in your storage system.
v For high performance:
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IBM FlashSystem A9000R Models 9835-415 and 9837-415 Deployment Guide
Table 23. Management protocols through TCP/IP (continued)
Use Protocol
Key management KMIP
– Host connections avoid single points of failure, by applying redundant
connections.
– All host workload is adequately balanced across the connections and grid
controllers, ensuring system resource utilization is maximized.
the Health widget on the Dashboard of the UI indicates that multipathing is not
used.
Note: Some operating systems may not support multipathing, with some
protocols.
host-attachment kit.
– Review the balancing periodically and when traffic patterns change.
– Host systems must have the appropriate host-attachment kit installed. Host
attachment kits are available for AIX
Windows operating systems. For more information, see IBM Storage Host
Attachment Kit (ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STJKN5).
For supported interoperability configurations, see the System Storage
Interoperation Center website (www.ibm.com/systems/support/storage/
config/ssic). Also see Host Attachment in the IBM FlashSystem A9000 and
IBM FlashSystem A9000R: Architecture, Implementation and Usage Redbook,
SG24-8345.
– Try to spread all ports of grid controllers in the system, evenly.
TCP port Comments
5696 Storage system communicates with key
servers using the KMIP protocol.
®
, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, and Microsoft