Protocol Intermix Recommendations - HP StorageWorks 64 - SAN Director Switch Planning Manual

Planning Considerations for Fibre Channel Topologies
■

Protocol Intermix Recommendations

The HAFM application and director or switch firmware do not prevent creating
FCP and FICON device configurations that may interfere with each other. A
successful intermix environment requires a set of best practice conventions,
as follows:
■
■
112
When employing inband (Fibre Channel) director or switch management, the
open-systems management server (OSMS) is associated with the FCP
protocol, and the FICON management server (FMS) is associated with the
FICON protocol. Management server differences tend to complicate security
and control issues.
Each server provides facilities to change zoning information (FCP protocol)
or the logical port address-based connectivity configuration (FICON
protocol), but neither provides sufficient functionality for both protocols.
Zoning — FICON devices do not use the Fibre Channel name server;
therefore, name server-based zoning does not affect FICON connectivity.
However, the name server does affect distribution of registered state change
notification (RSCN) service requests to FICON devices. If a FICON device is
not in the same zone as other devices, state changes are not properly
communicated.
All FICON devices must be included in the same zone to facilitate proper
state change notification. Regardless of the director or switch FICON
management style, FCP devices must be zoned in the traditional fashion, and
FICON devices must be zoned to provide isolation from the FCP devices.
Logically assigned ports — In an intermix environment, director or switch
ports should be logically assigned to FCP port groups and FICON port
groups. Although FICON devices can be zoned by device WWN, they must
also be assigned logical port addresses that correspond to the port addresses
configured by the attached host HCD. FICON devices must be attached to
these assigned ports.
In addition, the PDCM array affects port connections at the hardware level, so
a range of port addresses must be established for FCP device use, and a
separate range of port addresses must be established for FICON device use.
FCP ports should always be configured to allow communication with each
other but disallow communication with FICON ports, and vice versa.
Assigning port names to logical port addresses is another best practice that
should be followed. This information gives the user the ability to better
manage the connectivity matrix.
SAN High Availability Planning Guide