Multiple Data Transmission Speeds In A Single Fabric - HP StorageWorks 64 - SAN Director Switch Planning Manual

Planning Considerations for Fibre Channel Topologies

Multiple Data Transmission Speeds in a Single Fabric

The Director 2/64, Edge Switch 2/16, and Edge Switch 2/32 support auto-sensing
of 1.0625 and 2.125 Gbps device connections. The introduction of a higher data
transmission speed to the SAN design provides several benefits and alternatives:
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When installing 2.125 Gbps-capable fabric elements in a core-to-edge topology,
deploy the directors or switches at the fabric core to provide end-to-end
high-speed ISL capability. If 2.125 Gbps device connectivity is required, attach
the devices to the core director or switch as Tier 1 devices. If possible, employ
device locality by connecting 2.125 Gbps devices to the same director or switch.
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High-speed device connectivity — As Fibre Channel devices and HBAs
evolve and become 2.125 Gbps-capable, higher-speed switches are required to
provide basic fabric connectivity.
Better fabric performance — As a connection between edge switches, a
2.125 Gbps ISL delivers double the bandwidth of a 1.0625 ISL. Fibre Channel
devices that are not 2.125 Gbps-capable benefit from a higher-speed ISL,
because 1.0625 Gbps traffic is multiplexed and transmitted through the 2.125
Gbps ISL.
Additional port count — If additional ISL bandwidth is not required for
fabric performance, 2.125 Gbps connectivity allows the number of ISL
connections to be reduced, thus yielding additional director or switch ports for
device connectivity.
SAN High Availability Planning Guide