Using The Fc-Fc Routing Service; Fibre Channel Routing Overview - Brocade Communications Systems StoreFabric SN6500B Administrator's Manual

Using the FC-FC Routing Service

In this chapter

Fibre Channel Routing overview

Fibre Channel Routing (FCR) provides connectivity to devices in different fabrics without merging
the fabrics.
For example, Fibre Channel Routing allows you to share tape drives across multiple fabrics without
the administrative problems, such as change management, network management, scalability,
reliability, availability, and serviceability that might result from merging the fabrics.
Fibre Channel Routing lets you create logical storage area networks (LSANs) that can span fabrics.
These LSANs allow Fibre Channel zones to cross physical SAN boundaries without merging the
fabrics while maintaining the access controls of zones.
Note the following terminology for Fibre Channel Routing:
backbone fabric
edge fabric
EX-Port
FC Router
interfabric link (IFL)
metaSAN
Web Tools Administrator's Guide
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Fibre Channel Routing overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
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Supported switches for Fibre Channel Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
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Setting up FC-FC routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
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FC-FC routing management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
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Viewing EX-Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
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Configuring an EX-Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
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Configuring FCR router port cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
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Viewing LSAN zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
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Configuring the backbone fabric ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
An FC Router can connect two edge fabrics; a backbone fabric connects FC
Routers. The FC Router fabric is the backbone fabric. A backbone fabric
consists of at least one FC Router and possibly a number of Fabric OS-based
Fibre Channel switches. Initiators and targets in the edge fabric can
communicate with devices in the backbone fabric through the FC Router.
A standard Fibre Channel fabric with targets and initiators connected through
an FC Router to another Fibre Channel fabric.
A type of port that functions somewhat like an E_Port, but does not propagate
fabric services or routing topology information from one fabric to another.
A switch running FC-FC Routing Service.
The link between an E_Port and an EX-Port, or a VE_Port and a VEX-Port.
The collection of all SANs interconnected with FC Routers.
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