Technical data

BCSM IN A NUTSHELL 2008
© 2008 Brocade Communications Systems, Incorporated.
Page 38 of 44
6.4 MANAGING ACCESS GATEWAY SOLUTIONS
Figure 8: Access Gateway
In Fabric OS v5.3, the Brocade 200E can be configured as an Access Gateway
• Access Gateway ports can be configured as N_Ports, which connect to the edge fabric
• No change in domain count – improves the scalability of the fabric
• HBAs are mapped (via NPIV) to the N_Ports, and connect to the edge fabric through the N_Ports –
no fabric management or zoning issues
The Brocade Access Gateway allows multiple host bus adapters (HBAs) to access the fabric using fewer
physical ports. Instead, certain Access Gateway ports are configured as N_Ports, with the attached hosts
mapped through the N_Ports via the N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) protocol. The Brocade Access
Gateway is a device management tool and provides only a subset of Fabric OS commands, so it does not
consume critical fabric elements (e.g. domain IDs) that could inhibit scalability. The Brocade Access
Gateway is compatible with different types of fabrics, including Brocade-, Cisco-, and McDATA-based
fabrics.
ACCESS GATEWAY DETAILS
Access Gateway is included in Fabric OS v5.3 – no separate license required
Access Gateway is supported on the following GoldenEye-based platforms:
• Switches: Brocade 200E
• Embedded switches: Brocade 4012, 4016, 4020, 4024
• Ports on Demand licenses required for all ports
Attached F_Port devices must be Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) initiators only
• Not supported: FCP targets, loop devices, FICON channels/control unit connectivity