Technical data

______________________ Note _______________________
TruCluster Server Version 5.1A configurations require one or
more disks to hold the Tru64 UNIX operating system. The disks
are either private disks on the system that will become the first
cluster member, or disks on a shared bus that the system can
access.
Whether or not you install the base operating system on a shared
disk, always shut down the cluster before booting the Tru64
UNIX disk.
TruCluster Server requires a cluster interconnect, which can
be the Memory Channel, or a private LAN. (See the Cluster
LAN Interconnect manual for more information on the LAN
interconnect.) All the configurations in this chapter are shown
with the Memory Channel interconnect. The illustrations could
represent multiple standalone systems by removing the Memory
Channel.
6.1 Fibre Channel Overview
Fibre Channel supports multiple protocols over the same physical interface.
Fibre Channel is primarily a protocol-independent transport medium;
therefore, it is independent of the function for which you use it.
TruCluster Server uses the Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for SCSI to use
Fibre Channel as the physical interface.
Fibre Channel, with its serial transmission method, overcomes the
limitations of parallel SCSI by providing:
• Data rates of 100 MB/sec, 200 MB/sec, and 400 MB/sec
• Support for multiple protocols
• Better scalability
• Improved reliability, serviceability, and availability
Fibre Channel uses an extremely high-transmit clock frequency to achieve
the high data rate. Using optical fiber transmission lines allows the
high-frequency information to be sent up to 40 kilometers (24.85 miles),
which is the maximum distance between transmitter and receiver. Copper
transmission lines may be used for shorter distances.
6.1.1 Basic Fibre Channel Terminology
The following list describes the basic Fibre Channel terminology:
6–2 Using Fibre Channel Storage