Administrator Guide
NPIV Proxy Gateway
The N-port identier virtualization (NPIV) Proxy Gateway (NPG) feature provides FCoE-FC bridging capability on the FN 2210S
Aggregator, allowing server CNAs to communicate with SAN fabrics over the FN 2210S Aggregator.
NPIV Proxy Gateway Conguration
The Aggregator switches function as a top-of-rack edge switch that supports Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) trac — Fibre
Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) for storage, Interprocess Communication (IPC) for servers, and Ethernet local area network (LAN) (IP
cloud) for data — as well as FC links to one or more storage area network (SAN) fabrics.
The NPG provides FCoE-FC bridging capability on the Aggregator.
This chapter describes how to congure and use an NPIV proxy gateway on the Aggregator in a SAN.
NPIV Proxy Gateway Operations and Capabilities
Benets of an NPIV Proxy Gateway
The Aggregator functions as a top-of-rack edge switch that supports CEE trac — FCoE for storage, IPC for servers, and Ethernet LAN
(IP cloud) for data — as well as FC links to one or more SAN fabrics.
Using an NPG helps resolve the following problems in a storage area network:
• Fibre Channel storage networks typically consist of servers connected to edge switches, which are connected to SAN core switches.
As the SAN grows, it is necessary to add more ports and SAN switches. This results in an increase in the required domain IDs, which
may surpass the upper limit of 239 domain IDs supported in the SAN network. An NPG avoids the need for additional domain IDs
because it is deployed outside the SAN and uses the domain IDs of core switches in its FCoE links.
• With the introduction of 10GbE links, FCoE is being implemented for server connections to optimize performance. However, a SAN
traditionally uses Fibre Channel to transmit storage trac. FCoE servers require an ecient and scalable bridging feature to access FC
storage arrays, which an NPG provides.
NPIV Proxy Gateway Operation
Consider a sample scenario of NPG operation. An FX2 server chassis congured as an NPG does not join a SAN fabric, but functions as an
FCoE-FC bridge that forwards storage trac between servers and core SAN switches. The core switches forward SAN trac to and from
FC storage arrays.
An FX2 chassis FC port is congured as an N (node) port that logs in to an F (fabric) port on the upstream FC core switch and creates a
channel for N-port identier virtualization. NPIV allows multiple N-port fabric logins at the same time on a single, physical Fibre Channel
link.
Converged Network Adapter (CNA) ports on servers connect to the FX2 chassis Ten-Gigabit Ethernet ports and log in to an upstream FC
core switch through the N port. Server fabric login (FLOGI) requests are converted into fabric discovery (FDISC) requests before being
forwarded to the FC core switch.
Servers use CNA ports to connect over FCoE to an Ethernet port in ENode mode on the NPIV proxy gateway. FCoE transit with FIP
snooping is automatically enabled and congured on the FX2 gateway to prevent unauthorized access and data transmission to the SAN
network. FIP is used by server CNAs to discover an FCoE switch operating as an FCoE forwarder (FCF).
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