Deployment Guide
NPIV Proxy Gateway
The N-port identier virtualization (NPIV) Proxy Gateway (NPG) feature provides FCoE-FC bridging capability on the Aggregator, allowing
server CNAs to communicate with SAN fabrics over the Aggregator.
Supported Modes
PMUX
Topics:
• NPIV Proxy Gateway Conguration
• NPIV Proxy Gateway Operations and Capabilities
• Conguring an NPIV Proxy Gateway
• Displaying NPIV Proxy Gateway Information
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.
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