Deployment Guide

• Refer to the Dell Storage Compatibility Matrix for a list of supported Fibre Channel HBAs.

Steps

1. Install Fibre Channel HBAs in the host servers.

NOTE: Do not install Fibre Channel HBAs from different vendors in the same server.

2. Install supported drivers for the HBAs and make sure that the HBAs have the latest supported firmware.

3. Use the Fibre Channel cabling diagrams to cable the host servers to the switches. Connecting host servers directly to the

storage system without using Fibre Channel switches is not supported.

Two Fibre Channel Fabrics with Dual 16 Gb 2-Port Storage Controllers

Use two Fibre Channel (FC) fabrics to prevent an unavailable port, switch, or storage controller from causing a loss of connectivity

between host servers and a

storage system with dual 16 Gb 2-port storage controllers.

About this task

This configuration includes two fault domains, two FC fabrics, and two FC switches. The storage controllers connect to each FC

switch using one FC connection.

• If a physical port or FC switch becomes unavailable, the storage system is accessed from the switch in the other fault domain.

• If a storage controller becomes unavailable, the virtual ports on the offline storage controller move to the physical ports on the

other storage controller.

Steps

1. Connect each server to both FC fabrics.

2. Connect fault domain 1 (shown in orange) to fabric 1.

• Storage controller 1: port 1 to FC switch 1

• Storage controller 2: port 1 to FC switch 1

3. Connect fault domain 2 (shown in blue) to fabric 2.

• Storage controller 1: port 2 to FC switch 2

• Storage controller 2: port 2 to FC switch 2

Example

Figure 29. Storage System with Dual 16 Gb Storage Controllers and Two FC Switches

Server 1 2. Server 2

3. FC switch 1 (fault domain 1) 4. FC switch 2 (fault domain 2)

5. Storage system 6. Storage controller 1

Connect the Front-End Cabling