HP 3PAR OpenVMS Implementation Guide (763874-002)

6 Setting up the Fabric and Zoning
Fabric zoning controls which fibre channel’s end-devices have access to each other on the fabric.
Fabric zoning also isolates the host OS and the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage system ports from
RSCNs (Registered State Change Notifications) that are not relevant to these ports.
You can set up fabric zoning by associating the device WWNs (World Wide Names) or the switch
ports with specified zones in the fabric. You can use either the WWN method or the port zoning
method with the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage systems. However, the WWN zoning method is
recommended, because the zone survives the changes of switch ports when the cables are moved
around on a fabric.
Prerequisite
Employ fabric zoning using the methods provided by the switch vendor to create relationships
between the host OS HBA ports and the storage server ports before connecting the host OS HBA
ports or the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage system ports to the fabric(s). Fibre channel switch vendors
support zoning of the fabric end-devices in different zoning configurations. There are both
advantages and disadvantages with each zoning configuration. Select a zoning configuration
based on your needs.
The HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage systems support the following zoning configurations:
• One initiator to one target per zone.
• One initiator to multiple targets per zone (zoning by HBA). This zoning configuration is
recommended for the HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage system. Zoning by HBA is required for
coexistence with other HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage systems.
NOTE: The storage targets in a zone can be from the same HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage system,
multiple HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage systems, or a mixture of HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage systems
and other HP Storage systems.
For more information about using one initiator to multiple targets per zone, see Zoning by HBA in
the Best Practices chapter of the HP SAN Design Reference Guide. This document is available at
the HP BSC website hp.com/go/3par/.
If you use an unsupported zoning configuration and a failure occurs, then HP requires that you
implement one of the supported zoning configurations as part of the troubleshooting or corrective
actions.
After configuring zoning and connecting each host OS HBA port and HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
system port to the fabric(s), verify the switch and zone configurations using the HP 3PAR OS CLI
showhost command. This is to ensure that each initiator is zoned with the correct target(s).
Guidelines for configuring fabric
Use the following fabric vendor guidelines before configuring ports on fabric(s) to which the HP
3PAR StoreServ Storage system connects.
• Brocade switch ports that connect to a host OS HBA port or to an HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
system port must be set to their default mode.
The following fill-word modes are supported on a Brocade 8 G/s switch running FOS firmware
6.4.3b or later:
admin>portcfgfillword
Usage: portCfgFillWord PortNumber Mode [Passive]
Mode: 0/-idle-idle - IDLE in Link Init, IDLE as fill word (default)
1/-arbff-arbff - ARBFF in Link Init, ARBFF as fill word
20 Setting up the Fabric and Zoning