.Part 4 SAN Extension and Bridging HP SAN Design Reference Guide 785354-001

18 SAN extension
SAN extension enables you to implement disaster-tolerant storage solutions over long distances
and multiple sites.
This chapter describes the following topics:
• “SAN extension overview” (page 257)
• “Fibre Channel long-distance technology” (page 259)
• “Multi-protocol long-distance technology” (page 266)
• “HP multi-protocol long-distance products” (page 272)
• “HP storage replication products” (page 295)
• “Certified third-party WDM, iFCP, and SONET products” (page 317)
SAN extension overview
A SAN extension is an extended ISL connection between switches, typically linking two sites. An
extended ISL is considered to be:
• Any distance greater than:
50 m for 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel◦
◦ 150 m for 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel
◦ 300 m for 2 Gb/s Fibre Channel
◦ 500 m for 1 Gb/s Fibre Channel
• Any distance between a pair of WDM, FCIP, or FC-SONET products
NOTE: Fibre Channel distances listed here assume the use of type OM2 fiber optic cable. For
the supported distances for each Fibre Channel speed and interconnect type, see “SAN fabric
connectivity rules” (page 152).
You can implement a SAN extension with any Fibre Channel topology. Figure 85 (page 257) shows
three SAN extension examples.
Figure 85 SAN extension examples
Local
Remote
Long-wave SFP or GBIC
connection
WDM
connection
IP or
SONET
25141a
1
2
3
SAN extension overview 257