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

Table 177 Configuration recommendations
Not recommendedCautionBest practiceStorage item
RedOrangeGreenStatus indicator
1,501+1,001 to 1,5001 to 1,000
Volumes +
Snapshots +
SmartClones
5,001+4,001 to 5,0001 to 4,000iSCSI sessions per group
33+21 to 321 to 20Nodes per group
16+11 to 151 to 10Nodes per cluster
LUN size
The maximum LUN size for a fully provisioned volume depends on the storage node size, local
RAID configuration, and network RAID configuration settings for the volume. Thinly-provisioned
volumes can physically grow only up to the maximum fully-provisioned LUN equivalent in the cluster.
HP iSCSI bridge products
Bridging and routing
iSCSI routers and bridges are gateway devices that connect storage protocols such as Fibre Channel
or SCSI to IP networks. iSCSI routers and bridges enable block-level access across networks. Routing
data requests from an IP network device to a Fibre Channel device involves these steps:
1. An iSCSI host makes a storage data request.
2. The request is switched (or routed) through the IP network with the destination IP address of
an iSCSI bridge or router.
3. The bridge or router converts the iSCSI request into its Fibre Channel equivalent.
4. The converted request is sent to the Fibre Channel target storage device.
The bridge or router performs the reverse conversion as the Fibre Channel target responds to the
iSCSI host. Conversion is transparent to both host and target since the iSCSI bridge or router
mediates the exchange at wire speed.
iSCSI bridge to Fibre Channel
Many iSCSI bridges are compatible with HP-supported Fibre Channel switches. This bridging
technology routes Fibre Channel storage to all servers in an IP fabric.
IP hosts use iSCSI to access Fibre Channel storage systems. The storage systems appear as
direct-attached storage to the hosts.
Key benefits of bridging include:
• Consolidating Fibre Channel storage to both Fibre Channel and IP hosts
• Extending Fibre Channel distance limitations through access to IP networks
The HP-supported iSCSI to Fibre Channel bridge products are as follows:
• B-series iSCSI Director Blade
• B-series MP Router
• C-series IP Storage Services Modules
• C-series 14/2 Multiprotocol Services Module
• C-series 18/4 Multiprotocol Module
• MPX200 Multifunction Router iSCSI
332 iSCSI storage