.SAN design reference guide Vol. 1-5 785350-001

5 B-series switches and fabric rules
This chapter describes the B-series Fibre Channel and FCoE switches and blades; Extension SAN
Switches and Blades; MP Routers, and fabric rules for building B-series fabrics. It describes the
following topics:
• “B-series Fibre Channel switches, 1606 Extension SAN Switches, and MP Routers” (page 91)
• “Fibre Channel switch fabric rules” (page 102)
• “B-series FCoE Converged Network switch” (page 83)
For information about using switches from the different series in the same SAN or the same fabric,
see “SAN fabric connectivity and switch interoperability rules” (page 152).
B-series Fibre Channel switches, 1606 Extension SAN Switches, and MP
Routers
B-series Fibre Channel switches:
• Can be core or edge switches. When configured in a core-edge fabric topology, a core switch
typically connects to other switches in the SAN; an edge switch typically connects to servers
and storage.
• Have 8, 16, 24, 28, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 128, 192, 256, 384, 512 ports.
• Include entry-level and high-availability switches.
• Support plug-and-play compatibility.
• Support 10 Gb/s ISL connectivity (through a 10/6 FC ISL Blade for DC SAN Backbone
Director, DC04 SAN Director, or 4/256 SAN Director, or by configuration of a 16 Gb port
for 10 Gb/s on 16 Gb switch or director blade ISL ports).
• Support Fibre Channel routing. See:
“1606 Extension SAN Switch and DC Dir Switch MP Extension Blade fabric rules”
(page 108)
◦
◦ “Fibre Channel routing, 400 MP Router, and MP Router Blade fabric rules” (page 110)
◦ “MP Router fabric rules” (page 114)
• Support FCIP through the 1606 Extension SAN Switch, DC Dir Switch MP Extension Blade,
400 MP Router, MP Router Blade, MP Router, and HP IP Distance Gateway. See “SAN
extension” (page 257).
• Support iSCSI through the MP Router and iSCSI Director Blade. See “iSCSI storage” (page 318).
• Support data at rest encryption through the encryption switch and encryption blade.
• Support in-flight encryption and/or compression on 16 Gb switch or director blade ISL ports.
Switch blade support is as follows:
• HP SN8000B 8-Slot SAN Backbone Director and HP SN8000B 4-Slot SAN Director support
the 64-port 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel blade, 32 and 48-port 16 Gb/s Fibre Channel blades, 32
B-series Fibre Channel switches, 1606 Extension SAN Switches, and MP Routers 91