Read Me First HP StorageWorks Encryption SAN Switch (AR944-96001, April 2009)

2. Although hosts and targets can be connected anywhere in the fabric, HP recommends that the
following connectivity guidelines are followed in order to achieve better performance and higher
scalability and, more importantly, to avoid cross encryption flows among EEs when multiple EEs
are present. See the next guideline for additional information.
3. Encryption switch and encryption blade recommendations for connecting host and storage ports
when EEs form part of a larger fabric.
Encryption switch connectivity
• There are no restrictions for hosts and storage ports that are not participating in the encryption
flow: they can be connected to any of the 32 encryption switch ports
• Encryption switch ports can be used to connect Inter Switch Links (ISLs) to connect to the rest
of the fabric (any of its 32 ports)
• Do not connect host and storage ports that participate in the encryption flow
Figure 1 Connectivity recommendations for Encryption switch AR944A
Encryption switch blade connectivity
• There are no restrictions for hosts and storage ports that are not participating in the encryption
flow: they can be connected to any encryption switch blade
• Do not connect ISLs between enc blade and other switches in the fabric
• Do not connect storage ports that are participating in the encryption flow (hosts with encryption
flows can be connected)
Figure 2 shows a single encryption blade in a director class chassis, however, there can be up
to four blades in a chassis. The rules above apply to each blade.
3Encryption SAN Switch read me first