HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.0.5b Release Notes (AA-RW1WD-TE, December 2006)

Dynamic Ports O

nDemand(DPOD)

IMPORTA NT:

The DPOD feature is applicable only to the SAN Switch model 4/12 (part number

AE370A). This switch ships in a 12–port configuration, and is upgradeable to a

24–port configuration.

DPOD automatically enables ports as they are physic ally cabled or in the case of a

server blade when the server is powered on. The pre-existing Ports On Dem and (POD)

functionality was static, that is, a preset group of ports were individually enabled

with POD licenses. In contrast, the new Dynamic POD functionality does not require

predefined assignment of ports. With DPOD, the determining factor is the total number

of ports in use and the number of purchased dynamic ports.

The DPOD feature:

• Automatically detects HBA connected server ports or cabled ports.

• Assigns a POD license to each of these por ts.

This dynamic allocation of POD licenses is controlled with the licensePort command

(see below). When the DPOD mechanism detects a ser ver blade in an online state, it

automatically assigns a POD license to the blade.

The Dynamic POD mechanism detects which por ts have active links and make license

assignments to these ports. If the initial DPOD assignment does not exh aust the number

of por ts p urchased, then new connections can be mad e at a later time not to exceed the

total number of pu rchased dynamic ports. A port is connected when the Por t Status LED

indicates an online state.

NOTE:

DPOD does not consider disabled ports as candidates for l icense assignments. You

can persistently disable an otherwise viable port to cause it not to come online and

pr eserve a license assignment to be used by some other port.

When D POD is used in server blades that are embedded in a blade ser ver enclosure,

such as the Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch for HP c-Class BladeSystem, a p or t can be

detected and assigned a POD license only if the server blade is installed with an H BA

present. A server blade that does not have a functioning HBA will not be tre ated as an

active link for the purpose of initial POD port assignment.

Fabric OS 5.0.5b