HP StorageWorks Advanced Web Tools 7.4.X Administrator Guide (AA-RVHFC-TE, September 2005)

Advanced Web Tools 7.4.x administrator guide 57
Soft zoning
In soft zoning, the Name Server, getting its information from the Zone Server, limits the targets returned to
a Fibre Channel initiator to only those to which the Fibre Channel initiator can communicate, as specified
by the zoning configuration. This is the method required by the Fibre Channel standards FC-SW-2,
FC-GS-3, and FC-GS-4. If the Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs) are standards-compliant, this
method is reliable.
With soft zoning, an initiator that is a member of a zone has access only to the names and addresses of
other members of the zone, and so cannot address frames to devices outside the zone.
It is important to note that software-enforced zoning does not prohibit access to the device. If an initiator
has knowledge of the network address of a target device, it does not need to query the Name Server to
access it, which could lead to undesired access to a target device by unauthorized hosts.
XPath OS implementation of soft zoning follows industry standards and offers compatibility with Fibre
Channel switch zoning implementations.
Hard zoning
Hard zoning means that each frame is checked by hardware before it is delivered to a zone member and
discarded if there is a zone mismatch.
Hard zoning enforcement must be used in those situations in which the HBAs are not standards-compliant,
for example, when the hardware predates the standards. If security is a priority, HP recommends the use of
hard zoning.
In XPath OS hard zoning, the frame source and destination addresses are compared to allowed addresses
at the MP Router ingress F_Port (for devices directly attached to the MP Router) or at an egress F_Port (for
devices directly attached to a non-HP switch). For additional information about hard zoning enforcement,
see the HP StorageWorks XPath OS 7.4.x administrator guide.
Managing zoning with Advanced Web Tools
You can monitor and manage zoning through the Switch Manager. Click Zoning in the navigation bar to
access the Zoning page. Figure 20 shows the Zoning page with the Zone Server tab selected.
If “Zoning” is missing from the navigation bar, this means that the zoning license is not activated. See
”Verifying, installing, and removing licenses” on page 34 for instructions on installing a license.
NOTE: You cannot manage QuickLoop and Fabric Assist zones through Advanced Web Tools. Use the
CLI to create, delete, and manage these types of zones. You can, however, use Advanced Web Tools to
view these zones.