HP StorageWorks XP Disk Array Mainframe Host Attachment and Operations Guide XP24000, XP20000 (A5951 - 96151, September 2007)

• The maximum number of logical paths per storage system is 131072 (2048 X 48).
Figure 6 FICON Channel Adapter Support for Logical Paths (Example 2)
Supported Topologies
Point-to-Point Topology
A channel path that consists of a single link interconnecting a FICON channel in FICON native (FC)
mode to one or more FICON control unit images (logical control units) forms a point-to-point
configuration. A point-to-point configuration is permitted between a channel and control unit when a
single control unit is defined on the channel path or when multiple control unit images (logical control
units) share the same N Port in the control unit. A FICON channel point-to-point configuration is shown
in the following figure.
Figure 7 Example of a Point-to-Point Topology
Switched Point-to-Point Topology
A FICON channel in FICON native (FC) mode connects one or more processor images to a Fibre
Channel link, which connects to a Fibre Channel switch, and then dynamically to one or more FC
switch ports (internally within the switch). From the switch ports, another Fibre Channel link to FICON
CU ports interconnects with one or more control units and/or images (logical control units). This forms
a switched point-to-point configuration, as shown in Figure 8.
Multiple channel images and multiple control unit images can share the resources of the Fibre Channel
link and Fibre Channel switch, permitting multiplexed I/O operations. Channels and control unit links
FICON and ESCON Host Attachment30