Communicator e3000 MPE/iX Release 7.5 (Software Release C.75.00) (30216-90336)

Chapter 4

Fibre Channel Device and Adapter Support on HP e 3000 Systems

HP SCSI-FC Fabric Router for the HP e3000

By Walter McCullough, Commercial Systems Division

Product Brief

The A5814A option 003 SCSI-Fibre Channel Fabric Router allows those HP e3000s limited to SCSI HBAs

access to HP’s newest portfolio of fibre channel storage arrays.

Connected to an HP e3000, the router supports a number of fibre channel products.

The router SAN enables the HP e3000 by allowing it to connect to the HP SureStore Disk Array XP512, XP48

and the newest HP Virtual Disk Array 7100. The router also allows the user to incorporate the use of Brocade

Silkworm Fibre Channel Switch model 2400, the 8 port version and the 2800 model which supports 16 ports

into their storage topology.

The use of hubs and switches allows the user to do storage port consolidation and zoning. This allows the user

to connect more host connections to an array than there are ports on the array itself.

The router is a stand alone unit separate from the storage array and computer. It is easy to setup and

contains its own diagnostic (RS232) port onboard.

Site, Software and Hardware Requirements

Device installation and support is to be provided by HP. For detailed information on the support and

configuration of the A5814A option 003 Fibre Channel Fabric Router, field support personnel should consult

the updated version of the User Guide, which ships with the product or check for the Fabric Router Guide at

the following website:

• HP SCSI-Fibre Channel Fabric Router Installation and User Guide

http://www.docs.hp.com/mpeix/all/

The fabric router requires 8.01.0A version of firmware or greater. This version of router does not support the

distancing solution where two routers are connected back to back to gain SCSI distancing for connecting SCSI

tapes beyond the capabilities of SCSI.

NOTE The distancing router, firmware 7.62.00, is not upgradable to the fabric router version of

8.01.0A.

Features

• Ease-of-use

• Fibre channel connectivity

• Fast protocol conversion between SCSI and fibre channel

• Reliable host to peripheral connection

SCSI Connectivity

• Protocol: SCSI-2 Ultra-Wide High Voltage Differential (HVD)(40 MB/sec)

• Data Transfer Rate: 40 MB/sec (per SCSI-FC Router per SCSI Channel) burst