User`s guide

2 Implementing an Open IBM SAN
1.1 Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel transfers information between the sources and the users of the
information. This information can include commands, controls, files, graphics,
video, and sound. Fibre Channel connections are established between Fibre
Channel ports that reside in I/O devices, host systems, and the network that
interconnect them. The network consists of elements like switches, hubs,
bridges, and repeaters that are used to interconnect the Fibre Channel ports.
The ESS architecture supports three basic topologies:
򐂰 Point-to-point
򐂰 Switched fabric
򐂰 Arbitrated loop
Before you start, check that the Fibre Channel host has the correct Fibre
Channel host bus adapters installed or at least has slots available for them. For a
list of operating systems and the host bus adapters for Fibre Channel
attachment, see following the Web site:
www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/products/ess/supserver.htm
1.1.1 Fibre Channel cables and adapter types
Use feature code 3022 for the short-wave, Fibre Channel host adapter card.
Feature code 3022 comes with a complimentary 31 m (101 ft), 50 micron
multimode fibre cable.
You can also use a 62.5-micron fiber-optic cable with the short-wave Fibre
Channel card. For a 50-micron multimode fiber-optic cable, use a cable length of
2 m - 500 m (6.5 ft - 1640 ft).
For a 62.5-micron multimode fiber-optic cable, use a cable length of 2 m - 175 m
(6.5 ft - 575 ft).
If you use Fibre Channel to ESCON cable converters at both ends of the link to
allow connection through an ESCON cable, the ESCON cable must be a
62.5-micron fiber-optic cable. The maximum length for the 62.5-micron
fiber-optic cable is 175 m (575 feet).
Limitations on distances between nodes on a Fibre Channel network might exist,
depending on the upper-layer protocol (ULP).