User`s guide

Chapter 3. Implementing the INRANGE FC/9000 Fibre Channel Director 177
3.1.1 Product overview
The FC/9000 Fibre Channel Director is INRANGE’s flagship SAN product. It was
designed as a director-class product and has the following significant features:
򐂰 Support of Fibre Channel Protocol for open servers
򐂰 Support of FICON attachment for Mainframe class servers
򐂰 High port count, with up to 128 ports
򐂰 Fully redundant architecture with non-disruptive code load-capabilities
򐂰 Graphical user interface
򐂰 Broad range of supported port-topologies
Full loop support
INRANGE’s Translative Loop Mode allows legacy nodes using loop protocols of
any kind to be managed as if they were truly fabric nodes. This includes public
and private loop ports with both initiators and targets.
We cover this in more detail in “Attaching loop ports” on page 220.
Port count
One chassis of an FC/9000 director can hold up to 64 GBICs. By interconnecting
the main boards of two directors, a non-blocking 128 director can be created.
Due to the usage of GBICs instead of fixed port-cards, the granularity of port
upgrades is one port.
Short wave and long wave ports can be mixed within all internal entities of this
director.
Redundancy and non-disruptive activities
The FC/9000 features a N+1 redundancy for all of its elements. This redundancy
results in high availability. Even in the case of failure of any internal elements, the
director is still operational.
Obviously, in case of port-failures, additional multipathing software is needed to
maintain this level of availability.
All activities, including code loads, code-activation, and replacement of failed
parts can be done non-disruptively.