topic Re: Fiber connection in Operating System - Linux

Fiber connection

C'est Pierre — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:16:24 GMT

Hello,

We've got an HP ProLiant DL560 G1, with 2 "Emulex Corporation LP952 Fibre Channel Host Adapter"

He asked me to set up a normal network connection, but on one of these interfaces. I've only done interface connection to storage, where the storage makes a LUN disk available.

How can I transform an FC adapter into a network adapter? I think he wants to make a NAS over fibre. I am not sure though!

Any hints?

Thanks

Re: Fiber connection

Ivan Ferreira — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:46:38 GMT

You can't use a fibre channel SAN HBA for networking. They use different protocols.

Re: Fiber connection

C'est Pierre — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:05:10 GMT

So, what can I do to establish a tcp/ip connection over fibre channel? buy a different interface?

Thanks

Re: Fiber connection

Ivan Ferreira — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 11:15:51 GMT

You have to buy a GB network adapter. Some of them have Fibre Channel connectors, others have copper.

Re: Fiber connection

C'est Pierre — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 11:52:16 GMT

Hi Ivan,

Thanks a lot for your posts here, but on the specs of this card, which can be found here: http://www.emulex.com/products/fc/952/specs.html

One can tell there's "Network Protocol (IP)" and multi-protocol (SCSI & IP), as stated in "Driver Support", could you please tell me if I am still unable to connect this server to our existant fibre network (not a disk storage/array)?

Re: Fiber connection

Uwe Zessin — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:30:24 GMT

Well, what the device driver and adapter does is "IPFC". It is mapping IP protocol onto a Fibre Channel infrastructure. In that case you would need some router box between you LAN and the FC networks.

> connect this server to our existant **fibre** network (not a disk storage/array)?

Don't confuse the english "fiber network" with "Fibre Channel (network)". FC was originally designed to run over 'fiber' optical cables. Later, support was enhanced for copper cables and in order to reduce the association with 'fiber' optices, the name was changed to the French spelling 'Fibre'.

Beleive us: you cannot connect a Fibre Channel adapter to an Ethernet infrastructure. The problem starts right at the bottom, because FC-0 and ethernet use slightly different encodings on the cable.

Re: Fiber connection

C'est Pierre — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 03:25:53 GMT

What type of card do I need to connect our Intel server to a network of HP SuperDomes (Itanium) that is established through fibre? (perhaps it's copper, but I am not sure, never heard of it before...I guess)

Re: Fiber connection

Alan_152 — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:57:07 GMT

You have a 2Gbps fibre HBA (basically, a SCSI over IP card used to hook up the fibre equipped disk storage). The model you have is a fairly common one with HP equipment. To use it, you'll need at minimum a fibre storage device like an MSA1000, MSA1500, EVA3000, EVA8000, MSL6000, or something similar. If you don't want to mess with reverse HL-PA settings and the like involved in a direct connection (or need to have multiple servers accessing the storage), you'll also want a fibre switch like a Brocade.

If you want to hook up a network using 1000-BaseSX (802.3 ethernet over fibre), then you need an ethernet card. You cannot transform an HBA into an ethernet card.

I recommend ordering from HP the A9899A/A7011A Anvik II e1000 card. It comes standard with many models of HP equipment, and is certified compatible with Windows, HP-UX, RedHat, and SuSE. Drivers are native for the Linux variants. You'll also need some form of ethernet switch equipped with 1000-BaseSX GBICs. I recommend the HP Procurve 2848 switch, which has 4 fibre GBICs and 48 1000-BaseTX (rj45 with CAT5e) copper ports.

In the end, though, you really need to identify what exactly your needs and expectations are.

Re: Fiber connection

Uwe Zessin — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:25:33 GMT

> You have a 2Gbps fibre HBA (basically, a SCSI over IP card used to hook up the fibre equipped disk storage).

It is SCSI over Fibre Channel, although the FC-4 mapping is named a bit misleading:
FCP - Fibre Channel Protocol