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Virtual Connect (VC) SAN vs direct attach 3PAR Storage Systems

 
chuckk281
Trusted Contributor

Virtual Connect (VC) SAN vs direct attach 3PAR Storage Systems

SAN question from Kathleen:

 

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I’ve got a customer trying to decide on a SAN design for their C7000 Enclosure.  They have the following questions:

 

  1. Should they use Flex-fabric or FC modules?  What are the benefits and drawbacks of both

  2. What modules do they need to do direct attach 3par?  What are the benefits and drawbacks.

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Input from Kant:

 

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There are two VC FC modules with 8Gb interface 24-port and 20-port and they need HBAs Vs VC FlexFabric module, based on converged enhanced Ethernet, which has 4 Flexports, which can be as 10Gb Ethernet or 8Gb Ethernet along with separate 4 Ethernet ports to address LAN needs.  Only VC FlexFabric supports FlatSAN solution – connecting to 3PAR target directly without intermediate SAN Fabric.

 

Flexports on VC FlexFabric can be configured on individual port basis as “Fabric Attach”, which means connecting to SAN Fabric in NPIV mode or “Direct Attach” i.e. eliminating SAN Fabric between VC FlexFabric and 3PAR storage. 

 

You can configure some native FC ports as “Direct Attach” to connect directly to 3PAR target and some native FC ports “Fabric Attach” to non-3PAR target at the same time on VC FlexFabric.

 

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Other comments or suggestions?