Connecting FC10's to 2 machines

[Martien Korenblom]

I've got 2 L-class machines, both with 2 FC adapters. I also got 2 FC10's (one with 1 LCC and one with 2 LCC's).

Is it possible to connect both FC10's to both machines without getting into trouble? The documentation was not totally clear about it and I'm quite new to fibre-channel.

[Eugeny Brychkov]

The limitations are that
- you should have rotary switch set to the same value for BOTH LCCs in the FC10;
- you can not connect BOTH LCC in one FC-AL (arbitrated loop) because their addresses (alpas) are the same and disks alpas will be the same too, so there will be a conflict. If you will connect these LCCs into switch (not hub!) which is not in quickloop mode then it's ok;
- if both servers will see disks at one time then you should NOT mount volumes in r/w mode at both servers or use clustering software (MC/SG).
As soon as one FC10 has only one LCC how do you think to connect it to 2 servers? Using FC hub?
Eugeny

[Martien Korenblom]

I'm sorry to say that I don't have an FC-hub.

So there should be an extra LCC to make it possible?

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Yes. Having only one LCC you can do only one connection: either direct to the host or ro the hub/switch. As soon as you have no hub/switch, you will e able to connect this FC10 to only one server.
With another FC10 there are some possibilities:
- connect one LCC to one server and another to another server, btu then need to install MC/SG for shared storage or set sharing up using LVM only;
- connect FC10's LCCs to different FC HBAs within one host. Then you'll have redundancy (2 paths to each disks)
If you would construct cluster on FC10 you need hubs/switches: FC10 connects to one hub by one LCC and to another hub by second LCC, then each server connects by one FC HBA to one hub and by second FC HBA to second hub. That's classic...
Eugeny

[Martien Korenblom]

So the situation (see my attachment) won't work?

[Eugeny Brychkov · Accepted solution]

One port of LCC is 'primary' (P) port used to connect hosts/hubs, another port is 'expansion' (E) port used to connect next FC10s in cascading topology (see attached picture). So this one you drawn may work, but will not be supported by HP
Eugeny