Connect 2 SANs with redundant path.

[Diego Castelli]

Hi all, i have to interconnect two production SANs each with redundant path.

Hardware:
-2 SAN Switches 2/8 inserted in the Back of an MSA1000
-2 Storageworks 8/8 connected to an MSA 2212f
dual controller.
-1 MSA1000 with ACLs enabled
-1 MSA2000 with LUN mappings enabled

The path redundancy is configured at sw level on the hosts with MPIO drivers.

I know that i should user AJ716A GBIC for the 8/8....

What i do want to do:

interconnect the 2 swithces with a normal FC cable, and so view the "other" switch in the fabric.

Use a mixed mode zoning to present MSA2000: port-based to the hosts connected locally to the second (8/8)switch, WWN zoning to present MSA2000 to the hosts connected to MSA1000


Is there anything else i should Know?


Thanks in advance.

Diego Castelli

[Greybeard]

I'm not sure I quite understand, you have 4 switches and you want to connect 2? do you intend to connect the MSA1000 switches to the 8/8s if so you will need to enable E-ports and have a fabric license or they will not 'talk' to each other.Or do you want to access both MSAs from a single HBA? if so then SSP at the MSA end will allow this so long as the 2/8s are happy with the 8/8s.

[Diego Castelli]

Thanks Larry,

Yes, i have the licenses (it states "fabric" in the license management panel of each switch).

Yes i want to connect the two sans as follows

SAN1_SW1 --> SAN2_SW1
SAN1_SW2 --> SAN2_SW2

this is because each of the Switch is directly connected to an MSA.

SAN1 switches are 2/8 inside the MSA
SAN2 switches are connected to the MSA2212f

I want to be able to present MSA2000 LUNS to hosts on the SAN1.

Thanks.

[Greybeard]

then it should be as simple as moving the FC cables from the MSA1000 embedded switches to the 8/8 switches and connecting these to the HBAs then typing Show Connections at the cli, if both paths appear online before doing any zoning then the switches are happy so zone however you prefer. I've found in the past some switches work ok and some don't, usually due to firmware/ fabric OS. Never tried that particular combination though.

[Uwe Zessin]

You need most recent firmware on the MSA SAN switches !!
And zoning changes will take their time...

[Diego Castelli]

Thanks Uwe, i'll plan an upgrade before connecting them.

Would be bad to "try" connecting the switches as they are?

[Greybeard]

it's worth a punt, as I said and Uwe re-iterated, if it doesn't work then it probably needs newer firmware. always best to do the housekeeping and keep everything up to date though. (unless it's an eva 4400 eh Uwe ;)

[Diego Castelli]

Thanks to you both: i'm very satisfied.
:-)

[Diego Castelli]

OK, there is other things to keep in mind...

1) domain IDs: they don't have to overlap, it seems.

2) zone conflicts: now i don't know how to resolve it... please help.

fabric events tells me:
port 7, zone conflict

(this is the cable that connects the switches - ISL)

What could it be???

Thanks again

[Diego Castelli]

OK, done, posting here hoping to help someone in the future...

you have to CLEAR alla zoning configuration on one of the switches, then reconnect.
The configuration of the other switch will be transferred on the "virgin-of-zones" switch. Then in about 10 minutes you'll see the members of the other switch from one too...

Now 'i'm posting another post 'bout DL380 with Emulex nor Qlogic not seeing LUNS mapped by the MSA2000...

Anyway Thanks anyone for the help and hoping my last posts will help someone.

Good Bye!