VLS 6636 Cabling

[IvanForceville]

I'm currently answeringing an RFP for one of my customers who want a complete new backup infrastructure.

We were thinking about proposing a VLS 6636 with 2 extra 6,6TB capacity bundles.
Backup server will be a DL380G5.

My question is concerning the FC cabling of the SAN. The VLS6636 has 4 host ports, so you can connect 4FC cables to the SAN switch. Is there any possibility to connect the backup server to the SAN switch with more then 1 FC cable and effectively use this connection, f.e. to do any loadbalancing?

Visio of the setup is in attachment?

[IBaltay]

Hi,
this may help you
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/storage/disk_storage/disk_to_disk/vls/6000vls/qa.html

[IvanForceville]

Thx for the answer, but is there any way to use more then 1FC connection from the Backup server to the SAN to increase bandwith?

The VLS has a 4xFC connections, and the Backup server only 1xFC connection?

Let's say you add another FC card in the Backup server so that you have 2FC cards to the SAN. Can 't the load be divided over these 2 paths?
Let's say you zone 1FC card in the server with 2 FC ports in the vls and then do this again for the other FC card in the server with the other 2FC ports in the vls?

[IBaltay]

Hi,
the loadbalancing features are described here:
http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01378091/c01378091.pdf
p. 34 - SAN design considerations (described on the VLS300 and VLS12000 gateways with EVA external storage

[IBaltay]

Hi,
also here you can find some ideas:
http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/whitepapers.html

[IvanForceville]

Thanks for the quick response.