difference between lun masking and WWN zoning

[Vaibhav_6]

Hi All,

What is the difference between lun masking and WWN zoning?

Thanks

[Cleverson A. Ferla]

Hello, I'll try to explain.
The definitions are:

Mapping - is a link between the hyper (phisical disk ) and one port of the storage.

Masking - is a configuration that join the Mapping with the zonning.

Zonning - is a link between the HBA (FC card) and the port of storage.

[Arunvijai_4]

A good collection of SAN basics,

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid5_gci952429,00.html

-Arun

[Steven Clementi]

The quick and easy...

LUN Masking is normally performed at the storage controller level. Selective Storage Presentation on the MSA type storage is LUN masking.

WWN Zoning is performed at the SAN Switch level. Zoning allows you to selectively group your storage and your host or hosts so that they can "see" the storage array. Further configuration is needed to limit access to certain logical units.

LUN Masking allows only selected hosts the ability to see a particular Logical Unit where as Zoning allows the hosts to see a particular Storage Array or other Fibre Channel device in the fabric.


Steven

[Florian Heigl (new acc)]

If You use LUN masking and WWN-Zoning, both should be done in parallel. If there's many hosts in the SAN You should either use a real management software or otherwise a small set of shellscripts to update both in parallel.

[Nemer_1]

Hi,

LUN Masking is a level of security that makes a LUN available to only selected hosts and unavailable to all others. this kind of security is done on the SAN level & is based on the host HBA. i.e. you can give access of specific LUN on the SAN to Specific host with specific HBA.

WWN zoning (soft zoning) this level of security is done through the fabric switch software. it is based on the switch software filtering mechanism to allow/prevent access to hosts based on their WWN adresses. i.e. access is determind on the fabric switch based on the WWN address

Port zoning (hard zoning) it is done at the hardware level of the fabric switch. in this method we group physical switch ports togther to form the zone. i.e. Access to the SAN is determined on the fabric switch based on the physical port to which the host is attached.

Note: *again Lun masking is usually done through the SAN itself while WWN/Port zoning is done through the fabric switch

Regards

[Steven Clementi]

Nemer:

When you say "SAN" do you actually mean a Storage Subsystem? or the Whole Storage Area Network(SAN)?


Steven

[Nemer_1]

Steven,

When I say "SAN", I mean the whole Storage Area Network not the storage subsystem.
I miss write one thing in the final note that is the LUN masking is usually done through the storage subsystem controller....