Brocade Network OS Administrator’s Guide v4.1.1 - Manual (Page 171)

Refer to the Fabric OS Command Reference Manual for details about the portCfgExport and
fcrXlateConfig commands.
Approaches to zoning
The following lists the various approaches you can take when implementing zoning in a Network OS
fabric.
Approaches to fabric-based zoning TABLE 31
Zoning approach Description
Recommended approach
Single HBA Zoning by single HBA most closely re-creates the original SCSI bus. Each zone
created has only one HBA (initiator) in the zone; each of the target devices is added to
the zone. Typically, a zone is created for the HBA and the disk storage ports are
added. If the HBA also accesses tape devices, a second zone is created with the HBA
and associated tape devices in it. In the case of clustered systems, it could be
appropriate to have an HBA from each of the cluster members included in the zone;
this zoning is equivalent to having a shared SCSI bus between the cluster members
and assumes that the clustering software can manage access to the shared devices.
In a large fabric, zoning by single HBA requires the creation of possibly hundreds of
zones; however, each zone contains only a few members. Zone changes affect the
smallest possible number of devices, minimizing the impact of an incorrect zone
change. This zoning philosophy is the preferred method.
Alternative approaches
Application Zoning by application typically requires zoning multiple, perhaps incompatible,
operating systems into the same zones. This method of zoning creates the possibility
that a minor server in the application suite could disrupt a major server (such as a
Web server disrupting a data warehouse server). Zoning by application can also result
in a zone with a large number of members, meaning that more notifications, such as
RSCNs, or errors, go out to a larger group than necessary.
Operating system Zoning by operating system has issues similar to zoning by application. In a large site,
this type of zone can become very large and complex. When zone changes are made,
they typically involve applications rather than a particular server type. If members of
different operating system clusters can detect storage assigned to another cluster,
they might attempt to own the other cluster’s storage and compromise the stability of
the clusters.
Port allocation Avoid zoning by port allocation unless the administration team has very rigidly
enforced processes for port and device allocation in the fabric. It does, however,
provide some positive features. For instance, when a storage port, server HBA, or
tape drive is replaced, the change of WWN for the new device is of no consequence.
As long as the new device is connected to the original port, it continues to have the
same access rights. The ports on the edge switches can be pre-associated to storage
ports, and control of the fan-in ratio (the ratio of the input port to output port) can be
established. With this pre-assigning technique, the administrative team cannot
overload any one storage port by associating too many servers with it.
Not recommended
Approaches to zoning
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