HP MSA Controllers - Manual (Page 38)

38 Connecting hosts
8Gb per second. The P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System controller enclosures can also be cabled to
support the Remote Snap replication feature (licensed option) via the FC host interface ports. P2000 G3
FC/iSCSI MSA System controllers also support iSCSI interface protocol for host port connection (see iSCSI
host ports ).
These models support Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL or “loop”) topology by default. Connection
mode can be set to loop or point-to-point. Loop protocol can be used in a physical loop or in a direct
connection between two devices. Point-to-point protocol is used to connect to a fabric switch. P2000 G3
FC/iSCSI MSA System controllers employ FC ports in either of two capacities:
• To connect two storage systems through a Fibre Channel switch for use of Remote Snap replication.
• For attachment to FC hosts directly, or through a switch.
The first usage option requires valid licensing for the Remote Snap replication feature, whereas the second
option requires that the host computer supports Ethernet, FC, and optionally, multipath I/O.
iSCSI host ports
The P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System controllers provide two iSCSI ports — each supporting data rates
up to 1-Gbps — using either one-way or mutual CHAP (Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol).
TIP: See the “Configuring CHAP” topic in the SMU reference guide. Also see the admonition about
CHAP preceding the “Using the Replication Setup Wizard” procedure within that guide.
P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System controllers employ iSCSI ports in either of two capacities:
• To connect two storage systems through a switch for use of Remote Snap replication.
• For attachment to 1Gb iSCSI hosts directly, or through a switch used for the iSCSI traffic.
The first usage option requires valid licensing for the Remote Snap replication features, whereas the second
option requires that the host computer supports Ethernet, iSCSI, and optionally, multi-path I/O.
Connecting direct attach configurations
P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System LFF and P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System SFF support up to eight
direct-connect server connections, four per controller module. Connect appropriate cables from the servers’
HBAs to the controller host ports as described below, and shown in the following illustrations.
To connect the P2000 G3 FC/iSCSI MSA System controller to a server or HBA switch — using the
controller’s FC host ports — select Fibre Channel cables supporting 2/4/8Gb data rates, that are
compatible with the controller module’s host port SFP connector. Such cables are also used for connecting
a local storage system to a remote storage system via a switch, to facilitate use of the optional Remote Snap
replication feature.
The table below maps SFP transceiver data rates to relative fiber optic cable characteristics (i.e., cable
length, multimode fiber type (MMF), and ISO/IEC optical multimode cable performance standards). When
transferring data through FC connections, cable lengths should not exceed the lengths listed for each given
fiber type and performance code within the applicable data rate (2/4/8Gb) class.
Table 5 Maximum cable lengths for 850nm Fibre Channel SFP transceivers
SFP data Representative FC cable types Cable performance code
Data rate MMF FC cable length designators OM1 OM2 OM3
8Gbps 21m with 62.5μm fiber type X
50m with 50μm fiber type X
150m with 50μm fiber type X