Dell PowerVault 775N (Rackmount NAS Appliance) - Manual (Page 9)

The Fibre Channel switch functions as a director, mapping requests and responses between the interconnected devices and
provides a dedicated interconnection between the server and storage system. See the Platform Guide for a list of supported
Fibre Channel switches.
NOTE: The Dell | EMC DS-24M2 (McData Spherion 4500) Fibre Channel switch supports Flexport configurations, which
allows you to vary the number of active switch ports. Flexport configuration is dependent on firmware license key and
the appropriate number of SFP modules. When you update the firmware license key, you are provided with the
appropriate number of SFP modules and a new key that allows you to access additional ports on the switch.
Hardware and Software Technologies
The NAS cluster solution implements the following hardware and software technologies:
Clustering technology based on the MSCS software in the Windows Storage Server 2003, Enterprise Edition operating
system
Fibre Channel protocol
Fibre Channel switch fabric
Zones
SAN components
Storage management software
Clustering Technology
Clustering is the process of connecting multiple servers together to achieve higher availability and performance. MSCS is a
software component that is included with the Windows Storage Server 2003, Enterprise Edition operating system that
provides failover support for applications and services running on each node.
See " Using MSCS " for more information on the Cluster Service.
NOTE: MSCS and NLB features cannot co-exist on the same cluster node, but can be used together in a multitiered
cluster configuration. For more information, see the Dell PowerEdge Clusters website located at
www.dell.com/clusters or the Microsoft website located at www.microsoft.com.
Fibre Channel Protocol
Fibre Channel is a scalable, high-performance data communications technology that allows multiple server systems to share
one or more storage systems. Unlike the SCSI technology, which is limited to short-distance connections and direct-attached
storage, Fibre Channel provides long-distance connectivity and the high bandwidth needed for transferring data between the
cluster nodes and the shared storage devices in a NAS cluster. By employing long-wave fiber optic cable between cascaded
switches, systems up to 10 km from the shared storage array can access data as if they are directly attached.
Implementing Fibre Channel technology in the NAS cluster provides you with the following advantages:
Flexibility — Fibre Channel implements both copper and optical cabling, allowing a distance of up to 10 kilometers
between switches without signal degradation.
Availability — Fibre Channel components implement redundant connections, providing multiple data paths and greater
availability for network clients.
Connectivity — Fibre Channel allows you to connect more devices to each other than SCSI. Because Fibre Channel
devices are hot-pluggable, you can add or remove devices from the cluster nodes without bringing down the cluster.