Dot Hill Systems II 200 FC - Manual (Page 33)

Chapter 1 Product and Architecture Overview 1-13
A fabric switch functions as a routing engine, which actively directs data transfers
from source to destination and arbitrates every connection. Bandwidth per node via
a fabric switch remains constant when more nodes are added, and a node on a
switch port uses a data path with speed up to 100 Mbps to send or receive data.
1.4.4 Data Availability
Data availability is one of the major requirements for today’s mission-critical
applications. Highest availability can be accomplished with the following
functionality:
■
Hot-plug capabilities
With proper hardware and software configuration in dual-controller mode, a failed
controller can be replaced online while the existing controller is actively serving
I/O.
■
Dual-loop configurations
Dual loop provides path redundancy and greater throughput.
■
Controller communications over Fibre Channel
■
This option is selectable either through dedicated loops or all drive loops. It allows
a more flexible configuration of redundant controllers.
1.4.5 Scalability
The Fibre Channel architecture brings scalability and easier upgrades to storage.
Storage expansion can be as easy as cascading another expansion unit to a configured
RAID array without powering down the running system. The maximum number of
expansion units supported by a single SANnet II 200 Fibre Channel or SATA array is:
■
Up to eight SANnet II 200 FC expansion units connected to a SANnet II 200 FC
array.
■
Up to five SANnet II 200 SATA expansion units connected to a SANnet II 200
SATA array.
■
Up to five SANnet II 200 FC expansion units and SANnet II 200 SATA expansion
units, in any combination, can be connected to a SANnet II 200 FC RAID array.
Note –
The SANnet II 200 SATA SE array does not support expansion units.
Up to 125 devices can be configured in a single FC loop. By default, the array
provides two drive loops and four host loops, and operates in Fibre Channel-Arbitrated
Loop (FC-AL) and fabric topologies.