As an option, a backup port can be zoned to the same host port as the primary port, which would result in the host port seeing two I/O paths to the HP 3PAR StoreServ system. It is best practice that a given host port sees a single I/O path to HP 3PAR StoreServ. The pre-designated HP 3PAR StoreServ backup port must be connected to the same fabric as its partner node port. The example below illustrates StoreServ nodes with supplementary quad port HBA’s:Īs already covered by Craig in this blog post, a host port would be connected and zoned on the fabric switch via one initiator (host HBA port) to one HP 3PAR StoreServ target port (one-to-one zoning).
General rule – odd ports should be connect to fabric 1 and even ports should be connected to fabric 2.įigure 1a below identifies physical cabling techniques, mitigating against single points of failure using a minimum of two fabric switches, which are separated from each other.Ports of the same pair of nodes with the same ID (value) should be connected to the same fabric.Each HP 3PAR StoreServ node should be connected to two fabric switches.StoreServ nodes are grouped in pairs, it’s important to pay particular attention to this when zoning host initiators (server HBA ports) to the StoreServ Target ports. StoreServ target ports located on the on-board HBA’s will always assume the slot identity of 1, respectively StoreServ targets ports located on the optional expansion slot will always assume the identity of slot 2. StoreServ target ports are identified in the following manner Node:Slot:Port. Optional 10 Gb/s Dual Port FCOE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) converged network adapter per node.
Optional 8 Gb/s Quad Port Fibre Channel HBA (Host Bus Adapter) per node (we will be focusing on this configuration option).4x built-in 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports per node pair.In terms of host connectivity options the StoreServ 7000 (specifically the 7400) provides us with the following: Right, let’s start off with Fabric Connectivity
HP recommendations change all the time, therefore it’s always best to speak with HP or your fabric vendor to ensure you are following latest guidelines or if you need further clarification. Several support cases were opened in order to gain a better understanding of what is & isn’t supported. The information herein can be used as a guideline for all 3PAR supported host presentation types (VMware, Windows, HPUX, Oracle Linux, Solaris etc…).ĭisclaimer:Please note that this is based on my investigation, engaging with HP Storage Architects and Implementation Engineers. There also appears to be conflicting arguments on whether to use Single Initiator – Multiple Target zoning or Single Initiator – Single Target zoning. Having worked on a few of these, I found that a single document on StoreServ zoning BP doesn’t really exist. This article focuses on zoning best practices for the StoreServ 7400 (4 node array), but can also be applied to all StoreServ models including the StoreServ 10800 8-node monster.ģPAR StoreServ Zoning Best Practice Guide Being a ‘stand up guy’ Gareth decided to perform a lot of research and has put together the ‘3PAR StoreServ Zoning Best Practice Guide’ below. This is an excellent guide which has been written by Gareth Hogarth who has recently implemented a 3PAR StoreServ and was concerned about the lack of information from HP in relation to zoning.