8 SAN fabric connectivity and switch
interoperability rules
This chapter describes SAN fabric connectivity and interoperability rules. It describes the following
topics:
• SAN fabric connectivity rules, page 167
• SAN fabric switch interoperability rules, page 177
• Third-party switch support, page 179
• SAN performance considerations, page 179
SAN fabric connectivity rules
This section describes SAN fabric connectivity port interfaces, cables, and rules.
Switch port interfaces
The switch port interfaces are as follows:
• E_Port—Provides switch-to-switch connectivity for ISLs
• EX_Port—Connects a Fibre Channel router to an edge fabric
• F_Port—Provides fabric-attached device connectivity for initiators (HBAs) and targets (storage
ports)
• FL_Port—Provides fabric-aware public loop connectivity with 24-bit Fibre Channel addressing
capability
• FCAL_Port—Provides private loop connectivity for 8-bit Fibre Channel addressable devices; (requires
B-series QuickLoop feature)
QuickLoop enables private FC-AL initiators and targets to communicate through the switch. A target
that is not configured with QuickLoop cannot communicate with a QuickLoop initiator. QuickLoop
is supported only for specific B-series switches and legacy storage systems. For more information,
contact an HP storage representative.
• VE_Port—Virtual E_Port used with a GbE port for FCIP tunneling
• VEX_Port—Virtual EX_Port used for Fibre Channel routing over a VE_Port
Certain HP B-series (NPIV), C-series (NPV), and all H-series (NPIV) switches use an N_Port ID
Virtualization interface. NPIV and NPV are industry-standard Fibre Channel protocols that support
the assignment of multiple Fibre Channel N_Port addresses on the same physical link (see
“Blade servers” on page 186).
Device port interfaces
The server HBA or storage system controller device node port interfaces are as follows:
• N_Port—Connects a Fibre Channel device to a switch
SAN Design Reference Guide 167
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