A Fibre Channel (FC) SAN is a specialized high-speed network that connects host servers to storage systems. The FC SAN components include HBAs in the host servers, switches that help route storage traffic, cables, storage processors (SPs), and storage disk arrays.

To transfer traffic from host servers to shared storage, the FC SAN uses the Fibre Channel protocol that packages SCSI commands into Fibre Channel frames.

• Ports in FC SAN

  Each node in the SAN, such as a host, a storage device, or a fabric component has one or more ports that connect it to the SAN. Ports are identified in a number of ways, such as by:

  • World Wide Port Name (WWPN)

    A globally unique identifier for a port that allows certain applications to access the port. The FC switches discover the WWPN of a device or host and assign a port address to the device.

  • Port_ID (or port address)

    Within a SAN, each port has a unique port ID that serves as the FC address for the port. This unique ID enables routing of data through the SAN to that port. The FC switches assign the port ID when the device logs in to the fabric. The port ID is valid only when the device is logged on.

• Zoning

  Zoning provides access control in the SAN topology. Zoning defines which HBAs can connect to which targets. When you configure a SAN by using zoning, the devices outside a zone are not visible to the devices inside the zone.

  Zoning has the following effects:

  • Reduces the number of targets and LUNs presented to a host.
  • Controls and isolates paths in a fabric.
  • Separates different environments, for example, a test from a production environment.