SG24-5470- Introduction to Storage Area Networks Jon Tate Pall Beck Hector Hugo Ibarra Shanmuganathan Kumaravel Libor Miklas Redbooks International Technical Support Organization Introduction to Storage Area Networks December 2017 SG24-5470-08 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page ix. Ninth Edition (December 2017) This edition applies to the products in the IBM Storage Area Networks (SAN) portfolio. © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents Notices . ix Trademarks . .x Preface . xi Authors. xii Now you can become a published author, too! . xiv Comments welcome. xiv Stay connected to IBM Redbooks . xiv Summary of changes. .xv December 2017, Ninth Edition . .xv Chapter 1. Introduction. 1 1.1 Networks . 2 1.1.1 The importance of communication . 2 1.2 Interconnection models . 2 1.2.1 The open systems interconnection model. 2 1.2.2 Translating the OSI model to the physical world. 4 1.3 Storage . 5 1.3.1 Storing data. 5 1.3.2 Redundant Array of Independent Disks . 6 1.4 Storage area networks . 11 1.5 Storage area network components . 13 1.5.1 Storage area network connectivity . 14 1.5.2 Storage area network storage. 14 1.5.3 Storage area network servers. 14 1.6 The importance of standards or models . 14 Chapter 2. Storage area networks . 17 2.1 Storage area networks . 18 2.1.1 The problem . 18 2.1.2 Requirements . 19 2.2 Using a storage area network . 20 2.2.1 Infrastructure simplification . 20 2.2.2 Information lifecycle management . 21 2.2.3 Business continuity . 22 2.3 Using the storage area network components . 22 2.3.1 Storage . 22 2.3.2 Storage area network connectivity . 23 2.3.3 Servers . 28 2.3.4 Putting the components together . 32 Chapter 3. Fibre Channel internals . 33 3.1 Fibre Channel architecture . 34 3.1.1 Small Computer Systems Interface. 34 3.1.2 Limitations of the Small Computer System Interface . 35 3.1.3 Fibre Channel advantages . 38 3.2 Layers . 40 3.3 Optical cables . 43 © Copyright IBM Corp. 2017. All rights reserved. iii 3.3.1 Attenuation . 43 3.3.2 Maximum power . 43 3.3.3 Fiber in the storage area network . 44 3.3.4 Dark fiber . 49 3.4 Classes of service . 49 3.4.1 Class 1 . 50 3.4.2 Class 2 . 50 3.4.3 Class 3 . 50 3.4.4 Class 4 . 50 3.4.5 Class 5 . 50 3.4.6 Class 6 . 51 3.4.7 Class F . 51 3.5 Fibre Channel data movement . 51 3.5.1 Byte-encoding schemes . 52 3.6 Data transport . 54 3.6.1 Ordered set . 54 3.6.2 Frames . 55 3.6.3 Sequences . 57 3.6.4 Exchanges . 57 3.6.5 In order and out of order . 58 3.6.6 Latency . 59 3.6.7 Open fiber control . ..