Technical data

– Fibre Channel: Eight-member systems may be connected to common
storage over Fibre Channel in a fabric (switch) configuration.
– Parallel SCSI: Only four of the member systems may be connected to
any one SCSI bus, but you can have multiple SCSI buses connected
to different sets of nodes, and the sets of nodes may overlap. We
recommend you use a DS-DWZZH-05 UltraSCSI hub with fair
arbitration enabled when connecting four-member systems to a
common SCSI bus using RAID array controllers.
Illustrations of an externally terminated eight-node cluster are
shown in the chapter about configuring an eight-member cluster
using externally terminated shared SCSI buses in
Cluster Hardware
Configuration. The cluster shown is more appropriate for high
performance technical computing (HPTC) customers who are looking
for performance instead of availability.
2.2.2 Fibre Channel Restrictions
For the latest information about supported hardware, see the AlphaServer
ES45 supported options list.
The following requirements and restrictions apply to the use of Fibre
Channel with TruCluster Server Version 5.1A:
• The AlphaServer ES45 only supports the KGPSA-CA PCI-to-Fibre
Channel host bus adapters. A maximum of four adapters is supported.
• Fibre Channel is only supported in a fabric configuration; TruCluster
Server does not support an arbitrated loop configuration. A
non-TruCluster Server configuration supports one KGPSA-CA in an
arbitrated loop configuration.
• The HSG60 and HSG80 require Array Control Software (ACS) Version
8.6 or later.
• Eight member systems may be connected to common storage over Fibre
Channel in a fabric (switch) configuration.
• The only Fibre Channel switches supported are the DS-DSGGA-AA/AB
8/16 port, DS-DSGGB-AA/AB 8/16 port, and DS-DSGGC-AA/AB 8/16
port Fibre Channel switches.
_____________________ Note _____________________
Although the ES45 was qualified with the DS-DSGGA-AA/AB
Fibre Channel switches, they are not listed in the ES45
QuickSpecs or supported options list because they have gone
end-of-life.
2–4 Hardware Requirements and Restrictions