HP Storage Provisioning Manager (SPM) version 2.3 User Guide

define them. SPM will place the files in the correct directory and will manage the files on behalf
of the user.
NOTE: Complex unmanaged networks: Files describing zoned networks cannot be edited in
SPM. These types of files are under the control of the user, and it is recommended that only those
with a thorough understanding of storage networks and XML edit these files. In the Matrix
environment, networks are generally complex and therefore not editable within SPM.
Fibre Channel unmanaged networks
To be edited in SPM, a Fibre Channel network must be a network for which all WWNs within the
network can be described using one or more patterns consisting of a partial WWN and one or
more asterisks used as wild cards within the partial WWN. For more information on patterns, see
“WWN patterns” (page 93).
For example, a network consisting of WWNs beginning with A or B would be described by two
patterns, ‘A*' and ‘B*'. A network intended to claim all WWNs can be described by the pattern
‘*'. XML files generated by SPM may be edited outside SPM, but if such a file is edited to describe
a zoned network, the file will no longer be editable within SPM.
WWN patterns
Unmanaged networks are defined using one or more patterns representing a number of world
wide names. World wide names are considered to be part of an unmanaged network if they match
a pattern within that network. Each pattern consists of hexadecimal characters, colons, and asterisks.
The hexadecimal characters and colons represent portions of a WWN canonicalized to the format
xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx. The asterisks represent wild cards within a pattern. They match any number
of hexadecimal characters in an actual WWN. When a user enters a WWN pattern, SPM attempts
to canonicalize it as necessary, and checks it for some error conditions. Patterns in which SPM
can detect no errors are stored and used to compute which endpoints belong to the unmanaged
network. In order to illustrate how SPM treats strings entered as patterns, some examples of strings
entered into SPM by users for use as patterns, together with comments on how SPM treats them,
are shown in Table 5 (page 93).
SPM ensures that each WWN is a part of only one network. If a WWN matches patterns in two
networks, the WWN will be a part of the network containing the pattern with the largest number
of matching hexadecimal characters. If a WWN matches patterns in two networks containing the
same number of matching hexadecimal characters, the WWN will not be a part of any network
since SPM cannot determine which network should contain the WWN. If a WWN matches a
pattern in an unmanaged network and is also known by SPM to be part of a managed network,
SPM will regard the WWN as being in the managed network.
Unmanaged networks containing the pattern '*' will contain all WWNs. Users with a single Fibre
Channel Fabric should use a single unmanaged network with that pattern to eliminate the need to
edit the unmanaged network as new WWNs are added. Users with WWNs that do not conform
to a more restrictive pattern may use the '*' pattern if they want all WWNs to be included in a
particular network or zone. Complete WWNs without any asterisks may also be specified as
patterns. Such patterns will match exactly one WWN, and may also be useful if no more flexible
pattern or set of patterns matches the WWNs in use.
Table 5 WWN pattern examples
CommentSPM resultUser input
Any WWN may be a part of a network containing
this pattern.
**
Any WWN beginning with the character 'A' may be
a part of a network containing this pattern. SPM
converts all lower-case letters to upper-case.
A*a*
SPM strips out any characters except digits,
alphabetical characters from a-f, and colons.
B*#ZB*
Overview 93