Technical data

Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide 13-3
Publication Number: 53-0000518-09
Zoning Concepts
13
Table 13-1 Types of Zoning
Zone Type Description
Storage-based Storage units typically implement LUN-based zoning, also called LUN masking.
LUN-based zoning limits access to the LUNs on the storage port to the specific
WWN of the server HBA. It is needed in most SANs. It functions during the probe
portion of the SCSI initialization. The server probes the storage port for a list of
available LUNs and their properties. The storage system compares the WWN of the
requesting HBA to the defined zone list, and returns the LUNs assigned to the
WWN. Other LUNs on the storage port are not made available to the server.
Host-based Host-based zoning can implement WWN or LUN masking.
Fabric-based Fabric switches implement fabric-based zoning, in which the zone members are
identified by WWN or port location in the fabric. Fabric-based zoning is also called
name server-based or soft zoning.
Brocade switches might also provide additional hardware enforcement of the zone.
When a device queries the fabric name server, the name server determines the zones
in which the device belongs. The server returns information on all members of the
zones in the fabric to the device. Devices in the zone are identified by node WWN,
port WWN, or domain, port of the switch to which the device is connected.
Fabric-based zoning is perhaps the most controversial aspect of zoning. There are
several approaches for implementing fabric zoning; all will work, in most cases.
However, there are pros and cons to each form. The primary forms are summarized
in Table 13-2.